Reviews With Mike Furches

Friday, February 26, 2010

Crazy Heart

On a rare occasion one gets the opportunity to see a movie that takes us beyond the point of imagination to the point of reality. Crazy Heart was just the gem that recently accomplished this for me. It was on a Valentines Day date that I decided to be a little crazy and take my wife to a movie that I had wanted to see. It was a movie that stars an acting tour de force that we both appreciated, and a musical force I have appreciated for some time. Crazy Heart stars in his Academy Award nominated role for Best Actor Jeff Bridges for his portrayal of Bad Blake. It also features the wonderful talent of Maggie Gyllenhall as his love interest Jean Craddock, and in supporting roles two favorites, Robert Duvall as Wayne and Colin Farrell as Tommy Sweet.

Crazy Heart is the story of long time Country, Americana singer Bad Blake who has inspired many with his music. He has lived a life dedicated to music and in the process of that life has let his family, his life, and ultimately his music suffer and stagnate. He depends on the hits of his past to make it by, from bar to bar, experience to experience, and from bottle to bottle. His addiction to the bottle and alcohol has become his best and only friend until he meets up on a tour of dumps and dives the relative of a piano player who happens to be a reporter. She is looking for a story on the relationship of Bad Blake and the star he helped get started, Tommy Sweet. In the process, Bad develops a relationship with Maggie and her son, and begins a comeback journey where he not only discovers himself, but the reality of his experiences and the effects on his life.

Crazy Heart is a beautifully filmed, brilliantly acted, and mesmerizing story filled with some of the best music to come along in a very long time. The musical direction provided by T Bone Burnett is brilliant. I personally have some friends that have worked with T Bone in the past so I have been a long time fan, but to take away from the value of the music in this story would be to miss the entire story itself, for it is in the music that Bad begins to discover himself and the music drives the story from both a visual and thought perspective for the viewer, as we hear the songs, we can feel, and know what Blake has and is going through.

T Bone Burnett is a Christian who does not wear his faith on his sleeve, that spiritual component of the film is not lost in the morality lessons presented in this movie. Jeff Bridges, in what could be the role of his life plays brilliantly the conflict in the character of Bad Blake. We see the importance of relationships, and the danger that can occur from driving those individuals away. We see the real struggle of alcoholism presented on the screen as well as anything in the last few years. We see individuals trying to escape from their past and hide their sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. Bridges presents the most memorable character I have seen this last year. He lives and breathes the character. He also does a great job at actually performing and singing the songs of Bad Blake.

In Crazy Heart we also see the value of love and second chances. Maggie played absolutely beautifully by Maggie Gyllenhall is a character that has had her own heartbreak. She is reluctant to place herself in a relationship where she will be hurt. While she doesn’t fully understand her own actions and their impact on the life of her son, she does understand the importance of having a good role model for him. As a result of the relationship that develops between her and Bad Blake they begin to pull each other out of the bad experiences of their past.

In one sequence we see Wayne, (Robert Duvall) and Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) out fishing. Wayne tells Bad, that we can’t always focus on the mistakes of our past, when we make the effort to do right; at that moment we have made the effort to improve our lives for the now and future. As we see in the development of the story, this doesn’t mean that everything one has done wrong is suddenly better, there is and always will be consequences for our actions. Those consequences don’t change, there is still the payment for our sins in some ways, because people, situations, circumstances are still impacted and we can’t always change those things. There is forgiveness, life and potential in taking that change and effort we make and moving forward. What we can have is a hope for the future which will help us either deal with, or forget the mistakes of the past. In this regard, there are not only lessons for Blake and Maggie; we as the viewer realize there is potential for change and hope for us. We have to realize though, it all starts with love, and ultimately dealing with the mistakes we have made. There is a powerful lesson here for people of faith. No matter what our faith, we have to be willing to admit, and change our mistakes and faults, we have to also be willing to seek forgiveness, yet in that process understand, while our lives will be better, there are no guarantees our situations will be better.

I have been asked, does Crazy Heart end good or bad, happy or sad? My response is two fold, first I never tell those kinds of things, I hate it for me, and I refuse to do it to others, no matter what they think. Then I say something else, it ends as it begins, as a thing of beauty that is real. That is the most impressive concept of the movie to me; it is simply real, from the music, to the effects of alcoholism, to the complexity of relationship. Crazy Heart is Crazy Beautiful.

