Access Atlanta > Movies > Blog
First Look at “The Reader”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two secrets lie hidden at the heart of the new Kate Winslet historical drama “The Reader,” which is scheduled to open in Atlanta on Christmas Day. The movie’s own trailer spoils one of them — an increasingly common problem with trailers — but the movie works better the less you know going in.
Set in Germany in various time periods from 1956 to 1995, “The Reader” is the story of the relationship between Hanna (Winslet) and Michael, who’s played by Ralph Fiennes as an adult and German newcomer David Kross as a youth.
When they meet, he’s 15, she’s about 35, and they begin an all-consuming sexual affair. It’s easy to see Michael’s motivation — he’s a virgin embarking on what he comes to see as the love of his life. Hanna’s motivation is harder to discern, but is connected to her secrets and how they have damaged her. Anyone can tell it won’t end well, but only readers of Bernhard Schlink’s international best-seller will be prepared for the particular trail of devastation that follows.
The obscure title becomes obvious once the movie gets underway. Hanna asks that Michael read aloud to her, in addition to the other services he provides, and he does, everything from Homer to Chekov.The intimacy of one lover reading a book aloud to another is beguiling, but like much in “The Reader,” there are revelations that will unfold.
Here’s some of what people will be talking about when they stagger out of “The Reader” and re-orient themselves.
The nature of guilt, and of how we deal with people who are guilty. Although it takes place after World War II, “The Reader” is very much about the Holocaust, and how Germans behaved. There’s a lot more moral gray area here than in most film treatments of the Holocaust.
The amount of sex and nudity. Winslet and young Kross are utterly fearless in exposing themselves, in every sense. It’s hard to think of another A-list actress in recent years doing so many nude scenes — maybe a dozen or more — in one movie. The sex is not used for titillation, though, but to make some difficult points about Hanna.
The Holocaust in movies. Although there are no scenes set prior to 1956, the Holocaust permeates the second half of “The Reader.” Also opening Christmas Day is “Valkyrie,” Tom Cruise’s thriller about a plot to assassinate Hitler. The two movies are likely to be as different as can be, but “The Reader” is the one that’s going to remind us yet again how large National Socialism still looms as an evil to be reckoned with.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s that time of year, when we cozy up near the fireplace to watch our favorite holiday movies. I’ve realized over the years, that my favorite Christmas movies are as much about memories and traditions as about the movie themselves. So it’s no surprise then that my top five list has not changed much in the past 15 years except for one movie that came out in 2004.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is a movie that I watch every year. In fact, for years, I didn’t get in the Christmas spirit until I’d seen that little doggie trying to pull that humongous sled of stolen toys up the mountain. But watching the Grinch’s heart grow three times bigger just before he returns the items to Whoville is what Christmas is all about.
The Year Without A Santa Claus. “I’m Mr. Heat Miser, I’m Mr. Sun. I’m Mr. Green Christmas. I’m Mr. Heat Blister. I’m Mr. Hundred and One. They call me Heat Miser. Whatever I touch starts to melt in my clutch. I’m too much.” Okay, I watch just to hear the Snow Miser Heat Miser song….
It’s A Wonderful Life. This is a movie that’s on most people’s list, and how can it not be? An angel comes to earth to save a suicidal man on Christmas Eve. In the end, a husband and father who thought he’d be better off dead realizes just how important the small things he did during his life were to others.
The Polar Express. Several children board a magical steam locomotive for a trip to the North Pole on the night before Christmas. Along the way, they learn about friendship, trusting others and the true spirit of Christmas. My daughter was 6 years old when this movie was released in 2004. For years, the story of the bell helped me to explain why some kids believed in Santa, while others didn’t. “At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell,” says the lead character in the movie. “Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”
The Sound of Music. Okay, this 1965 movie musical about the Von Trapp family really has nothing to do with Christmas except that it seemed to come on television every year during the holidays. In my mind, it was always a Christmas movie for that reason and it’s now a movie that I watch with my family every Christmas. Its theme of love, family and helping others sounds Christmasy to me…
That’s my favorite list, what’s yours? Do you like the classics such as “Christmas Carol” and Miracle on 34th” or prefer the comical ones such as “Bad Santa” and “Home Alone” or horror flicks like “Gremlins” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas?”
For more holiday news and tips. Also take our holiday movie poll
Permalink | Comments (50) | Post your comment |
Disney giving free rides on MARTA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment hopes to ease the pinch on your wallet from all the holiday shopping.
On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Disney will give out out MARTA cards good for one free trip. The cards will be given out to commuters at the Five Points station from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. It’s part of a promotion surrounding the DVD release of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.”
The DVD is in stores on Tuesday.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Jackman offers “Australia” travel tips
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Going to Australia? We asked actor Hugh Jackman, costar of “Australia” (in theaters Wednesday) and People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, for his itinerary for Americans who have only two weeks to visit his country:
Explore the east: “If you had just a couple of weeks, I’d stick to the east coast. The west coast, Perth, is beautiful but you’d need more time. It’s the same as going from L.A. to New York.”
