GRAN TORINO (Warner Bros.)
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Sometimes the easiest of stories, one’s that never yield to any unneeded twists or turns, can work out better than imagined, given the right talent behind the camera. Now, some will argue anyone in Hollywood can make this type of film, but I beg to differ. Too often I have seen director’s take a somewhat easy story and mess it up with gratuitous special effects or drama to satisfy some idiotic demographic the producers are trying to tap. It’s for this reason I look for a director to take a simple premise, one we all have seen done before, and make something out of it that no one expected. It doesn’t happen often, as most of the time we do see the same old tired routine, but every now and then we’ll find that story. Clint Eastwood’s GRAN TORINO is that story and one that on the surface doesn’t seem too involved, but winds up moving you in more ways than one when it’s all said and done.

As noted, the story in this one doesn’t get too deep, but does follow Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired ex-Marine and former Ford factory worker who was starting to get tired of seeing one Asian family after the next move into the neighborhood. You see Walt was a tad bit racist; having grown up in the days where being an American looked and felt much different. So, seeing his beloved neighborhood transform like this was not easy for him, and when his 72’ Gran Torino was almost stolen by one of these so-called gang members, that feeling of disgust toward his “new” neighbors only got worse. But, Walt was not going to back down, oh no, he was too proud for that. In fact, he was so proud; he wouldn’t even listen to his own son Mitch (Brian Haley) and daughter-in-law Karen (Geraldine Hughes) when they tried to convince him to move away from the neighborhood he held so dear into a more peaceful setting. It was later Walt found out the perpetrator that tried to steal his car was his own neighbor Thao (Bee Vang), a young Hmong teen forced into one of these Asian gangs by his cousin. Now, forced to make amends with the cranky old man to restore honor to his family, Thao offers up his services to Walt, hoping all will be forgotten after a few chores are completed. And in the mitts of making all this right, Walt and Thao strike up a unique friendship that neither expected, learning more and more about each other. But, just when things started to take a turn for the better, Thao and his sister Sue Lor (Ahney Her) are threatened by gang members, leaving Walt with no other choice but to fight back. With his sights set on making all this go away by whatever means possible, Walt devises a plan to clean up the neighborhood once and for all.

It’s no surprise the only member to this cast with any clout is Clint himself, but honestly, no one else matters. With a story like this, I could care less about who Brian Haley or Brian Howe is, both playing the sons of Walt (Eastwood). And when I say a story “like this,” I mean one that we’ve seen before and one that's quite simplistic when you break it all down. I think with any other lead actor or director, this movie would have never made it and certainly wouldn’t have been among the top films at the box office for consecutive weeks. The story alone is not enough, so Clint’s ability to bring humor out of seriousness, like he does here was absolutely brilliant and the best part of it was, you could relate to it. So many of us have a relative or some distant Aunt or Uncle that acts closely to what Clint does in this film, so that alone will make any performance shine, much less one turned in by the iconic legend. And it’s in the way he does it too, so easily and with no holding back, like each moment of emotion was his last. I was impressed and given Clint’s volume of work, who knows where this ranks ultimately, but to me it was among his best, simply because it was a different and unique role for Clint.

Without a doubt, GRAN TORINO would have never made it without the grace and talent of Clint Eastwood, both actor and director here. As if everything he has done in his career was not enough, he takes on this project and absolutely knocks it out of the park. He puts that official Clint Eastwood stamp on this film that only he could make visible and does so with integrity. At no point do you feel unattached to this story and just in the way it was filmed makes you believe there’s nothing this great actor/director can’t do. For me, who never grew up watching Eastwood, I can’t relate to what he meant to Hollywood then, but I sure know what he means to Hollywood now and without him, a certain amount of credibility is lost. And what’s even more amazing is just how quiet Clint goes about his business. I mean, this guy doesn’t quit and at least to me, just when you think he has hung up the lead acting for good, he breaks out with this role, which should have garnered at least an Oscar nod, but as I write this, that surprisingly didn’t happen. There’s just this feeling you have when watching him in this film and I can’t help but imagine him setting up this film behind the camera, knowing exactly where he needs to be and what shot will produce what. I think that overall perspective allows this film to look so original, despite its core being one we all have seen before.