While Crazy Heart could have been nominated for more awards in my opinion, it is a likely contender in the three areas it is nominated for, in fact, I have seen no movie that has as compelling nominees as the three for Crazy Heart, Best Actor, Jeff Bridges, Best Supporting Actress Maggie Gyllenhall, and Best Achievement in Music, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.

On a scale of 1 – 10, take those three award nominations, multiply them by 3; you have a very worthwhile and real 9.

To view the video, simply click on the video. If the video don't appear, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0349E7kFEM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ1IxgjSLrM

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Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Michael Jackson's, This Is It

What I am going to say is going to surprise a number of people, heck Ill be honest, it surprised me, but here goes: I recently saw the most spiritual film I have seen in some time on DVD, it wasn’t just one of the most spiritual films I have seen in the last year, it is one of the most spiritual films I have ever seen. Are you ready for this; it was Michael Jackson’s, This Is It!

Now don’t get me wrong, I was never what I would call a huge fan of Michael Jackson. I liked him, I grew up with him, I was as taken in as most everyone else with the ‘bizarreness’ of Michael Jackson but as a student of psychology, as a musician who has been blessed to work with some phenomenal bands, I sort of understood why he was the way he was. This man from the time of a small child had a lifestyle thrust on him that very few people have ever understood. Even the so called King of Rock, Elvis Presley had somewhat of a normal childhood. Michael Jackson from a very young age never knew the reality of a childhood we could relate to and the danger to the development of ones personality is not lost on me. It is also certain, the perfectionist driving attitude of his father had some impact on him, not only psychologically, but in the music and life he lived.

Many critics of Michael Jackson will want to delve into his past, the accusations, of which he was acquitted of. I will simply state my opinion here, this discussion isn’t the job of a reviewer, maybe the job of someone in the judicial system or news press, but while we may all have opinions, this movie don’t address those issues, and I for one am glad it doesn’t, to have done otherwise would have us focus on various things, mainly speculation. I am going to comment on is the movie.

First, a pet peeve of mine, the review of a DVD needs to be done on the DVD. I go to the theater and stay until the end of the credits because I owe the people who read my reviews that courtesy of reviewing the entire movie. I try to research the movie, and share my open and honest opinion of the movie. Regarding DVD’s I realize, people work hard to get the money they have to either rent, or purchase a DVD. I want to know when I read a review, is the product worth the purchase? What is different than the theatrical version of the film, (unless a direct to DVD release) and I will admit it, as a film lover, as a DVD lover, I want to know about things like Easter Eggs and Special Features, why, because that is one of the very purposes for many to buy the DVD. I suspect that the overwhelming majority of people who purchase DVD’s are purchasing a movie they have already seen.

Now as to this particular DVD, while there will always be a loss of vibrancy in the transfer from the Digital Big Screen Version to the small screen version I think the transfer and vibrancy here hold up tremendously well. In fact, if you didn’t see the digital version in the Theater, you may find that the Blu-Ray, or HDTV version is even better than the screen you saw it on. I was extremely impressed with the video quality. The sound quality was also exceptional and as good as any DVD transfer of a live performance (albeit a rehearsal performance) I have seen. From the packaging, to the quality of the product, this DVD oozes with exceptional quality. The DVD also features some wonderful special features including two documentaries, the making of, and much more. It is a joy to see a DVD release that provides this, and for the fans of the movie, the special features alone will make this purchase worth while. I especially enjoyed the Memories of Michael feature that shows the impact he had on others. While one may not have the feelings towards Michael these individuals do, there is no doubt, he had a lasting impact on those he came into contact with.

For those who have been in a coma for the last months, This Is It is a movie that was put together rather quickly after Michael Jackson’s death. Jackson always filmed his practice sessions to review later on, and while I seriously had skepticism as to if this could be done in a professional way or if it was just a scheme to make money I was pleasantly surprised. This is a quality movie that tells a compelling story. This Is It is more than just a rehearsal practice of his concert tour that was to be, it is an exploration of the impact he had on the lives of others, while at the same time touching on his own drive for perfection. It also explores what goes into making a quality live concert performance, from lighting to sound, to rehearsals, to working with the band and beyond, including what would have been an incredible 3-D live version of the hit video Thriller. Unfortunately we won’t get to see this tour which may have been one of the best live performances ever given, from the staging to the production, I have seen nothing that comes even close, not even U2 a band I greatly love and appreciate or Pink who has a fabulous live show.

