Flammen & Citronen (Flame and Citron)

Here is another very well-told story of the Dutch resistance during WWII. We yanks know so little of what went on during this conflict outside of our own national history, so it's good for us to see that the struggle was going on long before we got involved and that we were just a part of it. There is a reason it was called a world war.

Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen play the title roles as partners of very opposite personalities who took a small controversial part in the Holger Danske during the 1940s. Mikkelsen may be recognizable to fans of recent Bond films. Lindhardt was most recently on US screens in Angels & Demons. Both give very soulful performances here and I hope we see more of both again soon.

A very lovely Stine Stengade plays a crafty, seductive double agent. We don't learn her true identity until the end of course, and yet we cannot be surprised. Christian Berkel has been in many recent WWII films from Valkyrie to Ingourious Basterds, both of which were filmed after this Dutch movie. Here he plays the head of Gestapo in Denmark.

Watching this gripping drama with someone who will help you figure out who the real "bad guys" were.

Endgame

Behinds the scenes of the end of Apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela. That's what this movie is about. Much of what went on has been a closely kept secret, including the names of the key players and who brought them together. Now we can all know.

If you are familiar with South African history, you will probably enjoy this movie. The performances are very powerful. If you are a fan of political dramas with lots of dialogue, this movie is for you. On the other hand, others may not truly appreciate this one.

William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofor play key negotiators picked by opposite sides in the years leading up to the 1990 freedom of Nelson Mandela. Jonny Lee Miller and Mark Strong play key players in the project from surprising places.

The only thing that bothered me about this very well-told story is that they used American and British actors to play South Africans. Why not use local talent? I know it's there. It's not as if this movie would have been less of a box office smash with lesser known actors.

Watch this movie with someone who negotiates on a regular basis.

The Boondock Saints

The sequel for this interesting story comes out in a few weeks, and many friends recommended I see the original. To say the least, this is an odd movie. It is part Death Wish, part We're No Angels, and part Shoot Em Up.

Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus play south Boston brothers who perceive a calling from above to rid the city of evil. The bumble from success to success and finally hook up with a much older version of themselves played by Billy Connolly.

Willem Dafoe plays one of his strangest roles of his career as a flagrantly gay FBI agent chasing the brothers.

There are funny moments, poignant moments, bizarre bits, and some great one-liners. The stage is perfectly set for a sequel and that is what we got in 2009 and out on DVD soon.

If you like buddy action comedies, you will probably like this. If you like gangster movies this too is okay. If you don't like the idea of religious zealots running amok, you'd best not watch this one.

Watch it, rather, with someone who enjoys Irish pub humor.

Avatar: An IMAX 3D Experience

Yes, it's true, I went to a theater. But, just like with Star Wars, only after many friends told me it was a movie I had to see. And I believe this movie is as fun and industry-changing as was the original Star Wars. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me try and organize my thoughts:

What I Liked:
The scenes and sounds in an IMAX theater are always special.
This movie did not over-do the 3D effects. Instead they were used to enhance subtle things throughout the movie.
Buying tickets online and printing them at home to avoid the box office lines is genius.
IMAX is a science and they don't have any bad seats. I sat about 1/3 the way up on the right aisle and was still able to enjoy the effects.

What I Didn't Mind:
The story was a cross between FernGully and Dances With Wolves. I am getting tired of the "Aliens Good - Humans Bad" stories however.
$16.50 for a seat? Almost worth it.

What I Didn't Like:
Everything I don't like about going to movies at a theater were reinforced with this viewing.
Crying babies. Who takes a baby to loud action movie and expects them to stay asleep or even quiet? And who does not take their crying babies OUT? I knew there was going to be a problem when there were strollers in the hall leading to the theater.
People kicking the back of my seat. People pulling the back of my seat to exit their row. I understand it on an airplane but in a theater? Come on. People leaving the movie in a less than subtle way because their drink was way too big.