GRAN TORINO is nothing spectacular. It’s not even a film you would rave about around the water cooler the next day at work. But, that’s the beauty of it, as a story as straightforward as this one can lead to a performance like the one turned in by the legendary actor/director himself. Because, in the end, it doesn’t matter how big or little a fan you are of Clint, as this film proves there’s still a lot left in the tank for this savvy veteran.

B+

VALKYRIE (United Artists)

Directed by Bryan Singer

It’s been said that what happened during World War I and World War II helped shape the planet into what it is today, but if that’s true, then shouldn’t we know each and every story that occurred back then by now? Should there not be anymore conspiracies yet to be solved, or are the ones we do know of not completely told yet? Either way, the fact is, this was a very crucial time for many countries, a time when peace was overtaken by war, and more importantly a time when Germany was supposed to lose some power thanks to the 'Treaty of Versailles.' Unfortunately, that never happened and some 14 years later Adolf Hitler, a.k.a. the Fuhrer, was named leader of Germany and the rest, as they say, is history. And although I won’t go into how Hitler was able to start WWII all by himself, know that not everyone was behind, undoubtedly the most feared leader Germany has ever known. And in 1944 a small group acted out Hitler’s own plan, dubbed Operation Valkyrie, in hopes of disarming the SS (Shield Squadron) and Nazi government, after of course assassinating the most feared man in the country. A plan so complex, yet so simple, lending itself to such an amazing conspiracy story, as told in VALKYRIE, a film that will hold you hostage on the edge of your seat.

As formerly mentioned, this story is based on true events following WWII and the potential fallout of a government power that had frankly become too big. And at the center of it all was Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), a devoted German officer who couldn’t stand what Hitler had been doing to his country. In fact, he became so disgusted with it all, that he went to his senior command in hopes of overthrowing the fierce dictator. After no avail, while serving in the field, von Stauffenberg and his company were hit, resulting in a mess of injuries and heartache, ultimately leading von Stauffenberg in the direction of ending this reign, once and for all. After joining a secretive anti-Hitler group led by a few highly decorated Nazi officers, the savvy Colonel was able to gather enough supporters to build a team to take down the Fuhrer, using the very plan he created, in the event of his death. The plan, known as Operation Valkyrie, was straight forward with little to no loopholes, thus vaulting the newly formed team into a heightened state, as the most difficult piece to it, would be the assassination of Hitler himself, a task many before them had failed to do. But, as one loyal officer tells von Stauffenberg, nothing ever goes according to plan, resulting in probably the most famous failed assassination attempt any dictator has faced, yet remains one of the only honored piece’s to Germany’s past.

Make no mistake about it, Tom Cruise is my favorite actor and no matter what new film he is behind or in, I probably will be a little bias. That’s just a fact, but having said that, I still view anything he does like anyone else should, with no expectations or preconceived notions. By doing so, I can take in all of what makes Cruise, well, Cruise. And that’s not the guy you see off the screen answering questions about Scientology or some other ludicrous attempt to get inside the head of the most popular actor in the world. The guy I speak of is the one who puts 150% into the role he is playing and the man who has the ability to make any role worth watching. I may alone in this thought, but to me, there’s nothing he can’t do and this role as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg proves that. I’m sorry, but anyone that can pull off this look wearing an eye patch deserves some credit and he did, plus some; virtually commanding every scene he was in, to the point that you had no choice but to sit there in awe.

Surrounding Cruise was a wealth of talent, led by a couple vets in Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson. For Wilkinson, this was a “walk in the park,” having throw his talent around for the past 33 years in Hollywood. And what’s great about Wilkinson is, he leads by example so no matter what the role might be, you always know he’s true to the character, allowing the rest of the cast to fall in. Same could be said for his counterpart, Bill Nighy, playing one of von Stauffenberg’s (Cruise) fellow conspirators General Olbricht . And it was good to see Nighy nice and clean, given the last time we saw him, his face was surrounded with moving tentacles in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END. But, possibly the one pleasant surprise to this cast and one I had no clue was a part of this film until seeing him pop up on the big screen, was Eddie Izzard. Here’s a guy that many will not recognize, but should given his talent and comedic resume prior to starring in films like OCEAN’S TWELVE and ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. And even though he might not have been on screen too long here, I remember him which speaks volumes on the job he did overall.