Some may ask why this film was so spiritual for me. It is quite simple, in a world filled with mediocrity, especially within the Christian subculture, I was blessed (I seldom ever use that word) to see an example of someone who took their life, their gifts so seriously. To see that person then want to share those gifts with others around them was an inspiration to the very purpose of what gifts are for, not to be kept to ourselves, but to be shared with others. We receive the gifts and talents, and then it is our responsibility to share those things. I doubt few entertainers, or public celebrities did this as well as Michael Jackson. We see examples where the stage manager for Jackson would give suggestions, but it is very clear, the single person responsible for Michael Jackson’s performances, his music, his dance, production and more was Michael Jackson. No one controlled the man, but the man found an incredible way to exhibit his opinions, listen to others, and give correction to others in a loving, non threatening way. What a great example for even some one like me who doubles as a pastor.

I could give accolade, after accolade for This Is It, and prior to the movie, while I liked Michael Jackson’s music I wasn’t really what I would call a fan. I am now though. It is sad now because we no longer have Michael with us outside of the footage and the music. While that is something, I see things like this and my heart breaks that so many in society either didn’t understand or didn’t give a chance to this real live, human being, who had issues, but instead of trying to understand those issues we were so quick to throw stones. Of course I would say that few of us will ever delve into perfection, into quality in order to share with others in the way Michael Jackson did. We can look at that in a variety of ways, but for me, I hope I can recall this movie when I think about taking shortcuts. When I think about throwing out a review instead of thoroughly taking seriously my readers, may God forgive me. When I think of doing anything half way as to give credit to myself instead of respecting those around me and giving them my best, may God forgive me. What do I think about Michael Jackson today, actually quite simple, I thank God for giving me a reminder, no matter how imperfect he was, for showing me what it means to take my craft, and the hearts of those that craft is created for more seriously. May we all learn lessons for that.

On a scale of 1 – 10, for the number of letters in the word brilliance, I give a very deserving and blessed 10

To see the following, just click on the video, if the video don’t appear, click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3au3dTn9Fo

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Edge of Darkness

Sometimes you see a movie trailer and you think immediately of another movie. Such was the case when I first saw the trailer for the new Mel Gibson movie, Edge of Darkness. A tough older man has tragedy strike his family, specifically his daughter, and a revenge mission of getting even ensues. Sound familiar? For me it did, it sounded an awful lot like the Liam Neeson movie, Taken. Taken was an on the edge of your seat two hour thrill ride. It was with that premise I thought, this may be a fun movie so I decided to see it on opening night. What I was to find out was that while there are similarities between these two movies, there is also a world of difference, not in a bad way, but it is just the way it is.

In Edge of Darkness we see an aging Boston homicide police officer Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) forced to investigate a tragic death that hits far to close to home. The investigation forces him to face the hard realities of his life as a police officer and a father. Instead of the action like one may be expecting from the movie trailers, what we have is action driven by dialog and story. Virtually all of the high octane action sequences are seen in the trailer with the movie offering nothing new. We see Gibson resort to a character driven plot that resembles more of a John Grisham novel than action movie. Edge of Darkness based on a popular BBC mini series tries to force the plot of a several hour mini series into a 2 hour movie.

While the direction, acting and cinematography are all adequate, for many, this movie will fall short. For those liking intense drama, mystery, and espionage you will find yourself enjoying the film for what it is. Gibson does a credible job, although not his best work as an actor and beautiful Bojana Novakovic does a good job as Craven’s daughter, Emma who also has a past and involvement that challenges Craven in the investigation of his life. The struggle, that need for discovery drives much of the drama that moves the film along. We see other characters such as the mysterious Jedburgh played beautifully by Ray Winstone. Winstone steals virtually every scene he is in, unfortunately, we don’t know much about him and that is one of the prevailing problems with the movie, there are just far too many characters we know so little about.

There are attempts to draw in spiritual parallels with most of the characters, including for most, the question of life after death. In these questions we see the development of some of the characters. While some will challenge the movie questions the eternal, even brining up the potential of ghosts, I challenge that inner struggle of not knowing, of desiring to do more while you are alive is really what is at question in Edge of Darkness. There is the concept presented that living near the edge of darkness may be necessary to ultimately being able to walk into the light at death which many relate to entering Heaven. In The Edge of Darkness, the concept of death and life beyond death is a prevailing theme. Questions abound such as; are we doing our best, doing what is right in order to ultimately move into the light? There has to be love of family, the desire to serve and care for others and ultimately being a part of fighting for justice, even at the cost of ultimate sacrifice. While we see the characters in the film do simple things like pray, wear prominent displays of crosses, we don’t see an overtly preachy film, and in fact, we wonder to some extent about what appears to be a lack of faith among the characters and the search for meaning and purpose in others. What we do see though are characters willing to sacrificially live out their beliefs.

