The Reader

Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Alexandra Maria Lara, Lena Olin; Director: Stephen Daldry; Producers: Donna Gigliotti, Anthony Minghella, Redmond Morris, Sydney Pollack; Screenwriters: David Hare, Bernhard Schlink; Music: Nico Muhly; Editor: Claire Simpson; Genre: Historical Drama; Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Chris Menges; Distributor: Paramount Pictures; Location: Germany; Running Time: 123 min.;

Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and a above

In 1958 15-year-old Micheal Berg (David Kross) falls ill while traveling in Neusdadt , Germany . Thirty-six-year-old tram conductress Hannah Schmitz (Kate Winslet) helps him return home. Apparently Michael has caught scarlet fever and must rest at home for three months. When he recovers, he visits Hannah’s apartment to thank her. The two begin an affair during which Michael reads Hannah some literary works he is studying. Their affair is cut short when Hannah suddenly leaves after receiving news of her promotion to an office work in the Tram Company. In 1966, Michael, already a law student observes a trial of several woman SS guards accused of letting 300 Jewish women die in a burning church after the 1944 evacuation of Auschwitz . He is surprised to see Hannah as one of the defendants. The trial reveals that each defendant chose 10 women who were brought to the gas chamber every month. Hannah’s fellow defendant’s points to her as the mastermind of the church fire report. At first she denies but caves in after the court asks her to provide a sample of her handwriting. At this point, Michael realizes Hannah’s secret. Hannah gets life sentence for her presumed role in the genocide Meanwhile, Michael begins recording the stories he has been reading to Hannah and sends her the cassette tapes but never writes or visits. In 1988, Michael is asked by the prison official to help Hannah’s transition into society upon her release. Michael visits the aged Hannah, informs her that he has secured a job and a home for her, and that he would fetch her on the day she will be released. On that day, Michael learns that Hannah had hanged herself, leaving for him instructions on what do with her money.

The film is a powerful poignant drama of coming of age, heartbreak, guilt, shame and redemption with the Holocaust as backdrop. The drama is gentle and downplayed. Winslet, who already has won several Best Acting Awards for her role as the simple minded Hannah, delivers a profound and honest portrayal. Fiennes is believable as scarred and detached lawyer who in unable to develop a lasting relation and Olin is effective as a Concentration Camp survivor still bitter and damaged from witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust. The movie, though shuffling from one decade to another, develops clearly with a crisp and powerful screenplay. The production design is truthful enough to transport viewers from Post-war Germany to the modernization of the 80s and at the same time creative enough to illustrate images and characters using the austerity of Hannah's apartment or the dignified set-up of the courtroom. This is one of those movies that creep in on you almost unnoticed but leaves a permanent imprint.

The film presents Hanna as being too morally or intellectually blind to understand the consequences and impact to other people of her words and actions. Her sensibilities are misplaced with her thinking that being illiterate is more shameful than deliberately tolerating mass murder, and that maintaining order as a prison guard is more important than saving the lives of 300 women prisoners. However, morality and goodness are not products of a literary excellence. It is assumed that choosing what is right is innate in every person and that ultimately one is responsible for the choices he makes, schooled or otherwise.

Guilt is presented as a shameful history of the young generation and a dark secret of the old. One’s crimes is cleansed not with social justice, personal suffering or tokens of apology but also with the realization of all aggrieved parties that one needs to accept responsibility, forgive and start anew in the effort to make life better for other people.

There are several disturbing premises and scenes in the film that may offend the sensitivities of more conservative viewers. However, over-all these do not make the movie objectionable. One, the sex scenes and nudity throughout the film, although graphic, are not exploitative. Two, although the affair between a 30-year-old and a 15-year-old is alarming, it is used to depict a young generation trying to understand the crimes of an older generation. Three, Hannah's suicide is morally unacceptable but from a psychological point of view one might say that an aging, lonely, broken and once illiterate woman who was coldly received by the one person she was fond of might have felt pushed against a wall and found no reason to continue living.