Having missed the special on The History Channel regarding this very story, I had no prior knowledge of how all this went down back in the day, before actually sitting down and experiencing it on the big screen. So, going in, I simply trusted director Bryan Singer (X-MEN, SUPERMAN RETURNS), knowing what he was capable of and how clever he could be behind the camera. After first seeing Singer’s work in USUAL SUSPECTS, I became an instant fan and ever since then, I have been waiting for another gripping film like it. VALKYRIE is that film, but with a lot more intensity and clout, given all the historical attributes attached to it. Two entirely different kinds of films, and yet similar in feel when it comes to the concentrated emotion mixed throughout each of the stories respectively. But, make no mistake about it, VALKYRIE is much better than advertised and I think that credit should go to both Singer and Cruise for studying this story so deeply, ensuring they got it right. No stone was unturned as each and every account built on or around this story was secured when put into extreme motion. And when it was left up to Singer, he made sure to add in just the right action or emotion, given the circumstance, so that everything felt real and true to the times in which the film was built upon. I think that’s important to note, because despite whatever camera tricks Singer used to jack up the thrill level, staying true to the historical aspects of this story was vital and he passed with flying colors.

No matter how hard we try, we can never run away from history, but what we can do is look back and honor stories like the one in VALKYRIE. Given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this story, combined with a great cast led by Cruise, this film transcends what a thriller is meant to be from start to finish.

A

FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)

Directed by Ron Howard

No matter how hard we try, there’s just no way to eliminate politics from Hollywood, both on and off the big screen. If that’s the case, then why do we try and why do the Academy Awards become more and more political each New Year? It’s no secret my feelings on the past few ceremonies and how large of a role politics have played, but I guess that’s an answer we may never get the privilege to know. Either way, politics will never go away and after one of the most historical election year’s this country has ever seen, I for one welcome more and more films to not only stare down politics, but force moviegoers to see more of the truth behind this government and the things our leaders do or don’t do. I realize not everything we see on the big screen is true when it comes to politics, but the same can be said about our national news, so pick your poison. Because, to me, if this past election did not prove to you just how intricate the media’s role is in this country, I don’t know what will. And the funny thing is, none of this is new. Sure, there’s quite a few more media outlets now than there were 30 years ago, but the same truth is there, which is the camera never lies. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, the truth will come out behind the vigilant lenses of a camera, the plain and simple mantra behind FROST/NIXON.

Back in the summer of 1977, a series of interviews took place between former President Richard M. Nixon (Frank Langella) and British talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen). The hope for Nixon was to clean up his image after the Watergate debacle and fallout that had shaken the country, while Frost just wanted to better his career and future prospects. At the time, you couldn’t have asked for better TV and just landing the famed interview was a win for Frost and Co., but they had to deliver and that meant grabbing the long awaited confession from the dishonored President. Doing so would not be easy though and Frost gathered the best team money could buy, so that nothing would fall through the cracks, hoping he would then be able to get the answers America craved for, no matter how hard it would wind up being. Equally, Nixon’s team strategically made sure they had a plan for each scenario, so that no stone was unturned and the former President would come out of the interviews as the winner. The result, was nothing less than spectacular, as the intensity leading up to and during these interviews was enough to make any ordinary leader cringe, much less a TV show host.

I have no doubt that when you sit down to watch FROST/NIXON, you will recognize both Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, but won’t know from where. That is, unless you had the privilege of seeing this story played out on the stage, but either way Ron Howard could not have done this film without these two, if you ask me. Sure, plenty of actors could have played Richard Nixon and David Frost, but I guarantee they wouldn’t have been as convincing as these two were. Call it an obvious move by Howard if you want, but truthfully, a lot of director’s would not have pulled the trigger in this way. Howard did and never looked back, confident his two stars would knock it out of the park, which they did with ease. This was especially true for Langella, a veteran who knows how to stay within the character, carrying all those famous mannerisms and actions of the infamous President.