The Edge of Darkness is a good film, but not a great film. It will find its niche if the word of mouth of those expecting a high action thriller don’t ruin the potential of others in wanting to see the film. It is unfortunately a situation where the trailers may hurt the film more than help it. While there will be that initial rush for those that expect something like Taken, there will be a great deal of disappointment if that is the expectation of those buying the tickets. Gibson does a credible job and there are memorable scenes. It just isn’t what most will expect and will unfortunately suffer due to the marketing efforts of the movie.

I am not disappointed I saw this film, but on a scale of 1 – 10 I can’t say it is really worth the $10 it cost for a ticket, now $6, maybe. So on a cost factor I give it an okay, but not great 6.

To see the trailer for The Edge of Darkness click on the video below, if the video don't appear, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvRdGKxsmD8

Mel Gibson talks about the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riefhsbkYPI

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Waltons Movie Collection

In May of last year I had the honor of reviewing one of my favorite television shows of all time, The Waltons, Season 9. While I was somewhat disappointed with the DVD series from Season 9, due to the lack of special features, I still believe the series is worth watching. I could say many of the same things about the new DVD boxed set, The Waltons Movie Collection. While there are those disappointments there is also much to appreciate.

The Waltons Movie Collection covers 6 television movies from the series, ranging from 1982 – 1997. One of the really enjoyable things about the boxed set is we get to see sequences featuring all of the cast, including original cast with Michael Learned, (Olivia/Mother), Richard Thomas (John Boy), both characters that were either not in later seasons or were played by other actors as in the case of John Boy where the character was played by Robert Wightman. There is something about the characters I especially appreciated from this movie set, one is the incorporation of old footage and allusion to Grandpa, played by Will Geer who had died early in the series, and the inclusion of Grandma, played beautifully by Ellen Corby. Corby suffered a stroke in 1977 and was greatly limited in episodes afterwards, especially so in the movies, that said, I can’t help but notice the brilliance of this actress when she is on screen. I loved every moment of it.

Odds are, most people interested in this movie collection already know about the series. One of the most acclaimed, loved television series of all time, The Waltons are a Virginia family filled with love and what some may call ‘old fashioned’ values. The exploits follow the family from The Great Depression through World War 2 and into the 1960’s and beyond. This longstanding series featured the exploits of this family in a little mountain town.

In looking back on this set of television movies, I can’t help but notice the dating of the series created by Earl Hammer, (of which the John Boy character is based) It resembles a lot of television of the day, and unfortunately shows the progress that television has made over the years, from the acting, to set design, direction, special effects and beyond. What the new television shows don’t represent nearly as well is the classic storytelling and values presented in The Waltons. It caused me to ponder for this review as to what really were “the good ol’ days.”

Some assume the ‘good ol days’ are a representation of the time, yet, after review of the films, I see something different. In this DVD set and the original television series there is the concept of families staying together and having a deep love, and appreciation for each other. Now a days, we even see commercials understanding the influence of this series in the traditional good night comments included at the conclusion of each episode of The Waltons. We see other things though, like the prayers the family says at each meal, the importance of church, even encouraged by those not attending church on a regular basis, yet all of the characters value and respect those ‘traditional’ beliefs. When looking at The Waltons what we have isn’t much different than the ideals presented in the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

There was something else presented in The Waltons and is beautifully illustrated here, much better than the DVD Series 9. The Movie collection shows the respect given to people in authority, especially family. We see the conflict that comes about as children grow older, especially in the characters of Ben and his Father John Walton Sr. We also see this in the attitudes of others, not only each other, but their parents, friends and others. These growing-up events are one of the things that make The Waltons Movie Collection work. We see enough of a continuation in the movies that we see the grown up years of the children seen in the television series. We see the impact of how they were raised and the influences of the adults on their childhood.

