Mr. Malick, reportedly a Catholic, poured his faith out in the profound The Tree of Life, a movie that moved me so much, it inspired a tattoo on my arm.
Read More...Film Review: Malick’s concept of love still shrouded in mystery
May 7, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
Film Review: Place Beyond the Pines survives a few missteps
May 2, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
The Place Beyond the Pines tells a story in three “acts,” that may or may not be inspired by the Old Testament theme of children suffering “for the iniquity of [their] parents” (Exodus 20:5). Either way, it makes for a compelling if oddly structured drama.
Read More...Film Review: Robinson biopic offers winning entertainment
April 11, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
42 is named after Robinson’s uniform number—which in 1997 was retired permanently in his honor. And of course, the movie is a tribute in itself, a crowd pleaser that overcomes a few moments of dramatic excess with sincere performances from all concerned.
Read More...Film Review: Pi offers visual beauty—and theological confusion
February 1, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
By Ben Witherington III, Special Contributor… Life of Pi Rated PG for emotional thematic content throughout, and some scary action sequences and peril Films involving India and Indians have been all the rage of late, since at least Slumdog Millionaire. In the Oscar-nominated Life of Pi, we have another such film, which has a profoundly religious subtext and subtexture. Pi Patel (short for Piscine—a boy named after a French swimming pool) grows up in a zoo and botanical garden in India. Pi is bright and deeply religious, and he samples [...]
Read More...Film Review: Much-touted docudrama gives us room for debate
February 1, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
Audience reactions to Zero Dark Thirty, the Academy Award-nominated drama about the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden, have ranged across the spectrum. Some viewers find it extremely suspenseful—especially in the last half hour—while others compare its slower moments to watching paint dry.
Read More...Film Review: On page, stage and screen – ‘Les Mis’ holds power
January 16, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
By Kenny Dickson, Special Contributor… Les Misérables Rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements Given that Les Misérables is perhaps the most successful and popular stage [...]
Read More...DVD Review: ‘Odd’ fantasy explores challenges of parenting
January 10, 2013 Posted by Leave a Comment
You may have missed The Odd Life of Timothy Green. It slipped into theaters at the end of the summer just as we were heading back to school. A lovely autumn movie filled with golden leaves and burnished tones, it arrives on DVD as that rare film that works for parents and kids, giving all of us a deeper appreciation of the gift and challenge of family.
Read More...‘The Hobbit’ barely survives overblown production
December 13, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images The first question on many fans’ minds when director Peter Jackson announced he’d be filming The Hobbit as a follow-up to his nine-hour Lord of the Rings adaptation, was: Will this one be produced on a smaller scale? After all, it’s only one book. Did we really need to ask? At 169 minutes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey covers fewer than a hundred pages of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, his predecessor to the [...]
Read More...Film Review: ‘Lincoln’ depicts politics in all its unsavory glory
December 6, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
The film covers just a segment of Lincoln’s life. In 1865, the war rages on and Lincoln’s desperate battle to save the Union is still in doubt. The Battle of Gettysburg, and the inspirational speech given there, is a raw memory. Lincoln has won and begun a second term as President. His Emancipation Proclamation, a wartime edict freeing slaves, has been in effect for two years.
Read More...Animated Disney adventure holds plenty of charm
November 29, 2012 Posted by Leave a Comment
By Rebecca Cusey, Special Contributor… Wreck-It Ralph Rated PG for some rude humor and mild action/violence If Disney’s latest animated creation, Wreck-It Ralph, feels a little familiar, hewing closely to the lines of Pixar’s Toy Story, who can say that’s a bad thing? It’s like comparing a new car to a Ferrari. It may not be entirely original, but it’s darn good. Like the Toy Story franchise, this film takes us into a world that comes to life when human beings go away. This time, we travel into the circuits [...]
Read More...
