David R. Walker

Archive for May 2nd, 2009

If viewers loved Stephen Daldry’s brilliant Oscar winning adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours, then you will appreciate this talented director’s screen adaptation of German author Bernhard Schlink’s novel The Reader. Daldry somehow manages to get the anguish of his female characters so artfully portrayed, with Nicole Kidman winning an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf and now Kate Winslet finally gets the recognition she deserves for her brilliant and complex portrayal of Hanna Schmidt in 1950’s Germany in a multi-layed narrative about secrets, the essence of history, justice and seduction…. The Reader’s subtlety lies in the context of youth versus experience, secrets and lies… Highly recommended.

The Reader also stars David Kross (later to be seen in Steven Spielberg’s Warhorse) and veteran German actor Bruno Ganz.

The brilliant film Milk is recommended not so much for its excellent coverage of political mobilization but more for Sean Penn’s superb and heartfelt portrayal of Harvey Milk. Of course there are those seventies fashions, James Franco skinny dipping and the wonderfully coy Emile Hirsh. Well worth the viewing.

If viewers loved director Gus Van Sant’s earlier works including My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy and Elephant, then this film is up there with Gus Van Sant’s original masterpieces.

There is a detailed analysis of Milk under the title Activism and Martyrdom http://www.davidrwalker.co.za/2011/11/milk/ in a comprehensive article praising the merits of this film as a biography and a moving portrait of the Gay Rights Movement in America.

Milk also stars James Franco, Diego Luna, Emile Hirsch, Alison Pill and a fine supporting performance by Josh Brolin as supervisor Dan White.