The story presented over the years in this movie collection is one of the things that help us understand the incredible longevity of the series. While I am still disappointed in the non existent special features which would be so easily added, I love this collection. Most of which are centered on the holidays when family is so important. We see the family in their grown years, and the process of getting there. There are lessons that for me at least, cause me to reflect. Is it possible the respect once given to parents, to family, have been lost? In a world where more time is spent on a video game, and more time in the house instead of out of it, I wonder if we have lost something in regards to the importance of communication. I can’t help but believe the reason we long for programming like The Waltons in a world where we see too much ‘reality programming’ is because the reality we see portrayed on ‘reality television’ remind us of the negative of what we have become instead of the positive relationships we used to have? I don’t know the answers to all of this, I appreciate the convenience, I appreciate the technical advances, but I have to wonder, at what cost have these things come? In a series where we see families sit down to eat together, offering a prayer while holding hands, I don’t know if we can even comprehend it, after all, with dinner from a local fast food restaurant, eaten on the run while taking the kids to some kind of practice, I can’t help but think those things of convenience can be all that good.

Some think the ‘good ol days’ are something besides a simple faith with a respect and worship of God, and exhibition of loving each other. I don’t know; it seems The Waltons remind us it is exactly those things. I am reminded of the words of another who said that, Love God, Love Others! I just miss that message in today’s world, it seems like we hear more now about, Love Whoever, Love Me. Unfortunately, with that message, give me the good ol days presented in the DVD set, The Waltons Movie Collection.

With a retail price of $24.99 this is a set that is well worth the cost, pop some pop-corn, bring the family together, sit down and watch a few episodes. Then why don’t you do something really unusual, talk about life then, as opposed to life now. I think that you may just be surprised at what the kids think they would rather have.

To see some clips from the series, just click on the video’s. If the video don’t appear, just click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_xyJBcl_Rg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVzd6wLr0QA

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Leap Year

I have been married for 30 years and my wife and I love movies. I especially like horror and psychological thrillers. My wife especially enjoys romantic and comedy ‘chick flicks.’ We go on dates, a trait we still follow through on quite often despite the years together. Those dates more times than not, involve movies. My wife on a rare occasion goes to the movies I like, and sometimes, like in The Book of Eli, she really enjoys them. For me, well, reread that first sentence of the paragraph, ‘I have been married for 30 years and my wife and I both love movies.’

There is a reason we have been married over 30 years, there is give and take, sacrifice, for example, more often than not my wife doesn’t like the movies I like, especially those in the horror genera. I often find myself surprised and enjoying the movies she wants to see, even the ‘chick flicks.’ We recently had an event cancel so decided to go to dinner and a movie. My wife wanted to see the movie Leap Year starring Amy Adams, known largely for her role in Disney’s Enchanted, but more recently Julie and Julia. We decided go and as I often found out, it wasn’t a bad thing.

Leap Year is a simple story that has been told many times before. Anna, (Amy Adams) is a successful assistant in real estate where she gets the property ready to sale by making it look like a home. Her boyfriend, Jeremy is a successful cardiologist. The two are looking at moving in together but Anna has dreams of the two of them getting married. Jeremy has other ideas. Shortly after applying for a high end apartment in New York, Jeremy decides to attend a conference in Ireland. Anna hears from her father (John Lithgow) of the legend of prospective brides proposing to their prospective husbands in Ireland on Leap Year Day. She decides to take a spur of the moment trip to Ireland to propose to Jeremy. On her trip she incurs inclement weather, her flight is redirected and she begins a journey to get to Dublin by Leap Year day. She finds an owner of a pub in a small town who is dangerously close to having his pub repossessed by the bank. In order to obtain the needed funds, he decides to taxi Anna to Belfast. Along the way Anna gets to know Declan (Matthew Goode), more than she anticipated, but she also gets to discover more about herself.

I have to tell you, if you are looking for a movie with technical quality you can do better than Leap Year. There are various mistakes in the film and it seems as if there may have been a rush to complete production. From the editing to the special effects, such as a hail storm that seems to only hit parts of the scenery there are numerous glitches. There are also changing accents that for some may be somewhat of a let down, but I believe few will notice or care about those aspects where Leap Year is lacking.