Start in Sydney: “If you land in Sydney, I’d say spend three or four days. It’s an amazing city, my hometown.
Then head north, by car: “I’d go to the barrier reefs. It’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I’d go diving, even if you’d have to learn. It’s astonishing. I’d even drive up that way. It’d take two days but it’s an amazing drive. You’d discover some of the best beaches in the world and nobody’s on them!
From the movie set: Then I’d go to Darwin [where “Australia” was primarily shot.]. I went there for the first time for the movie, and it’s fascinating. It’s literally the closest point to Asia. It’s a cross-pollination of culture. There’s a huge Aboriginal element.”
Try the outback: “I’d get on a horse, go on some sort of trail for three or four days and sleep under the stars. I’d also spend some time in Melbourne, but you may not have the time. That’s a whole another slice of Australia, a whole different flavor.”
Have you visited Austraila? Agree with Hugh? If not, where would you tell folks to go?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
We’ve seen “Twilight.” Here’s the scoop!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Stephenie Meyer’s swoony saga of vampires and young love — a Gothic romance for the age of Google — has grown from OMG word-of-mouth phenomenon among teen girls to mass popularity among teens, and increasingly their mothers and teachers.
The movie, which opens Friday, has been anticipated by fans — the so-called Twi-hards — who have been eager to see their beloved characters come to life, but fearful that Hollywood would somehow screw it up.
Tuesday night, at the only Atlanta screening before the opening, a packed house shrieked en masse and nearly levitated in unison when the movie began. As millions more pour into theaters this weekend, here’s what they will be talking about.
Edward Cullen. And his hair. Cullen is the beautiful, noble, darned-near-perfect vampire who falls hard for young Bella, a 17-year-old mortal. Heartthrob Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies) plays him as soft and afraid of his own urges at first, then increasingly stronger. His magnificently teased, poufed and highlighted hairstyle — James Dean taken to extremes — has so much talk already there’s even a Facebook group just for Pattinson’s hair.
Bella. Publicity shots of actress Kristen Stewart made her look too glam, and an earlier (discarded) script turned her into an action heroine. So fans were worried the movie might ruin Bella, whose awkwardness, introspection and sheer normalcy is a big factor in the story’s appeal. But the movie Bella is very close to the book Bella, even nibbling her nails in one scene. Pretty, but no supermodel.
Following the novel. The movie sticks pretty close to the book, both in letter and in spirit. Fan-fave dialogue like “You’re like my own personal brand of heroin” survives intact.
The atmosphere. Gloomy and gloomier — this is the Pacific Northwest. Is that a whiff of “Twin Peaks” blowing on the breeze? Still, it helps anchor “Twilight” in a reasonably believable locale.
A quick cameo. Blink and you’ll miss her, but in a scene with Bella and her dad in a diner a little over halfway through the movie, that’s author Meyer sitting at the counter, pulling a Hitchcock.
I’m not allowed to review the movie — the deal with getting to see the screening — but those are the highlights and you can read between the lines.
So who’s going to see “Twilight” this weekend? Are you concerned or just excited?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment |
‘Quantum’ or ‘Twilight’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Quantum of Solace,” the new James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, raked in a whopping $70 million this weekend. Up this Friday is “Twilight,” based on Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster novel about a teenage girl (played by Kristin Stewart in the movie) who falls in love with a vampire. Did you see “Quantum” this past weekend, or are you holding out for “Twilight” this coming weekend? Think “Twilight” will surpass “Quantum” at the box office?
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment |
First Look at the film “Bolt”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“The Incredibles.” “Toy Story.” “Finding Nemo.”
These films are all packed with humor, heart and soul. They were all huge box office hits. They’re visually stunning. And all came from Pixar Studios, considered the kings of animation.
So Disney purchased Pixar two years ago and is now hoping the Pixar magical formula can juice up its upcoming animated feature “Bolt,” out next Friday.
The premise is simple: Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) is a dog who thinks he’s got special powers that enable him to stop cars in their tracks, burn through metal via laser eyes and knock over tanks with his “super bark.”
But he’s actually in a TV show he thinks is real life. When he accidentally ends up thousands of miles away from his cocoon of a TV studio, he discovers he’s not so special after all.
Here are some notable things you’ll see in the film:
— Adults will enjoy the pretentious director (voiced appropriately by James Lipton) who thinks he can get a better performance out of Bolt by sequestering him in a world in which he believes his owner Penny is perpetually in danger from an evil green-eyed man.
— The efforts to hide the truth from Bolt evokes Truman in the Jim Carrey film “The Truman Show.”
— While human characters are left deliberately cartoonish, the super-realistic animation means you can see the grit on city grates, the shimmer of light off glass buildings, the smudges on the lightning bolt on Bolt’s fur.
