Movie Marathon

There wasn't a whole lot going on today. Wisconsin sure has great weather...

So, I made it a movie day. Catch my thoughts after the break.

The Great Debaters- Excellent. Denzel Washington's finest inspirational-type film. Denzel makes two different types of movies: the crime/gangster movie or the inspirational drama. As far as inspirational dramas go, this is one of the finest from the genre for many years. Well scripted, well cast, and excellent cinematography.

The Lives of Others- Another instant classic, The Lives of Others is a German language film that won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It certainly deserves the award in my opinion. The story focuses on Georg Dreyman, a playwright, in the GDR during the Communist oppression of East Germany. Many Americans are unfamiliar with this story since so little information made it out of East Germany during the late 1980s. The stasi regulated every piece of information in the country and imprisoned or killed many citizens that disagreed with the pro-socialist political party that ran the GDR. The story is one that needs to be told and is acted out with such conviction and emotion that it will stay with you long after you see it. A thrilling and engaging masterpiece, The Lives of Others should not be missed. The film is available on Blu-ray; it offers quality picture and crystal clear sound- a great addition to your collection.

3:10 to Yuma- A remake of the classic Western film of the same name (1957), 3:10 to Yuma stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. A gritty and brutal story that follows Ben Wade (Crowe in his finest performance since Gladiator) as a merciless killer on his way to take the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. He is escorted by a rag-tag group of men led by Dan Evans (Bale), a desperate man trying to save his family by earning $200 for his services. As with most westerns, the base themes of good vs. evil and man vs. himself become apparent within just a few minutes. The blood flows freely and so do the bullets in a good old fashioned shoot-'em-up. I thoroughly enjoyed Crowe, who exudes all kinds of charm and plays a deep and enjoyable character in Ben Wade. Bale did a fine job of acting his part, but there were so many times where I groaned asking "what are you DOING?" His decisions seem silly and unrealistic, especially in the film's 3rd act. 3:10 to Yuma is very entertaining and the best western in many years, but not without its flaws. The video transfer to the Blu-ray leaves a little bit to be desired with some strange compression artifacts and minor grain. The audio is fantastic however, making this another winner for Blu-ray.

I'm out.

Blu3