Magic Review: The Reader

Straight off the bat I can tell you that Kate Winslet deserved an Academy Award for this role more than any other actress this year. The movie surrounds an affair that is engaged in by a train inspector Hanna Schmidt (Winslet) and Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes). The affair begins when Michael is ages 14 and the relationbship is based purely on lust and Scmidts desire to be read to. This lasts for one summer when Schmidt leaves unexpectly. This leaves the young German left unfullfilled and lost as to what has occured. Michael begins to get on with his life and enters law school where he is to attend the trials of a group of women who are bring tried for killing jews during the holocaust. One of whom is Hanna Scmidt. This has a profound effect on Michael and he becomes infatuated with the trial, which is noticable to the other students. The trial is an emotional rollercoaster and gives insight into how some of the woman were treated at the Nazi camps. Scmidt is painted as the squad leader who ordered the killings which she is tried for and the outcome is fascinating. Enter Ralph Fiennes as the older Michael who is now a lawyer and cannot let the thought of Schmidt go which is eventually acts on and begins to rebuild the relationship with her in a very unorthodoxed fashion. The end result of the relationship is astounding. I urge any real movie buff to get this movie as it is one of the best released in th last year.

Magic Rating: 8.6

Magic Review: NOTORIOUS

I remember when Christopher Wallace A.K.A Notorious B.I.G A.K.A Biggie Smalls A.K.A Big Poppa was murdered in 1997. It made headlines all over the world. To be completly honest, I actually think it was a bigger deal when Tupac was murdered but hey thats no disrespect to the guys legacy as I think Tupac was greater recognised due to his acting. The new film about the rise and rise and eventual demise of Biggie is a great story and I thought it was probably the best rap/hip hop movie I have seen......I am trying to think of a comparision but nothing really compares. The lead by Jamal Woolard who is actually a rapper in his own right is sensational. He gets across to the audience the early days of Wallace becoming B.I.G and shows how anyone can make it to the big time if they have the drive to do it. Some of the supporting roles of Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton), Sean Combs A.K.A Puff Daddy (Derek Luke) and Faith Evans (Antonique Smith) were sensational. I think that the casting Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie) was not well thought out and they went for more of a look a like than an actor. He plays the role ok however when he enters certain scenes I was thinking Oh I wonder who this guy is playing, clearly having little effect on me. The story shows Biggies rise under the guidance and genius of Combs and the friendship which turns fateful with Tupac. I think the East Coast- West Coast rivalry is portrayed well as there is no glorification of either side. On that note I will mention that Sean Combs is the executive producer and the way in which the first Tupac shooting and the innocence of the East Coast is portrayed is probably again under his direction or at least influcence. I found the relationships to be engaging and Wallace as a likeable larger than life charachter. The relationship between Biggie and his mother Volletta Wallace played by ledgendary actress Angela Bassett (How Stella got her groove back) as the focal point of the film which made you feel sad when his is eventually killed. I reccomend this movie to all. There is some pretty graphic sex, drug and violence scenes in this movie however these elements are such a big part of that scene so it only adds to the movies authenticity.
Magic Rating : 7.9/10