While many of my friends were busy traveling both nationwide and abroad during Winter Break, I was, unfortunately, stuck at home for most of it. And if you’ve ever had the supreme pleasure of visiting Leesburg, Va., you’d know there’s not too much to do — unless you’re a big fan of strip malls and fast-food joints. So I occupied myself with going to the movies — going to a lot of ‘em. So here’s a little sampler of some of this holiday’s finest cinematic fare.
Valkyrie
This real-life account about a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II was a tale of two parts. While MGM marketed the movie as a historical “thriller,” the film’s first half was sleep-inducing. But once it picked up the pace and the radical group (led by Tom Cruise as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg) finally got the ball rolling against der Fuhrer, Valkyrie transformed into a different creature. While Cruise’s uneven accent proved disappointing, his acting was top-notch and was helped along by a strong supporting cast. The true power of Valkyrie is that, while in the back of your mind you know what happens at the end of the film, you are left wondering — perhaps even just for a split-second — if history could be proven wrong.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I’m shocked at the number of people I’ve talked to who despised this movie, considering how much I loved every minute of it. Combine a classic love story that involves a man who ages backwards (lifted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald), a heralded director (David Fincher, who helmed Seven and Zodiac) and some of the best actors in Hollywood (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), and you’ve got the formula for an incredible work of art. Be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to sitting in the theater — the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 46 minutes. But Taraji P. Henson (of Hustle & Flow fame), who plays Benjamin’s adoptive mother, put a great spin on it when she said, “It’s an epic. It’s like a modern-day Gone with the Wind. They don’t make films like this anymore. It’s beautiful to watch.” I couldn’t agree more. My second favorite film of the year, behind Slumdog Millionaire.
Marley & Me
Don’t be fooled by the trailers. While on the surface Marley & Me appears to be a happy-go-lucky film about a dog who can’t seem to stay out of trouble, it’s actually much more of a dramedy, struck with a fair share of heartbreaking scenes. The chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, however, is anything but disastrous. They portray a married couple whose intimacy feels incredibly genuine. I’ve never been a huge fan of either actor, and I never thought a movie like Marley & Me would make me appreciate their talents. For a pet movie, this one is above average, and a fragile script is certainly rescued by the two big names and their interactions with the real star of the film: Marley.
Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood gives a vintage performance as a recently widowed Korean War veteran, annoyed at his two materialistic sons and their spoiled rotten families as well as the hoards of Asian immigrant neighbors who flank him on every side in a Detroit ghetto. So when an unlikely friendship develops between him and a couple of Hmong teenagers who live next door, several poignant, hilarious and tragic moments ensue. But thanks to these flashes of calamity, some of Eastwood’s finest acting is put on display. I highly recommend going to watch it before Oscar night rolls around.
The Wrestler
The Wrestler is one of those once-in-a-lifetime viewing experiences that literally drags you down to the endless depths of despair that its characters are trapped in — and leaves you there for a while afterwards. Mickey Rourke, back after a long, long time out of the spotlight, plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a washed-up wrestler struggling with a steroid addiction, an angry and estranged daughter, financial troubles and a slowly fading career. After a near-fatal heart attack forces The Ram to do some soul searching, he begins to forge relationships both with his daughter (played by a fierce Evan Rachel Wood) and his favorite stripper at the local club, Cassidy (Marisa Tomei, never better). This is another film that can’t go without being seen, rounding out my Top 3 for the year.
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