Parents are strongly cautioned as very young and immature audience may not handle well scenes of sex, nudity, suicide and others.

You Changed My Life

Cast: Sarah Geronimo, John Lloyd Cruz, Rowell Santiago, Rayver Cruz, Matet de Leon, Joross Gamboa, Gio Alvarez, Dante Rivero; Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina; Producers: Malou Santos, Vic Del Rosario; Music: Jessie Lasaten; Genre: Drama/ Romance; Distributor: Star Cinema Productions/ Viva Films; Location: Philippines; Running Time: 120 min;

Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 4
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance

Anim na buwan na ang nakakalipas nang mabihag ni Laida Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo) ang puso ng kanyang “man of his dreams” at boss na si Miggy Montenegro (John Lloyd Cruz). Naayos na ni Miggy ang problema sa kanyang pamilya at masayang-masaya ang kanilang pagsasama ni Laida. Na-promote na si Laida pati na si Miggy. Sa pagkaka-promote ni Miggy, kakailanganin niyang magtrabaho sa Laguna at magiging bihira ang pagkikita nila ni Laida. Dito magsisimula ang problema nilang dalawa kasabay ng pagbabalik ng dating best friend ni Laida na si Mackoy (Rayver Cruz) na magiging ugat ng pagseselos ni Miggy. Sa gitna ng mga komplikasyon ng relasyong Laida at Miggy ay magkakaroon naman ng oportunidad si Laida na magtrabaho sa Canada. Magkaroon pa kaya ng happy ending ang dalawa?

Muling pinakilig ng tambalang Sarah-John Lloyd ang mga manonood sa pagpapatuloy ng kanilang kuwento na nagsimula sa A Very Special Love. Tulad sa naunang pelikula, hitik ang You Changed My Life ng mga nakakatuwang eksena at di-malilimutang mga linya. Tunay na maganda ang chemistry ng dalawa. Maayos ang daloy ng kuwento at malinaw ang nais patunguhan. Magagaling ang lahat ng mga tauhan na binigyang buhay ang kanilang bawat karakter. Sa gitna ng kilig at tawanan, mayroon ring tamang timpla ng drama ang pelikula. Yun nga lang, pawang naging masyadong limitado ang kuwento at problema sa dalawang bida. Hindi na gaanong napalalim ang mga isyung pampamilya at ang ilang mahahalagang karakter ay nawalan ng sariling kuwento. Gayunpaman, ang pinakamahalaga’y naihatid ng pelikula ang kuwentong Laida at Miggy sa mas mataas na antas.

Nakakatuwang pagmasdan kung paanong ang dalawang taong wagas na nagmamahalan ay pilit na gumagawa ng paraan upang panatilihin at pagyabungin ito. Nananatiling dalisay at walang bahid ng kalaswaan at makamundong pagnanasa ang relasyong Laida at Miggy. Tunay na hindi kinakailangang magpakita ng laman o malabis na halikan upang ipakita ang pagmamahalan. Napakalakas ng mensahe ng pelikula na walang imposible sa dalawang taong nagmamahalan. Hindi hadlang ang pagkakaiba ng estado sa buhay maging ang panlabas na kaanyuan sa dalawang pusong nagmamahal. Kapuri-puri din ang pagpapahalaga ng pelikula sa pamilya, pagkakaibigan, trabaho at higit sa lahat, sa makabuluhang relasyon. Sa gitna ng kaguluhan at maraming komplikasyon sa pagbabago ng mundo, nanatiling matibay ang pagkakaibigan, pagpaparaya at pag-ibig. Ikanga rin sa pelikula, hindi nagsusukatan ang taong nagmamahalan sapagkat iba’t-iba ang kayang ibigay ng bawat isa. Ang mahalaga’y lubos at buong-puso ang pagbibigay at pagpaparaya.