And although I never grew up during Nixon’s presidency, having been born during the summer that these interviews took place, I saw no flaw in his performance as the man they dubbed “Tricky Dick.” Same can be said for Sheen, who continues to impress me, as this is second role in the past two years that I feel disserves an Oscar nod, the other coming out of THE QUEEN, in which he played Tony Blair. But, like 2006, he might will most likely get snubbed for a more notable performance, but I guess that will happen when you take on side-projects like the UNDERWORLD series. Either way, Sheen has Frost down pat, bringing out all the cockiness of the famed TV show host, yet still fairly vulnerable when the intensity gets to level he’s not so familiar with. That unique balance is what made Frost so hard to read at times and Sheen was able to bring that out at just the right times during the film. Whether that was when he was going over the plan with this crew prior to or during the interviews or staring down Langella’s Nixon, you couldn’t have asked for better drama. Ironically, the supporting cast in this one is probably more recognizable than the two main stars, as Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt all jump right into the moment with groundbreaking performances. Bacon might get more noticed, but to me it was Rockwell that stole a few scenes from the others, as his James Reston Jr. was about as true as it came during that period following the tumultuous Presidency.

Stories like FROST/NIXON don’t come around that often and I agree without great acting, there’s really no chance for success as so much depends on it, but writing and directing still play their part respectively. Because the fact is, someone still has to make a film which is basically just one long interview interesting and watchable. Clearly respecting the play that inspired this film, director Ron Howard made sure to lay all focus on his cast, but while doing so brought in certain camera shots and angles when the drama called for it. Doing this allowed each and every emotion or talking point to be magnified and much more enjoyable to watch. And its here where I think Howard is at his best, as he finds that perfect match of balance between emotion and honesty, yet still bringing in all the undisclosed myths behind the heart of the story. That combined with the brilliant script, penned by Peter Morgan, who also wrote the play, made for some great entertainment for a story that most of us probably never knew about, much less would even consider watching, depending on our own views of the notorious President and his Watergate scandal.

Although people won’t admit it, stories like FROST/NIXON get the juices flowing, which is why I want more of these films on the big screen. But, no matter how much you know or don’t know about President Richard M. Nixon and his storied Presidency, you should watch this film. And not for anything other than seeing behind the man known for one giant mistake, and a man that would never back down despite it being in his best interests, which in the end became his demise. With performances as good as this, all shown through the careful lenses of director Ron Howard, its hard to find any reason not to see this wonderful piece of moviemaking.

A

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Directed by Danny Boyle

It’s not often anymore that we find a film that rises up from the depths of nowhere and winds up everywhere. Last year, I thought WAITRESS might have been that film, but with a whole lot of bad luck and timing, it came and went without too much notice. That leaves the only other recent choice to be ONCE, the little pseudo-documentary that thrived at film festivals across the country in 2007, until finally being picked up for the mainstream and ultimately leading it into Oscar contention for Best Original Song, for which it won. And even though the entire idea of an independent film has been tested the past few years by overnight hits like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and JUNO, I think we can all agree these films are as unique and as real as they come. But, is that enough to warrant the Oscar buzz that tends to come around each year for these ‘indies’? That’s the million dollar question and one that I attempt to answer each and every year leading up the Oscars, but for now have to settle on one simple act of brilliance displayed in possibly this year’s overnight wonder, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

