Straight’s family was initially concerned that their father would be turned into a laughingstock by the movie, particularly when they learned that the film would be directed by the edgy, four-time Academy Award nominee David Lynch. But they had no need to fear…
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Most clergy representatives on film are not suave mainline clerics, beloved Irish-American priests, or wan and thin play-it-safe rabbis. Today, with the rise of presumably Protestant born-again studs, manipulators of people, and takers of the law into their own hands types, we see images of law-breakers with macho swagger…
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There are movies that make me feel good about who I am. I see my country/race/gender/religion represented on screen, and I think to myself, this is good. I am proud to be a… whatever is being represented on screen. Machine Gun Preacher is not one of those movies…
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“Chick flicks don’t have to suck!” boasts the movie poster for the 2011 film Bridemaids. Somehow the hype about the film seemed to be condensed to shock about its surprising, actual hilarity. Its actual hilarity is surprising, of course, for two reasons: the film’s genre and the writers’ gender…
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But like all road movies, Up is more about the relationship that develops, than the adventures on the road. The two lead characters meet up with packs of dogs, dangerous cliffs and frightening weather, not to mention an embittered explorer, Charles Muntz, who chases after them. But adrenalin is not the heart of the movie. Rather, Up is about love and friendship.
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Good sci-fi explores current issues in fantastic situations. The original Planet of the Apes is so good partly because it was so pertinent to its time. The 1960s were the decade of African American civil rights and the perils of nuclear proliferation. The original film tackled both these issues using talking apes. Today, we live in an Era of Rights. Everything from marriage to…
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I did find myself sympathetic to the movie’s villain at one point when he declares to Captain America that he has seen the future, and it is “a world without flags.” I believe in that future too, though I expect…
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Is visual media the best antidote to an atrophied imagination? That’s what got us there in the first place. At its core, visual media is projected light on a flat screen. How could telling simple community stories on a flat screen be deep or rich?
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Lighting at one point says to Mater, “You don’t need to change to fit into society. Society needs to change fit you in” (paraphrase). I contend that while society does need to accept Mater for who he is, Mater needs to learn how to behave in social situations. If the “adult” Mater is unwilling to develop social skills, I don’t think we should be laughing at him…
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How are we to deal with grief? That’s a question that deserves the breadth a life lived and not 400 words in a movie review. Mourning for what is lost is at the core of the human experience, and I think the best way to deal with that loss is to embrace it, admit it, own up to it, look it square in the eye and acknowledge it…
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Though the movie begins with real chemistry between the two leads in the opening scenes – there is humor, and candor, and connection – the focus of the movie ultimately turns elsewhere. As we watch the story unfold, we find ourselves asking questions. Is what we do somehow destined to be? Do we really have free will, or is it somehow planned out for us (by parents? Context? God? Destiny?) If we are married, for example, did we simply choose our mate, or is there some sense in which we were chosen for each other?
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When bad things happen to good people, we all know that there are no words capable of answering our grief. Or if there are words, they are most often primal questions and childlike observations. So it is for Jack…
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Some have called Cars Pixar’s greatest achievement, while others have considered it their worst effort (but even those critics admit that every other animation studio only wishes they could make such a “clunker”). But $5 billion in merchandising sales alone since Cars came out five years ago, and a growing enthusiasm for Cars 2 which will was released this summer suggest that Lasseter’s quirky story about a menagerie of cars has already proven an endearing addition to the animation lexicon.
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It would be easy to criticize this movie as being derivative, boring in its similarities to earlier, better work by either Abrams or Spielberg and an ultimately lazy work of manipulative sentimentality masking deep cynicism and greed. One could hate this film and in the same breath laud its antecedents…
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Usually, I am able to crank out movie reviews with a machine-like regularity that is rivaled only by Hollywood’s ability to make sub-par sequels. For the past two weeks though, I’ve been having quite a bit of trouble writing reviews…
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In this episode of the Reel Spirituality podcast, Co-Directors Eugene Suen and Elijah Davidson discuss The Tree of Life and Midnight in Paris.
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