The International

Cast: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ulrich Thomsen, Brian F. O’Byrne; Director: Tom Tykwer; Producers: Llyod Phillips, Charles Roven, Richard Suckle; Screenwriter: Eric Singer; Music: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer; Editor: Mathilde Bonnefoy; Genre: Drama/ Thriller; Cinematography: Frank Griebe; Distributor: Columbia Pictures; Location: New York, USA; Running Time: 118 min;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above

The IBBC, a global bank with headquarters in Luxembourg, does not merely lend money but also broker’s arms deals. In fact, its power-grabbing board would have no qualms about assassinating anyone who gets in its way or gets to know too much. On this premise, Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) who witnesses the mysterious death of a partner while working with him in Berlin, obsesses about meting out justice to IBBC’s victims. Sharing his probing dedication is New York assistant district attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), and together they pursue IBBC’s ruthless principal Jonas Skarssen (Ulrich

Thomsen), and the bank’s sinister German fixer, Wilhelm Wexler (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Their sleuthing takes them from New York to Milan to Istanbul, but whenever they would be on the brink of proving their case, the evidence vanishes.

The International succeeds in creating a scenario that would not seem improbable in a global economic situation that many fear has gone haywire. Surely with the restraint employed by director Tom Tykwer, Owen—intense, handsome and unshaven—comes on as the perfect Interpol agent who loses sleep on a case. Watts also plays up the plucky lawyer side of her character (and even swears like a man at one point) so that the platonic quality of the partnership between Salinger and Whitman is enhanced. There are no heroic feats for the hero here, not even stunts that are physically unlikely outside of a movie, because it is precisely his vulnerability that the plot tries to explore as he bears the weight of the conflict between the desire for justice and the dangers of vigilantism. Just about the only adrenalin-drenched action you’ll find here is the shooting scene at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, where the beautiful museum displays and installations being peppered with bullets threaten to distract the viewer from the gun battle going on. By the way, the Guggenheim shooting was filmed on an interior set in Germany.

The International delivers not so much a moral lesson as a moral warning. If there is one eye-opening thing it can do to moviegoers, it is arousing in them the suspicion that such a situation as this could not be far from being real. If movies in the past showed money-laundering as the worst that banks can do, The International is saying that keeping secret Swiss bank accounts is kindergarten stuff compared to international intrigue, arms trade, and murder that bankers may now be engaged in. That banks, armies and governments actually network independent of national boundaries could be frightening to dwell upon, particularly if you detect a connection between a country’s war expenditures and its plummeting economy. We dread to see the day when missiles and warheads are sold over the counter—like headache pills—but in The International that day is already here. All because bankers have jumped into the power-grabbing fracas that used to be the exclusive turf of armies and politicians.

He's Just Not That Into You

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck, Kevin Connolly, Justin Long, Ginnifer Goodwin; Director: Ken Kwapis; Producer: Nancy Juvonen; Screenwriters: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein; Music: Cliff Eidelman; Editor: Cara Silverman; Genre: Romantic Comedy; Cinematography: John Bailey; Distributor: New Line Cinema; Location: Maryland, USA; Running Time: 129 min;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above

The movie talks about the dos and don’ts of dating following the story of nine people in their twenties and thirties who are in a relationship wherein one partner is more in love than the other. Narrating the stories is Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a young insecure single woman who always manages to misinterpret the actions of men about their level of interest in her. After being rejected by Conor (Kevin Connolly), she starts getting dating advice from Conor’s friend, the romantic and promiscuous bar manager Alex (Justin Long). Meanwhile, Gigi's sister Janine (Jennifer Connelly) is having marriage problems with her husband, Ben (Bradley Cooper), as he cheats on her with Anna (Scarlett Johansson), a yoga instructor and wannabe singer. But Anna is two-timing Ben with Conor, but isn't as really in love with him as he is with her. Anna talks about her lovelife with Mary (Drew Barrymore), a newspaper editor. On the other hand, Gigi's co-worker, Beth (Jennifer Aniston), is upset that her live-in boyfriend of seven years Neil (Ben Affleck) refuses to commit permanently.

The movie is amusing with some good performances and clever deliveries from the lead actors. However it seems that the scenes have been diced from other romantic comedies and clumped together with a lesser punch. The characters are very shallow and the film does not give any more insight beyond its title. The technical aspect is decent with a good paced-editing and a suitable scoring. However, even with its powerhouse cast, the movie may be forgotten a day after it has been seen.