— Miley Cyrus, who voices the actress-kid Penny, sings a key song “I Thought I Lost You” in a country lilt that renders her vocally unrecognizable compared to her pop-rock hits such as “See You Again.”
— The characters explore serious themes of loyalty and abandonment, but viewers young and old will also appreciate the humor. Many of the best lines come from Rhino, a roly-poly, ever-excitable hamster who worships Bolt and loves uttering “Awesome!” And Susie Essman’s jaded black cat Mittens is suitably sarcastic — for a cat.
— Every dog owner will see elements of their own dog in the sweet, loving Bolt.
— Though Travolta is his voice, Bolt does no dancing whatsoever.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
What scary movie scares you most?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have to admit, I’m a big chicken when it comes to scary movies. Nowadays, I usually avoid them altogether. But I reluctantly agreed to watch “The Strangers,” which is now out on DVD on Tuesday. I thought it was pretty scary, but my 20-something nephew and niece had one word for it: “lame.” They didn’t see it on the big screen, but both predicted every “scary” turn from start to finish as we watched it on TV.
Now there are some classics I will watch — “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Amityville of Horror,” “Pyscho.” And others with seriously sharp or deadly instruments — “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Shining,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” — that I could never be talked into watching. Nor anything with snakes — “Anaconda” or “Snakes on a Plane” (I know the latter is not a horror movie, but the title alone send chills up my spine.)
With Halloween next week, there are a lot of DVD releases this month — old and new titles — that will scare or entertain you. In addition to “The Strangers” and “Psycho,” here are a few others:
“The Happening,” “Touch of Evil: 50th Anniversary Edition,” “The Omen,” “Young Frankenstein,” “The Omen” (Blu Ray), “Hellboy,” “The Ray Harryhausen Collection: “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” and “20 Million Miles to Earth”)
So, what’s your all-time favorite scary movie?
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment |
Alec Baldwin hosting TCM’s “The Essentials” in 2009 with Robert Osborne
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last year, TCM took a bit of a left turn by bringing in cult figure and actress Rose McGowan as co-host of “The Essentials,” a heralded series in which McGowan and movie guru Robert Osborne would gab about a particular film. McGowan showed impressive knowledge of old flicks for a gal her age and the chemistry between the two of them was wonderful.
But this year, TCM managed to get hot A list actor Alec Baldwin, currently starring in NBC’s “30 Rock,” to work with Osborne.
As the press release notes:
Baldwin, who possesses a deep love and understanding of classic films, will join TCM host Robert Osborne in introducing “must see” movies each week, with an eye toward helping viewers better understand why these films are important and the impact they had on audiences and the culture at large.
Taping will occur in December with Baldwin’s episodes starting in March, 2009.
Baldwin was a guest programmer in the past for TCM and interviewed Gene Wilder for a special earlier this year.
Over the years, he’s won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award.
His credits include: Beetlejuice, The Good Shepherd, The Hunt for Red October, Miami Blues, Prelude to a Kiss, Malice, The Shadow, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heaven’s Prisoners, Ghosts of Mississippi, The Edge, Pearl Harbor and The Cat in the Hat.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
The ultimate Bruce Lee: In 50 parts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bruce Lee is getting his due in China. The country’s state-run broadcaster plans to air a 50-part (yes, 50) prime time series on Bruce Lee, the late kung fu film star.
Lee’s popularity soared in the early 1970s with a number of films, but his influence was not felt immediately in mainland China, which had a closed society. His films did not do well in China until they began arriving on video in the 1980, according to AP.
The highly detailed megaseries was filmed over nine months in the U.S., Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Italy. The character of Lee, who died in 1973 at age 32, will be played by Chan Kwok Kwan.
As a child, my brother loved Bruce Lee’s movies. He even made a pair of nunchucks for his play fights. Were you a Bruce Lee fan? What are your favorite Bruce Lee or martial arts movies?
Latest comments
Its a Wonderful life hands down the best ever. Makes you think of the contributions however small they are to your family and folks around you. The Christmas Story is by far the worst movie and dumbest ever made. And the run the damn thing back to back... read the full comment by Blkshepherd | Comment on What's your favorite Christmas movie? Read What's your favorite Christmas movie?
MD N8tv in GA, Totally agree on The Ref - one of the funniest movies ever. I just watched it again the other day. Good stuff!... read the full comment by snow white | Comment on What's your favorite Christmas movie? Read What's your favorite Christmas movie?
Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds (not Ginger Rogers). I’ve seen it over 50 times. White Christmas is pretty good, too. Great musical numbers. By the way, some of the items in people’s lists... read the full comment by Ilene | Comment on What's your favorite Christmas movie? Read What's your favorite Christmas movie?
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” - Hands Down... read the full comment by Drew | Comment on What's your favorite Christmas movie? Read What's your favorite Christmas movie?