wrestler

Frost/Nixon [Blu-ray]
$39.98
This so called movie was all about David Frost and what he supposedly went through in the process of interviewing President Nixon. It was a real yawner. The responses of Nixon was not what was on the original footage, it was all taken out of contex, mostly just fiction, on what could have turned out to be a good film. Nixon was portrayed as an uncontrolable vilan, which was not reflected on the original footage of the real interviews. This film made both Frost and Nixon seemed out of step with reality of the times.

The Wrestler
$29.98
There's something in this film that had me watching it a dozen or so times. The depicftion and peeling away of the non existent middle class America that is revealed here is scorching. The failure in this film is unromanticized and so beautifully dreary from the Hallmark card failure presented to Tomei to the heart wrenching attempts to reach out to a daughter with statements like "I'm just a broken down sack of meat", paraphrased here. This film can stand with the best of Tony Richardson's British New Wave films. There is something here that really has me on the edge of my seat wondering whats next for Arronofsky. The man he presents here for us knows himself so well that all the roads which yawn open to him he will place a foot on ;the man at the deli counter, the middle aged guy with the heart problems, the perenially youthful alleycat in firemans boots, the last shot at fatherhood and I guess the one that got me rebirth & redemption thru a love affair with the whore with a heart of gold ... a foot on all of these and then rejecting them out of hand. The anti hero here gets out on the ropes here certain heart failure for him and all of us. I find myself going back to John Osborne's great play "Look Back In Anger" ...................JIMMY:...There are cruel steel traps lying about everywher, just waiting for rather mad , slightly satanic, and very timid little animals. Right? Alison nods. {pathetically}. poor squirrels! ..................ALISON (with the same comic emphasis). Poor bears!She laughs a little. then looks at him very tenderly, and adds very, very softly.) Oh, Poor, poor bears!...Slides her arms around him....CURTAIN

The Wrestler [Blu-ray]
$39.99
There's something in this film that had me watching it a dozen or so times. The depicftion and peeling away of the non existent middle class America that is revealed here is scorching. The failure in this film is unromanticized and so beautifully dreary from the Hallmark card failure presented to Tomei to the heart wrenching attempts to reach out to a daughter with statements like "I'm just a broken down sack of meat", paraphrased here. This film can stand with the best of Tony Richardson's British New Wave films. There is something here that really has me on the edge of my seat wondering whats next for Arronofsky. The man he presents here for us knows himself so well that all the roads which yawn open to him he will place a foot on ;the man at the deli counter, the middle aged guy with the heart problems, the perenially youthful alleycat in firemans boots, the last shot at fatherhood and I guess the one that got me rebirth & redemption thru a love affair with the whore with a heart of gold ... a foot on all of these and then rejecting them out of hand. The anti hero here gets out on the ropes here certain heart failure for him and all of us. I find myself going back to John Osborne's great play "Look Back In Anger" ...................JIMMY:...There are cruel steel traps lying about everywher, just waiting for rather mad , slightly satanic, and very timid little animals. Right? Alison nods. {pathetically}. poor squirrels! ..................ALISON (with the same comic emphasis). Poor bears!She laughs a little. then looks at him very tenderly, and adds very, very softly.) Oh, Poor, poor bears!...Slides her arms around him....CURTAIN

Slumdog Millionaire
$29.98
I, like the rest of the world, heard about the Film of the Year; "Slumdog Millionaire". However, I never overheard a clear explanation of the plot and what I did hear was more confusing than helpful; a dramatic story built around a gameshow. In addition, I read where 2009 was such a mediocre year that a movie like "Slumdog Millionaire" might end up as Best Picture come Oscar time.

"Slumdog Millionaire" IS a very good movie. As it began, I thought that I was finding out too much too soon. With all this information up front, how would the rest of the movie keep my attention. Before long I realized the brilliance of its' cinematic concept; the answer to each question on the game show was learned in the school of Hard Knocks by our improbable hero, Jamal Malik. Jamal has lived a tough life and every tragedy and misfortune was etched in his memory. His seemimgly emotionless reaction to each correct answer on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was a testimony to the suffering the answer brought to mind. Naturally, the movie lets us in on the "stories behind the answers". Along the way, we meet other characters important in Jamal's life as they weave in and out of his story. The ending is somewhat predictable but we would be greatly disappointed otherwise.

I guess "Slumdog Millionaire" IS a dramatic story built around a game show. However, it didn't take a mediocre year to give it a chance to win Best Picture. It would have competed in any other year as well.