What the movie does excel on is story. Although this is a story that has been told many times before, I couldn’t help but finding myself liking the characters. Amy Adams is a beautiful actress in her simplicity. She is not only effective as Anna; she is easy to look at in her simplistic beauty. There is something about her mannerisms, especially in the parts where she is in uncomfortable surroundings. In places where she is confused as to her feelings, you find yourself believing her. I also found myself really enjoying the sometimes obnoxious character of Declan, her companion on her journey to Dublin. Matthew Goode does a very good job of mirroring off of Amy Adams in their parts. He is a man that most men, like I who am not the super well built GQ type can appreciate. He can cook a good meal, enjoy a good pint of Guinness and at the same time enjoy a good time with the lads. He has known heartbreak and is ultimately looking for love that he knows is beyond his own credentials. I have to say, the Casting Director for Leap Year did a great job because what these two do have as the story progresses, is the ability to build off of each other and to get the viewer to actually care about the characters, despite all of the technical issues in the film.

I think storie

s like this and the reminders they provide are among the things I find myself liking about some of the ‘chick flicks’ my wife drags me to The reminder of what and where real love comes from. Sometimes we find ourselves in positions like Anna where we have expectations based on what society wants for us as opposed to what is best for us. Sometimes we need a wake up call and if we are lucky, we discover the things that are really important to us. We can’t underestimate the concept of love and the importance of love in a relationship. Sometimes we can discover that love in places we never considered looking. For some of us, that may be in physical relationships, for others, it could be in spiritual avenues. Nonetheless, unless we search for love or at the very least open up our spirits to receive love, we will never know the ultimate and full joy love can provide. There is a theme here that reminded me of the concept of the ‘One Thing,’ as presented in the movie City Slickers. That is, what is the one thing most important to you? If there was a fire in your home, what would be the first thing you would save if you only had one minute. It is in those moments we discover what is important. Ultimately, those things have the potential to last a life-time and beyond if given the chance.

I’ll admit, I already know my overall rating of this movie will be deceptive, it isn’t a great movie, it isn’t even really a very good movie, but what it is, is a really fun and enjoyable movie. I would watch it again because I appreciated the story, and I appreciated the fun, innocent way it was told. There is little that will offend anyone in this story, and it is a story that makes for a good date night movie. I’ll ignore the technical failures of the movie because sometimes, well, sometimes life is about more than perfection, and in that manner, Leap Year provides a good reminder of some of the things in life that really are important.

On a scale of 1 – 10 while far from perfect, if you take the 29th of February, and take that 2 from the 9 you still have an enjoyable, entertaining 7

The following is the trailer for the movie Leap Year, just click on the video, if the video don't appear, just click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etm4VMLrSnc

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Legion

I love apocalyptic thrillers, I love movies that take a look at Biblical characters, I love a lot of things about movies that challenge ones spirituality. I was actually looking forward to what I had seen in the previews and early trailers of the new movie Legion. There was something unsettling about the concept though. Legion appeared to be a movie displaying a civil war in heaven among the angels of God. It appeared to be a movie displaying a civil war due to God’s desire to destroy all of humanity. In some ways that is what the movie is, but instead of a civil war it is one angel’s rebellion against God, the rebellion of Arch Angel Michael who arrives to earth shortly before God is to destroy the earth. Along the way though, out in the desert is a little bar named Paradise Falls where a group of interesting characters are about to face their own pending doom.

Paradise Falls has a strange group of employees and restaurant guest from various backgrounds and walks of life. From owner Bob Hanson played by Dennis Quaid, to his son Jeep played by Lucas Black who has a passion for waitress, 8 month pregnant Charlie played by Adrianne Palicki and others such as Percy Walker, one of the only enjoyable characters in the film played by Charles Dutton. We see a variety of characters that seem to have some promise. Some of the characters are somewhat likeable, yet we know so little of any of them that it is hard for the viewer to really care. Their experiences are varied but so little character development takes place that what we do see, may cause some to lose any interest in the characters of develop any likeability for them.

Legion opens with the arrival of Arch Angel Michael as he leaves Heaven to come to earth to protect humanity. He has rebelled against God and is taking on the concept of protecting humanity for some reason, which we are never given real clarity on. In his early arrival, we see the possession of two police officers by apparently other angels who have come to act on God’s plan to destroy the earth. Shortly thereafter the angel Gabriel arrives and attempts to kill Michael, but Michael escapes to travel to Paradise Falls where for some reason there is the need to save the child which is to be born to Charlie. For the rest of the movie Michael is working with the humans at Paradise Falls in an attempt to save Charlie and her soon to be born baby from Gabriel and the multitudes of angels that traveled with him to carry on God’s work. Some angels maintain their angelic form, while others posses’ people, those that posses’ people take on horrific forms to destroy the humans God desires to destroy.

