Today's Subject: Movies.

I was thinking (for some reason) about who my top 10 favourite actors are. These are 10 actors whose movies I will go see no matter what -- I see their name, I go (Ok, ok. Within reason.). I was at first startled to realize there were no girls on my list ('What could it all mean?'). But I think that there just aren't a whole lot of female actors I'm particularly fond of (which is probably more to do with the characters they've been cast as, notsomuch their acting ability). But I'm going to add a few honorable mentions, so I have an excuse to include some females, and some more actors who I really like.

Here's my list (in no particular order):

• Christopher Walken
  
• Kevin Spacey
  
• Bill Murray
• Clint Eastwood
• Christian Bale
  
• Luke & Owen Wilson (Ok, I cheated, that's two. But they're related. So sue me.)
  
• Djimon Hounsou
• Sean Penn
• Benicio Del Toro
• Brad Pitt (ever since Snatch & Fight Club)

The honorable mentions:

• Penelope Cruz (I'm more selective when it comes to her movies, but hey, I loved Vanilla Sky.)
  
• Meg Ryan
• Cate Blanchett
• Nicole Kidman
• Lucy Liu
• Kirsten Dunst (Ok, I thought she was less-than-great in Spiderman 1 & 2 -- and I'm the only one who thought so, apparently -- but she's still a good actor.)
  
• Halle Berry
• Claire Danes
  
• Edward Norton
  
• Will Farrell
  
• Adam Sandler (yes, Adam Sandler -- especially after seeing Punch Drunk Love.)
• Giovanni Ribisi

Anyone seen the movie The Woodsman? Man. I just saw it last night. Talk about a heavy movie. It's one of those movies where when it ends, you aren't sure how to act. It isn't a perfect movie, but the acting is excellent, the story is powerful, and the overall quality good enough that it does what it was intended to do. I actually read that the actors all worked for free because they were so impressed with the script and thought it was an important movie that needed to be made. You don't see that every day.

In case you haven't seen it, or were wondering what it's about, here's the general idea: Kevin Bacon plays a guy who just got out of prison after 12 years for sexually molesting little girls, and the story is basically about his struggle to "get normal" (like I said, it's a 'heavy' movie). I really respect movie's that are made from this point of view (like Dead Man Walking), because to me, they look at people as real people, which includes the criminal. In an interview on the DVD, the producer (Lee Daniels, who also did Monster's Ball) talked about how he felt both sorry for the main character and repulsed by him. I think the movie shows that really well. I think it also shows how powerful our relationships with people are -- in the movie you see the affect of the people who treat him like a monster and the affect of those who try to help him. Really profound stuff, in my books. Overall, it definitely isn't an easy story to tell, but I think this one did it well.

(By the way, it probably isn't a movie for everyone. Just to forewarn you, in case you might want to see it.)