Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • January 14, 2009 Best films (continued from Entertainment page) once strictly white, blue-collar neighborhood. Nevertheless, he steps in to prevent a gang from harming an Asian next-door neighbor. The family, and other Asians in the neighborhood, treat him as a hero, making him feel uncomfortable. Kowalski is a sort of senior citizen version of “Dirty Harry,” but his portrayal is very down to earth and real. He spars with a priest who wants him to come to confession, confronts street thugs, makes politically incorrect cracks about Asians, and marches to his own drummer, but Walt is likeable and becomes more enlightened as the film progresses. “Gran Torino” has its moments of violence, but it is the scenes between Kowalski and the next-door sister and brother (Ahney Her, Bee Vang) that are the film’s best. Eastwood doubles as director of this film, which might be the last for him as an actor. Let’s hope not. “Milk.” This is the story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), gay community activist at the forefront of the gay rights movement of the 1970s. Director Gus Van Sant shows Milk close to age 40 and restless because he feels his life has not amounted to much. When he moves to San Francisco with boyfriend Scott Smith (James Franco), he opens a camera shop in the Castro district and soon becomes a voice for gay rights that leads him into local politics. Penn is outstanding as Milk, a man not afraid to make self-deprecating remarks, but always taking his causes seriously. Much of the movie is filmed where the events occurred, and Van Sant has interspersed archive news footage with new footage to provide seamlessly a portrait of a specific time and place. With the adoption of Proposition 8 in California, “Milk” takes on special resonance. The battles that Harvey Milk fought over 30 years ago for gay rights are not over. “Frost/Nixon.” Frank Langella played Richard Nixon in the stage play by Peter Morgan, and was extraordinary. Now he stars in the movie version, directed by Ron Howard. Langella, who does not resemble Nixon, channels the former U.S. President, adopting familiar mannerisms, the stooped posture, and the gruff voice. A few minutes into the movie, it is easy to accept him completely. Michael Sheen, as David Frost, also reprises his role from the Broadway play. The film is not a biopic of Nixon. Rather, it tells of the attempt by Frost, against tremendous odds, to land the interview no one else could. Frost was a popular talk show host at the time, not a journalist, so his pitches to the networks fell on skeptical ears and Frost had to risk his own money, his reputation, and his future career on the success or failure of the interviews. I saw the play, and find that the movie version improves on the original with intelligent ways of opening up the story. Howard never distracts with cinematic pyrotechnics. He allows the script and his actors to sell the film, which they do beautifully. When I look back at the films of last year, “Frost/Nixon” always shines brightest. It is the best movie of 2008. Honorable mention goes to “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Reader,” and “The Wrestler.” John Savage, and Opender Singh) and catch the murders on camera. Sonny and two beautiful young filmmakers set off on a secret rampage to terrorize Hollywood while paying homage to some of the town’s greatest films and filmmakers along the way. “Inheritance” (Docurama Films) is a documentary that tells the story of two women with very different scars from the World War II genocide of European Jews. Director James Moll (“The Last Days”) tells a fascinating story of the effect of the Holocaust on two individuals. The documentary also shows the power of film to move people. It was Ralph Fiennes’ chilling portrayal of Amon Goeth in the Spielberg film that motivated Goeth’s daughter to come to terms with the kind of man her father was. ARIES - Mar 21/Apr ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 2020 Your pace life will soon be a a less Your pace of of life will soon belotlot less hectic. That’s good, because you hectic. That’s good, because if if you don’t take a break soon, you might don’t take a break soon, you might dodo yourself some damage. You’ve been yourself some damage. You’ve been burning the candle both ends. burning the candle at at both ends. TAURUS - Apr 21/May TAURUS - Apr 21/May 2121 Your confidence returning, and by Your confidence is is returning, and by this time next week you will have this time next week you will have forgotten that you ever doubted your forgotten that you ever doubted your ability get things done. Avoid going ability to to get things done. Avoid going to to extremes. extremes. GEMINI - May 22/Jun GEMINI - May 22/Jun 2121 If If there is something you need to own there is something you need to own upup to, do so this week, because if you to, do so this week, because if you wait too long you might lose your wait too long you might lose your nerve. You may also dwell the nerve. You may also dwell onon the “what ifs” if you don’t act fast. “what ifs” if you don’t act fast. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 2222 Make peace with anyone you may Make peace with anyone you may have argued with over the previous have argued with over the previous few weeks. It will help clear your confew weeks. It will help clear your conscience and free your mind to think science and free upup your mind to think about other things. about other things. LEO - Jul 23/Aug LEO - Jul 23/Aug 2323 You may ambitious by nature, Leo, You may bebe ambitious by nature, Leo, but this week you will have pay but this week you will have to to pay more attention your career. Also, more attention to to your career. Also, play everything the book or you play everything byby the book or you will met with hardship. will bebe met with hardship. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 2222 You have invested a of time and a You have invested a lotlot of time and a lotlot of energy in material matters. Now of energy in material matters. Now you must stand back and observe your you must stand back and observe your life from a wider perspective, Virgo. life from a wider perspective, Virgo. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 2323 This week you will find easier to This week you will find it it easier to make your point view known withmake your point of of view known without being shut down opponents. out being shut down byby opponents. Family and friends will on your Family and friends will bebe on your side. Enjoy the support. side. Enjoy the support. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 2222 If If you go out of your way to help you go out of your way to help someone need this week, the good someone in in need this week, the good deed will come back you many deed will come back to to you many times over. Bear mind the opposite times over. Bear in in mind the opposite also applies. also applies. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 2121 Forget about of the things that have Forget about allall of the things that have gone wrong your life and look forgone wrong in in your life and look forward the things that will soon be goward to to the things that will soon be going right. This your week for luck. ing right. This is is your week for luck. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 2020 You have done many things over the You have done many things over the past weeks that you felt were justified, past weeks that you felt were justified, Capricorn. Not everyone was recepCapricorn. Not everyone was receptive them. But there is no need to tive to to them. But there is no need to apologize for your actions. apologize for your actions. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 1818 Although some people have you Although some people have letlet you down, Aquarius, there no reason down, Aquarius, there is is no reason to to get angry. The more you shout, the get angry. The more you shout, the greater chance they will make further greater chance they will make further mistakes. mistakes. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 2020 Money matters have held you back Money matters have held you back lately, Pisces, but things are about lately, Pisces, but things are about to to change. Be frivolous, because you change. Be frivolous, because you now can afford do so. now can afford to to do so. DVDs (continued from Restaurant page) “Shut Up and Shoot!” (Koch Vision) is a dark satire about Hollywood. Thanks to DVD piracy’s crushing the competition, sleazy movie producer Spencer Spector (Joe Cortese) has the number one hit movie for the weekend - “The Last Rock & Roll Cowboy,” starring Hollywood’s newest star, Sonny Westwood (Silvio Pollio, who also directs). Now at the top, Spencer convinces Sonny the only way to make real money is to kill off Spencer’s five producing partners (Gary Busey, Joe Estevez, James Russo, Answer Last Week’s Puzzle Answer to to Last Week’s Puzzle