Legion develops with sloppy editing, story telling, and as confusing a plot and concept as I have seen in a major film in some time. The characters, plot and story are as sloppy and insulting to the audience as any movie I think I have ever seen. There are so many unanswered questions that I frankly can’t put together much of a story synopsis that makes any sense at all. I left this movie with more questions about what I had seen on screen than I did answers, for example, why does the baby boy born to Charlie on Christmas day represent the salvation of humanity. How is it that one angel can supposedly defend and protect himself against the whole host of angels including the Angel Gabriel and multitudes of other angels that are attempting to fulfill the desire of God. Why do some angels’ posses’ people and some don’t, what is the need of that? Then for me, the primary question, if God exists as the film presumes he does, why does he need the angels to carry out his desire to destroy the earth? If one angel rebels against God, isn’t God capable and able to take care of his own business? While there may be some imagery that represents Satan, remember, in the story of Lucifer, there where multitudes of angels, the bible says as many as 1/3 of the angels of Heaven that went with him. Poor ol’ Michael goes at it all alone.

For all of Legion’s inadequacies, the use of Biblical characters should have one presenting some interest to see what the Bible actually says about angels, especially Michael and Gabriel. Both of those angels are represented in the Bible, the concept of God’s desire to destroy humanity at one point in history is there, but it isn’t this story. In fact this story is a contrast to the God we ultimately see in the Bible, a God that loves humanity so much that he found a way to provide salvation for them. Legion should cause one to reflect on the position that God at one time, according to the Bible, destroy all of humanity because of their turning away from him, but while it appears to mirror parts of that story, it never delivers. A fair question would be, if God did this once, why wouldn’t he do it again, especially if we are to believe the street preachers and prophets who present us with concepts where God is going to destroy the earth for a variety of reasons? One of the confusing aspects in Legion is that even though there appears to be some good people left, who believe in God, are willing to serve and protect others, why would God still desire to use his angels to destroy the whole of humanity which he according to the movie was created to be in a higher place than the angels?

The main t

hing I liked about Legion was the potential for what it could have been in the characters it explores. There are as many interesting characters as I have seen in a movie for a long time. From a little old lady who cusses like a sailor prior to turning into a demon to destroy an innocent for confronting her about her mouth, to a old salty cook who has as deep a passion and love for God as anyone presented in a movie in some time. Unfortunately, while there is potential in the character there is tragedy in the direction and story as there are so many open ended questions opening up this movie for a sequel that frankly insult the intelligence of the movie going audience as I have seen in some time, maybe ever. I don’t have a problem with sequels, Resident Evil for example did the same thing, but it respected the audience it played for. Legion is so bad that I would like a refund for the $7 I spent for a matinee. Heck, I would feel ripped off if I had spent $1 at the Red Box DVD rental store on this one. If using a Netflix account to watch the free online viewing I would be disappointed for the waste of time as I could have found more value in my time by taking a nap.

Now I am aware of the aspects of negativity in a movie, for those who read my reviews, you know I am seldom this negative. I could talk about how the film insulted my faith, but I don’t need to, on the technical merits alone I believe Legion was a waste of time. It simply didn’t hold water within even its own variations of Biblical characters and the role of God. While there may be some ways to view the movie as presenting ultimately a changing, or loving God, while the movie may show glimmers of possibility, it just doesn’t deliver on hardly any account.

I haven’t done this in a long time, that is give this bad of a review, but I can’t help it, on a scale of 1 – 10, for the 3 folks who totally agreed with me I spoke to as I left the movie, I give a very disappointing 3.

To see the trailer for Legion click on the following video, if it don't appear, click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8lGCjd9W8U

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Book of Eli

As of recent, from The Wall Street Journal to the New York Times, and from ABC News to Rush Limbaugh; it seems as if everyone has noticed the influx of overt spiritual themes included recently in the movies. For a buff like me who loves searching for those truths, it is almost like a Movie Spiritual Heaven. I love apocalyptic thrillers and there has been a fair share of those and more to come. Among the best has to be the new release of The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis.

The premise for The Book of Eli is simple; Eli, played by Denzel Washington, is living in post apocalyptic America. He has heard a voice tell him to take a book he is in possession of West, we don’t know where, but it doesn’t take long to see that Eli has special powers, especially when it comes to fighting. There is more for the viewer to learn and trouble along the way for Eli and those that would side with him. There is even those who would have the book to use for their own evil ways, but Eli is a protector, a prophet if you will who has a mission, and nothing is going to stop him from doing what he has heard the voice tell him.