Adapted from the book Q & A, written by Vikas Swarup, the story here followsa young street beggar by the name of Jamal Palik (Dev Patel) who defies odds by not only getting a shot on the India version of the hit game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?', but once on the show, he starts answering every question correctly, thwarting the region into a frenzy. In fact, Jamal does so well, that the show and police start to question whether he is cheating or not, going as far as to bringing him in for questioning, among other things. So, as the story flips back and forth between the show and the police questions, we start to see the whole story behind Jamal and how he came to know the answers to all the questions asked. Growing up in the slums, with no family other than his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and female friend Latika (Freida Pinto), Jamal developed a thick skin and fought his way through life. The two brothers spent years on the move, going from one place to the next learning about their country in the mitts of just trying to survive by whichever means necessary. If that meant lying, cheating or stealing, they did so without looking back, as it was truly their only option at the time. But as they got older, they each started to drift more into the unknown and long gone were the carefree days of just having fun. And never in Jamal’s wildest dreams could he imagine sitting on his country’s most popular game show answering questions about those very things he did or came across in his tumultuous young life. But he was and for one very good reason as we later find out, with all kinds of pressure, no thanks to the unconvinced show host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), who was doing anything but helping the young phenom.

Unless you hail from the Far East near the Arabian Sea, I am confident you have no clue who this cast is or what they are about. I know I didn’t, but was pleasantly surprised with the performances', as each gave way to a story that was better than most and one that I feel everyone should watch at least once. And this cast begins with all the kids who played the main characters of Jamal, Salim and Latika at three separate stages of life. Director Danny Boyle was able to find the perfect mix of talent and made it work at each stage, leading up to the brilliant pairing of Dev Patel and Madhur Mittal, both of which that did more than an admirable job in their individual roles, especially Mittal, who had the thankless part as the older and often troubled brother. But, it was the chemistry of Patel and Pinto that helped vault this story from a rags to riches theme to something even greater, as these two hit it off each and every time they entered the screen together or separate. And that played such an intricate role throughout, despite them not being in too many scenes together, as the true premise behind this story as we find out was love and how destiny can lead you through the wildest of experiences.

Anytime you see a story based around a country that isn’t often talked about, unless a natural disaster has hit it, you should watch it because the fact of the matter is, we all should learn more about the world we live in. And that’s beauty of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, as it’s not so much about India, but in some underlying way still shows you the country in all its glory. I credit director Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING) for that, as he clearly wanted to bring to life some of the mysteries of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and how a story like the one of Jamal Palik’s can reach the world. And the ways he did it behind the camera were just uncanny, as so much of India was brought to life with just the right angle and color. The story itself was almost too organized and given the constant back and forth between the past and present, I have to give some kudos to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who took Swarup’s book and turned it into a wonderful adaptation on the big screen. And given the story and extreme backdrop, I was surprised to see such ease at which this story moved, but clearly Boyle not only respected the original book, but took his screenwriter’s own words and brought them to life in one unimaginable way. The end result was just a wonder to watch and although this story could be broken down quite easy, and sure, some might say it’s even too perfect by films end, I liked it that way and was glad to finally see a film with no apologies for being a great story.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won’t scream must see, but it should. With all the popcorn flicks and unneeded gratuitous action and humor that covers the holiday box office; it’s a nice change of pace to see a real feel-good story like this one. And with a soundtrack that will almost get you out of your seat, I can’t think of a better film to be nominated come Oscar time, for it shows the true meaning behind that unspeakable thing we called destiny.

A

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
Directed by David Fincher

Every so often a film will come along that will cover so much ground, that you might feel as if you missed something, but given its long running-time, won’t lead you back in the direction of seeing it again, even though you probably should. That’s a shame, because these types of stories just don’t come around as much as they should, given the path Hollywood has taken the past decade or so. And at least by my math, the last film with these qualities was 1994’s FORREST GUMP, the Best Picture winner for that year and film many critics consider one of the greatest of all time. Now, I’m sure an argument can be made for several other outstanding motion pictures between then and now, but I can’t name any that have the unique ability to take you on that kind of “life” journey in the way FORREST GUMP did, until now. Twelve years and over 7,700 films later, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON has entered the scene as not only a worthy contender for best film this year, but one that could go down as the best of this decade when it’s all said and done.

