When the final credits roll, my reaction to a movie is ultimately adrenal. I felt it, or I didn’t. I laughed, or I didn’t. I was moved by the characters and the story, or I wasn’t.

Kimberly and I went to see Gran Torino last night, and I felt it. To my amazement, Kimberly liked it at least as much as I did. 

This is an odd thing to say about a Clint Eastwood production — or any movie, come to think of it — but it’s the most spiritual film I’ve ever seen about an atheist. Clint’s character, Walt Kowalski, comes to embody the Catholicism of my Swedish and Norwegian ancestors, even if he doesn’t actually believe in any of it.

The reviews I read touched on the hot-button aspects of the movie: racial bigotry, the difficulty of assimilation for immigrants, violence and the urge…

Tags: Tags: clint eastwood, entertainment, movies

Doing some mindless channel-surfing yesterday, I came across A History of Violence on one of the cable channels.

I saw it on DVD whenever it first came out — early 2006, I think — and thought what everybody thought: damned good fight scenes, one great sex scene, some good dialogue, and some domestic scenes that don’t work quite as well as the rough bits. (The kid who plays Viggo Mortensen’s teenage son seems miscast.)

All that matched my memory of the movie from three years ago (except for the fact they couldn’t show the sex scene on basic cable). What I’d completely forgotten about is the over-the-top genius of William Hurt as gangster Richie Cusack.

Quick plot summary: Mortensen plays a small-town restaurant owner who calls himself Tom Stall. He lives in the middle of nowhere with his incredibly hot wife, annoying teenage son, and…

Tags: Tags: entertainment, Mental Health, movies

When I started this blog, at the original louschuler.com, I gave an annual summary of my favorite books, movies, and events. (Or, in 2006, my favorite book.)

And from time to time, I would write about movies and books without any reason other than to note a trend I’d spotted. I particularly enjoyed writing this summary of recent biographical films. (Important lessons: If your brother dies when you’re young, you will become addicted to drugs. But if you’re not addicted to alcohol or drugs, no one will make a movie about your life, because you aren’t interesting.)

This year, as usual, I haven’t seen most of the movies that show up on the critics’ top 10 lists. All I’ve seen are what’s available on DVD. And, because of the Olympics and the election, I spent way too much time watching TV, and way too little…

Tags: Tags: books, entertainment, movies, Politics, sports