The Book of Eli reminded me of the Mad Max series with Mel Gibson. While there are depressing events along the way, it is not nearly as depressing as the recent movie, The Road starring Viggo Mortensen. In The Book of Eli, there are ample action sequences, and ultimately images of hope. I found The Book of Eli more enjoyable, that is if one can find a movie like this enjoyable.

The Book of Eli is beautifully filmed and there is some quality direction provided by The Hughes Brothers. While the movie could have used a little more plot development, that isn’t its intent and I think many a reviewer just flat out misses the intent of what the Hughes Brothers are trying to do with the story. I believe many things are left vague for a reason. This movie has as enlightening epiphany moment as any movie in a very long time. Not sense The Sixth Sense has a movie suddenly caught the attention of the audience as does the epiphany moment here. Unfortunately, many will spoil the movie, and they should have to run their finger across the sword of Eli for doing so, but the imagery, the vagueness of some of the story hits home when that moment in the film occurs.

While this may not be a great film to some, for me, a person who loves to find the spiritual components within film, it comes as close to bordering on greatness as anything that has come out in some time. I challenge, movies intend to include far more spiritual commentary than many fans and even critics like to believe. We see it in the challenge to Christianity in Rob Zombie films; we see it in classic scenes in such television shows as The Sopranos. Sometimes we have to search for those truths, sometimes, in rare situations; they hit us up beside the head like a Professional Wrestler in a Cage Fight. Such is the case in The Book of Eli.

It doesn’t take long into the film to discover that the book that is worth the sacrifice of life is The Holy Bible, not a representation of The Bible, but The Holy Bible. We see how this book has impacted this futuristic prophet; we see his dedication to keeping the book in a safe place. Eli knows the copy of The Bible he has is the last surviving copy from the Apocalypse. He knows what the voice inside him has told him, he lives the message to a large extent while recognizing his own imperfections. He has a love, a passion that is so deep though that others can’t help but notice. We see the power of love, the desire to pray and so many more spiritual themes portrayed in this film. We also see displayed in the Gary Oldman character, Carnegie, the danger that can come about from one desiring to use the Bible to promote their selves in inappropriate ways. There are allusions to the way many religious leaders and politicians have used the Bible to promote their own agenda. Eli understands that and it is the reason he has dedicated himself to the cause of completing the task that the voice, (God) has called him to.

I loved this film as it incorporated things I appreciate. One of those is that while I enjoy looking and searching for Spiritual concepts, my wife, and children who often attend movies with me like to go just for the entertainment value. This was special though, my wife really liked the movie and couldn’t stop talking about the spiritual concepts portrayed in the film.

The Book of Eli doesn’t present the utmost of hope for humanity regarding a post apocalyptical America; it does provide a glimmer of hope though. It presents a God who can work through common men, and do miraculous things to the point that God can perfect and use even that which is not perfect in ways we couldn’t imagine. It also represents a concept of walking by faith to accomplish the purpose God has called us to. We don’t have to be perfect and God can use us, it is in fact in using imperfect people that we can see the majesty and reality of a working God. There is also the representation of the influence we can have on others when we are willing to walk by faith. The impact on society we can all have that can make a difference not just on us, but on society.

The Book of Eli represents a faith in the Bible, a respect for the Bible we haven’t seen in a movie in quite some time. This movie would make a great study for not only people of faith, but also people outside the faith of Christianity. It isn’t just The Bible though that is presented in a positive light, it is a God who still has power, and still finds ways to use human beings beyond their own expectations.

For those that have seen the movie, don’t ruin the epiphany moment for others, let them experience it themselves. As for me, I want to see this one again on the big screen. While not perfect, it was a fun and wonderful experience. One I am glad to repeat again in the near future.

On a scale of 1-10, for the letters in Bible and God I give it a rather enjoyable 8.

To see the video of Denzel Washington talking about the Spirituallity of The Book of Eli, just click on the video. If the video don't appear, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQEm5YMkfwA

Friday, February 26, 2010

Crazy Heart

Friday, February 12, 2010

Michael Jackson's, This Is It

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Edge of Darkness

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Waltons Movie Collection

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Leap Year

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Legion

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Book of Eli

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