First Films of the Year

I went to see The Reader a couple of days into the new year but did not complete it. After nearly 45 minutes of little more than sex scenes I walked out. Don't get me wrong it was not the sex scenes that had me walking out. It was just one of those very rare occasions when I suddenly did not want to sit still in a movie theatre. So I will likely get the film out on video when it hits the library.

A film that I did see through to the end was Valkyrie. I can honestly say that it was not as bad as I thought it would be. While you never really lose Tom Cruise when watching him act in this film it still managed to be somewhat suspenseful. This despite the fact that the viewer knows Colonel Stauffenberg and his comrades will fail to kill Hitler and will be executed. It was a bit disconcerting to see so many Brits (such as Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh and Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard) playing Germans but all were very good.

I believe that it is okay to cheer for the people trying to kill Hitler even though they were Nazis. If the film is to be believed they were fighting for Germany and hated the crimes being committed Hilter and his followers.

I also almost hate to admit that I was pleased when my brother sent me a birthday card a couple of years ago that played Flight of the Valkyries when I opened it. I have heard that Wagner was very much an anti-semite and while I am actually Catholic and not Jewish, I find this disturbing. I struggle with the idea that it is okay to enjoy the work of the person when you cannot approve of the person and their beliefs or activities. Another example of this is Elia Kazan. I love A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront but I hate the fact that the director of these great films named names to the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950's.

I am looking forward to Gran Torino and Frost/Nixon when they open. I am a big fan of Clint Eastwood, especially as a director. I am not such a fan of Ron Howard though I have seen quite a few of his films. However, Frost/Nixon has gotten great reviews and looks like a very interesting film. I wish there was some way to see the real interview (and there may be but I just have not found out yet)

I just got There Will Be Blood for my birthday and am looking forward to watching it again. I could never decide which of this film or No Country For Old Men should have won Best Picture. At the time I believe I felt No Country For Old Men deservedly won but that may have been due to my affection for the Coen brothers. I did like PT Anderson's Hard Eight, Boogie Nights and Magnolia but did not like Punch Drunk Love (I may need to try it a second time) but not as much as Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, Blood Simple and of course O' Brother Where Art Thou? and Fargo. So the Coens had my heart (which is interesting since the Coens are so often accused of lacking heart in their movies. This is something I debate though).

Okay time for some coffee!