The film demonstrates that the failure of a relationship is a breakdown in the communication. When people begin to color, hide or twist the truth, it becomes difficult to maintain trust and commitment. We begin to hurt people with a pretense of politeness and good manners when in truth we merely try to hide our self-centeredness and insincerity. Although the premise of the movie is to empower women and teach them to realize when it is time to let go, relations are sexualized and may offend the sensitivities of viewers or may give the wrong impression to teenagers.

The movie gives a negative view of marriage. Either it is just for show, something constricting, something that can be discarded when no longer needed or merely a refuge for the insecure and lonely. Although there remains something of a cautionary tale, wherein viewers experience the excitement of an extramarital affair, it turns around to reveal that these flirtations destroy relationships, lives and persons. The movie may say that marriage is overrated, but it also confronts those who are deliberately unfaithful to their partners.

Gran Torino

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her; Director: Clint Eastwood; Producers: Clint Eastwood, Bill Gerber, Robert Lorenz; Screenwriters: Nick Schenk, Dave Johansson (story); Music: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens; Editor: Joel Cox, Gary Roach; Genre: Drama; Cinematography: Tom Stern; Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures; Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA; Running Time: 116min;

Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 4
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above

Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a retired auto worker and Korean War veteran for whom the word cantankerous must have been invented. He is grumpy, irritable, tetchy, resentful, cranky and all their synonyms. He seems to hate everything and everyone, pointing his gun at anybody who as much as walks on his lawn. Even his grown sons keep their distance, suggesting their father move to a geriatric facility to stay out of trouble. Walt doesn’t seem to see anything pleasing in life, much less in his Detroit neighborhood that has been invaded by what he calls “chinks”. The “chinks” are actually Laotian Hmongs who prove to be very pleasant and civilized neighbors when Walter saves their son Thao (Bee Vang) from a teenage gang pressuring him to join their marauding pursuits. The fact that Walt had earlier on caught Thao trying to steal his prized, gleaming Ford, a Gran Torino, doesn’t matter—hating evil and doing good simply comes naturally for him while remaining his crusty old self. But Walt’s crusty old heart soon gives way, albeit gradually and grudgingly, to the neighborly gestures of the Hmongs who have made a virtual hero out of him—especially when Walt again saves Thao’s older sister Soo (Ahney Her) from the same gang harassing her brother. They would pamper him with food and flower offerings at his doorsteps, persevering even if at the start Walt merely trashes everything right before their eyes. Thao’s mother, to atone for the boy’s attempted car theft, offers his services gratis to Walt who reluctantly agrees upon Soo’s prodding. Much of the change in Walt is in fact caused by the smart and self-confident Soo who sees Walt’s goodness beneath his tough exterior. Tension mounts when the marauding gang persists in their pesky maneuvers which Walt will simply not tolerate.

Gran Torino owes its appeal to a tall but engrossing tale—story by David Johannson and script by Nick Schenk—given life and a measure of probability by flawless character development. Directing the movie himself, Eastwood in Gran Torino is vintage Eastwood playing an octogenarian Dirty Harry, displaying great chemistry between hero and supporting cast. As any Asian immigrant in the United States can tell you, the interaction between Eastwood’s character and the Laotian Hmongs, particularly during the birthday party, could be a veritable episode straight out of reality tv. Ahney Her’s performance is sparkling as the sassy sister of the timid Thao; given the right roles she could become another bright star from Asia.

Gran Torino is a story of cultural tolerance and the triumph of the goodness in the human heart over the vicissitudes of life. Walt Kowalski is not a mean soul although he appears to be one. He is a war survivor, wounded by violence and traumatized by conflict; his tough exterior is nothing more than layer after layer of scars inflicted by years in combat. Trusting only his guns and self-preservation instincts, he almost forgets he is human underneath it all, until a young innocent soul unwittingly penetrates his defenses and coaxes out the best in him.