Bottom Line?
You really should watch this movie in 3D in an IMAX format. I suggest a show very late at night on a week day to avoid the crowds and the babies. I will not be disappointed if this wins Best Picture.

Gettysburg (1993)

If you enjoy historic dramas - this is a great one. If you like battle re-enactments, this one is epic. Shot on location with locals who make it a hobby to play these roles, the audience gets a real feel for what it might have been like.

The cast is huge and full of big names in roles large and small. Great efforts were taken to use authentic accents, equipment, and clothing. The haze of camp smoke is ever present. The confusion of battle long before the days of instant information is strongly felt. Added together this is a production of high results.

While this movie covers just one pivotal battle in the American Civil War, it condenses most of the emotions and ideologies of the time.

Watch this with someone who be patient through over 4 hours of detailed dialogue and story-telling.

Avaze gonjeshk-ha (Song of Sparrows)

Made in Iran; spoken in Persian with English subtitles; this powerful story is simple but sublime. Anyone who has ever lost a job should relate to this main character. Any father of a family should as well. And anyone who has enjoyed simple life in the country should get the metaphors.

Mohammad Amir Naji is brilliant. His comic timing is great. His character shows a range of emotions which is both real and touching.

This movie is about a guy who loses his job in the country and while in the city stumbles on a new way to make money for his family. His new enterprise changes him. Traps him.

Watch this movie with who may not totally appreciate their situation.

Så som i himmelen (As It Is In Heaven)

After taking a 20 year break from film making this Swedish writer director came back with a winner. Well, at least an Oscar nominated story. Not bad for a guy with a PhD in Statistics.

Michael Nyqvist, a well known face (and voice) in Sweden, delivers a very strong performance here as a gifted musician and director who struggles with his people relationships while searching for his dream or making great music.

The story takes him from international fame back to his rural hometown. There he is lured back into music and surrounded by the typical gathering of quirky townsfolk. In the process he learns to love and make music like never before.

If you don't understand choral music or what it takes to make it well, you may not enjoy this movie. On the other hand, if you appreciate good music, this story could be both instructive and entertaining. For some this movie will be inspirational. For others it will be tragic.

In Swedish, Italian, and English, all with English subtitles, this is a movie you have to pay attention to.

Watch this with someone who may not be able to stand and sing along at the end.

Mamma Mia

If you loved the music of ABBA, or still do, you will most likely love this movie. If you are not familiar, you may not realize this music was written 20 years before the story was made up. For those of you who saw this on stage, but not the movie, you may like how the "sets" have changed. The story did not, nor did the songs.

Oh, and what a cast! Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried play mother and daughter. Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth plays fathers. Christine Baranski and Julie Walters play Momma's best friends.

The scenes are spectacular, even if so many of the beach scenes were shot here in Orange County. For you who like to fantasize about the Greek islands, this movie has lots to offer.

Watch this movie with someone who knows ALL the words.

District 9

Please imagine my shock. One day I'm enjoying a very hearty laugh with a friend over how bad we both thought this movie was. And the next day this movie is nominated for Best Picture. Ouch!

Am I that far adrift of the Academy? Perhaps. Or maybe they feel this movie about how bad humans treat aliens is a good commentary on how bad we treat each other and should repent of our wicked ways. While that may be true, it does not make it one of the best pictures of the year.

On the one hand this movie is very realistic in how it depicts what might happen under these circumstance. I think Alien Nation did a much better job in 1988. On the other hand it was really just a very long Van De Merwa joke. If you know anyone actually from South Africa, ask them about Van De Merwa jokes.

Having said that, Sharlto Copley, who play Van De Merwa in this story gives a very powerful performance.

If the powers that be think this movie shakes a very stern finger at fascist, racist, nationalistic, paternalistic governments, they are right. Remember what our Mom's told us about pointing fingers? Show me an organization, public or private, that does not behave in the same way. They must or they don't survive.

It will be a while before I'm ready to eat prawns again.

Watch this movie to support your own opinions - don't take my word for anything.