The Spirit, The Reader

The Spirit

This is a movie that was written for the screen and directed by Frank Miller who previously wrote '300' and 'Sin City.' He had a co-directing credit on Sin City and this movie plays out like Sin City even though the story is based on comic legend Will Eisner's The Spirit comic series. To be honest, I never read the original comic series so I'm not quite sure if this movie is anything like the comic series from way back. However, I did enjoy the flick. The Spirit is about a guy who is dead, but still living - he becomes The Spirit of the city to protect it and do things cops can't do. The Spirit has an enemy named the Octopus. These two battle it out the entire movie while a love interest named Sand Saref gets in the middle. The film has a different type of humor than most flicks out today and is a little off putting to most folks. I got past the 'weirdness' and was soon enjoying the non-typical banter. As I said, the movie plays out like Sin City in that the way it is filmed and presented reeks of Sin City, but the story is extremely light-hearted compared to the violence of Sin City. The Spirit was good, not great but worth a watch.

The Reader

Didn't get to see it yet because the Weinstein Company who made and is releasing this flick refuses to let Movie Gallery get it early because of an exclusive agreement with Blockbuster. Leaving Movie Gallery in the dust. I think its a terrible agreement for everyone involved except maybe Blockbuster, which can't be gaining that much from movies that aren't exactly the cream of the crop. Anyways, here's a description and Movie Gallery will have it Tuesday for you.

The Reader, set in post-WWII Germany, follows teenager Michael Berg as he engages in a passionate but secretive affair with an older woman named Hanna (Winslet). Eight years after Hanna's disappearance, Michael is stunned to discover her again as she stands on trial for Nazi war crimes. The Reader is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation and how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.

That's it. Next week is The Wrestler.