Believe it or not, this film is based loosely off a 1920’s short story written by F.Scott Fitzgerald, the very same writer who penned The Great Gatsby for those history buffs. And it basically spans a lifetime of a man who “was born under unusual circumstances," a man by the name of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt). You see Benjamin was in his “eighties” when he was born and as the story goes, aged backwards while everyone else aged forward. A tricky scenario for any newborn, but for Benjamin both a curse and blessing, as he would be able to see life in a way like no other. Left on a doorstep shortly after birth, Benjamin was not given much of a shot, but as we find out through a series of flashbacks spanning this entire film, he would be better off as the doorstep he was left on belonged to a retirement home, run by a woman named Queenie (Taraji Henson). While there, Benjamin grows up like any other baby, only 80 years older and it was during this time he met a young girl by the name of Daisy. Coming only on weekends to visit her grandmother, Daisy saw past all the wrinkles and oddities of Benjamin like most kid’s would, becoming an intricate part of his life as he grew younger while she grew older. And as each grew in their own way, Benjamin would send Daisy postcards of his adventures, so they would never lose touch. But even that became difficult after awhile as no matter how great the love was, Benjamin was on a much different path, which in the end led him to live life in a way that no one else could imagine, but would wish for if given the chance.

Any cast with the likes of Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt will draw quite a bit of attention, and in this case, it should be welcomed as these two showed why they are among the best in Hollywood. For Cate, her role here joins a long list of achievements in her short career that seems to not be slowing down anytime soon and one I will continue to follow in the future. Cate just has this beautiful essence about her that can be seen so easily on the big screen and no matter the role, she can play it down or up when needed, much like she did here through the different time periods of her character Daisy. Combine that with her all too transparent on-screen class, you can’t help but be drawn to her; so I say give her any period piece and she will knock it out of the park. Having said that, though, I think most will agree this movie was not about her, it was about her co-star in Pitt. How far he has come all these years and like Tom Cruise, will probably never see an Oscar for anything he does in acting, simply because he’s just too big of a star. Hate to say it, but its true and I hope he at least will garner a nomination for this role, because its one of his best, if not the best of his famed career.

And what I found so amazing about this performance was how his simple facial expressions and eye movement told so much, reminding me of his performance in MEET JOE BLACK. Basically, lending his face to director David Fincher, they were able to create a CGI version of just about anything they wanted and make no mistake about it, without CGI, this movie would not have been as magical. Being able to replicate a younger or older version of Pitt, combined with any makeup tricks made each aspect of Pitt’s character so intriguing to watch and endure. You just couldn’t help but be pulled into this life of Benjamin Button who was born the exact opposite of everyone else and it was Pitt that sold it in whatever way he had to. Taking somewhat of a backseat to Pitt and Blanchett was Taraji Henson, who played Benajmin’s (Pitt) mom. But, make no mistake about it, she should be mentioned as her Queenie was a joy to watch and a nice change of pace to the often more subtle Pitt. Even Tilda Swinton managed to make her presence known in the story, playing a brief love interest to Pitt’s Button, so outside of some obvious love to Pitt and Blanchett, I can see some potential supporting nods come to this cast as well.

Hidden behind all that great talent within the cast is a director many of us are not too familiar with, but should be based on his resume. And not because it’s so well-rounded or stocked full of acclaimed projects; instead his resume contains two films that were the first of their kind in many ways. Films that, in my mind, paved the way for stories we see today on the big screen. Those films were SE7EN and FIGHT CLUB, two films, yes, that contained Brad Pitt; but two films I feel were so well-crafted, that we often draw comparisons to when one like it gets released. Having worked with George Lucas’ own ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) company back in the 80’s, director David Fincher learned early about the need for detail and how technology would eventually control most of what we see today from major motion pictures. What he didn’t realize was just how intricate of a role this same technology would wind up playing in his latest film, which may wind up being his legacy when it’s all said and done. But either way, without special effects like the one’s here, it would have been impossible to see the transformation of Benjamin Button and how a life so extremely opposite than anything we know make such a wonderful story to watch.

Sometimes a long title like THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON might lead you the other direction, but that would be a huge mistake as this film proves there’s still room in Hollywood for a truly remarkable piece of moviemaking. So, pay no attention to the 159 minute runtime, as every minute reveals a lifetime of wonder and charm, all tied up into one wonderful message and story that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

A+