DEFENDOR: MY FAVORITE SUPER HERO

Constable Mike: Captain, this guy is pretty funny.

He says he wants to call a truce.
Captain Fairbanks: A vigilante?
Constable Mike: No. No, he's a superhero. He calls him Defendor. And that's with an O-R, Captain. It's not an E-R. Defendor.

And he flips out if you get that wrong. It's very bizarre.

What a most unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable movie this turned out to be! Woody Harrelson is one of the most underestimated actors of our time. At the base, this is a story about people and how they can have redeeming qualities regardless of how they might seem at first glance. It is almost an homage to super hero movies, full of all their cliches, but then it takes a turn to the dramatic and by the end, turns out to be a sincere and touching movie. We meet DefenDOR wearing all black with a black makeup eye mask and a helmet complete with duct taped on flashlights (for better night vision). A crude "D" marks his chest, also made from duct tape. He has his secret weapons; marbles, hornets in a jar, sling shot and lime juice and surprisingly, they work pretty well. While in the streets defending people from evil he "rescues" a crack whore hooker with a heart of gold (Kat Dennings) and battles a rogue undercover policeman (my favorite Elias Koteas). It's fun to watch how mild mannered Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) turns into Defendor, complete with his Batman voice and clever superhero one liners. "Look out, termites. It's squishing time." In time we see that he is a bit mentally challenged while he tells of his adventures to Sandra Oh, a court appointed psychiatrist. The layers get peeled back and we discover the events that led to this point and it gets a bit more dramatic than funny, however it is never mired down in the seriousness. Harrelson is one of the best actors of this generation and for such an odd and off-beat film, he classes it up all the way. It could have been a terrible film, but with his very touching performance, it makes for one that should not be missed. Be sure to watch the outtakes and featurettes.

THE WALKER

THE WALKER NEEDS A CANE
"You've got to watch yourself; this is a brutal political climate. Whatever 'ruth' there was in this town, there's 'less' now than ever. -Carter Page III."

Some films are plot driven and some are character driven. This had a little of both and ended up muddied and shallow. 'Car' is played by Woody Harrelson, a man who escorts society women to social events. Unlike American Gigolo, this walking is just that; walking. Good thing too as Car also happens to be gay. The things that I couldn't shake was his thick Southern drawl. It's a mixture of the South and Truman Capote and not one I cared for much. So amidst the social functions, Car is a clever gossip; "just one of the girls" while meeting for their weekly game of canasta. In the gaps between, we witness Car's social life, his long standing partner and just how most of him is illusion. The movie plot, or lack thereof, is nothing different that you can see on any episode of Law and Order. So that leaves Harrelson's performance. He has the capacity to be magical and powerful but in this movie he is flat and stale. It is a departure for most of what he usually does, and could have been lauded for it, but instead will be listed as one of the "rotten tomatoes".
NOT a pick: Watch Capote again for a better film than this.