Category Archives: Reviews

2018 Best Movie Bracket

From my best count, there were about 266 major films released in 2018. That includes all the tentpole blockbusters and the independent festival darlings. It also includes the most prominent foreign films which received a US release and major original releases from streaming platforms. Of those 266, I have seen 111. I’ve still got about 50 for 2018 on my watchlist, but I will probably never see the vast majority of those unless I get a government grant that allows me to stop working and do nothing but watch movies all day every day.

I track and rate all of the movies I watch at Letterboxd.com. Since I usually do this list as a top 3, it is convenient that I have exactly 3 movies from 2018 that I would classify as five-star films. That number may increase because I have a rule that no film can be rated as 5 stars based upon a single viewing. The highest I can go on one viewing is 4 1/2 stars.

Honorable Mentions

It was a very good year for film. I could just list off 20 films that were easily in the running for my top film of the year, but in addition to my top three, I want to highlight a few special films that were unique or extraordinary in some way.

A Quiet Place surprised me because I didn’t expect such an immersive story from Jim from the Office. Upgrade was the best Science-Fiction action film with its locked camera Logan Marshall-Green’s face/body acting split. Mission-Impossible: Fallout was easily the most entertaining film I saw all year, I could watch it a dozen times and still be ready for another go around. 

Leave No Trace is Debra Granik’s long-awaited follow-up to Winter’s Bone (2019) and it was heartbreaking and uplifting and hopeful and brutally honest. BlackkKlansman is Spike Lee’s best since Malcolm X. It caught you laughing about systemic racism and how dumb those Klan members could be then flipped the script and left me with my mouth hanging open and tears in my eyes. Shoplifters left me wanting to be kidnapped and loved so purely whether it is technically a family or not. Finally, I’m so sad to leave First Reformed out of my top three, Paul Schrader had my rapt attention with an arresting meditation on faith’s place in the modern world.

Top Three

3. Blindspotting

The year was filled with amazing films focused on the theme of race relations. We’ve already mentioned BlackkKlansman, but there was also If Beale Street Could Talk, The Hate U Give, and Sorry to Bother You. However, the best, in my opinion, was the one that was criminally overlooked, Blindspotting.

The story is pretty simple. Collin, played masterfully by Daveed Diggs (whom you might know as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton), must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. Despite his childhood best friend Miles (a solid introduction from newcomer and co-writer Raphael Casal) not being the best influence, Collin is loyal. That countdown clock comes under pressure when Collin witnesses a police shooting and the two men’s friendship is tested as they wrestle with their identity in their rapidly-gentrifying Oakland neighborhood.

I don’t understand why Lionsgate released this unbelievably prescient masterpiece in mid-July rather than holding it a little later for Awards season. It was electrifying while also remaining accessible. However, Blindspotting was released in the same summer as Childish Gambino’s firebrand This is America and it is a perfect companion piece. 

2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor

I wouldn’t usually even think of putting a documentary on my best films of the year, but I was so incredibly floored by Morgan Neville’s documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor. I grew up watching Mister Rogers every afternoon as a little kid and I even remember watching often into my teenage years. At some point, I probably kind of outgrew it and thought that he was uncool. But now looking back as an adult I see that Fred Rogers was the coolest guy in the neighborhood.

If there were one film in 2018 that I would force every person to watch it would be this. The faith, hope, and love that Fred Rogers exhibited in every show is a salve that I believe our culture needs now more than ever. Fred Rogers wasn’t seeking to entertain kids with his show and he wasn’t trying to rush them through growing up like so many try to. Instead, the yellow caution light flashes outside the building even before the familiar song begins as if to signal that it is time to slow down and learn what it means to be a human and how to live as a human with other humans. 

It didn’t fall into the trap of fawning over Mister Rogers. That’s good, because he would push back on being idolized in any way. Instead, he would call us to action, encouraging us to be better neighbors to all in hopes that this love and kindness might spread. Morgan Neville struck gold with this film and I only hope that it stays on constant rotation and that Fred Rogers is allowed to touch the hearts and minds of another generation and that my generation might be reminded of his gentle example.

1. Spider-Man Into The Spider-verse

I was not on the early bandwagon for Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse. I felt like it was too soon to do anything with Spider-Man much less introduce eight new ones. It wasn’t until I saw the sneak preview after Venom that I was even interested. I thought the animation looked great and I was intrigued by the concept and thought that it would be a good movie to take my kids to. However, about 15 minutes into the film, I knew I was watching something special. 

Let’s count the Spider-Men. First, we have Chris Pine’s stellar Peter Parker prime. He’s better than our Peter Parker and Spider-Man in every way except for the turn of events of this film. Second, we have Miles Morales, also from the home dimension of this film. Miles is played by Shameik Moore with bright-eyed energy. Then things get crazy with a whole slew of Spider-people.

Third, the road-weary veteran Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), complete with sweatpants, who is a sadder more tired version of the uber Spider-man. Fourth, Spider-Gwen, which I can easily see getting her own stand alone. Hailee Steinfeld brought some youthful confidence to the powerful girl’s role that will be seen over and over at Comic-con. Fifth, Spider-Man Noir, voiced in an amazing casting choice by Nicholas Cage. It’s seriously the best thing he’s done in years except destroying that pool table while singing the hokey pokey in Mom and Dad.

Sixth, Peni Parker, who shares a psychic connection to a radioactive spider that lives in her deceased father’s robot. I’m not making this up and she’s not even the weirdest. That award easily goes to seventh, Peter Porker (a.k.a Spider-Ham) a Looney Tunes type animated pig who actually started out as a spider but was bitten by a radioactive pig. In case you think I’m making this up, this is a comic you can actually read. Finally, eighth, featured just briefly in the post-credit scene is Oscar Isaac playing Miguel O’Hara as Spider-Man 2099. 

Somehow, all of this works and is magically told with no confusion and incredible balance and confidence. I haven’t even mentioned the supporting cast in Lily Tomlin, Katherine O’Hara, Mahershala Ali, and Liev Schriber among others. It is a truly star-studded cast and with all the right stuff.

So what do you think? Agree or disagree? Did I miss one of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below or on social media.

Avengers: Infinity War and Trading Lives

!!Obligatory Spoiler Warning!!

As if you thought I could have an in depth discussion of Infinity War without revealing plot information. Obviously, if you haven’t seen this film you either don’t want to or haven’t found the time. In either case, you need to sort out your priorities. Just kidding, don’t get so bent out of shape!

While we wait for the uninitiated to click elsewhere (Perhaps to this list of my other highly anticipated Summer movies) let me set the stage on the magnitude of this epic film. The now expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe had an auspicious beginning with a 2nd rate hero that hardly anyone knew and a team with a lot of faith. Kevin Feige (now the President of Marvel Studios) said in a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, “Marvel didn’t have money on the line. They would have lost the film rights to some of the characters, but it was sort of a great experiment. People forget Iron Man was an independent movie.”

An Ambitious Undertaking

It was an ambitious beginning for this brand new production company with zero credits under their belt. They brought on the teams and the talent they needed to make the two superhero movies that they envisioned, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. At that point there was no plan for a 22 movie story arc and an expanded cinematic and television universe. They didn’t even have a follow-up in the works for 2009.

Someone asked at the 2007 Comic-Con, when the fans got their first look at Iron Man, if Avengers was possible and I think they got a chuckle and said that they were focused on making the best Iron Man movie and if they succeeded in that goal then it could open doors for them to make other films. They were blown away by the response of the fans and immediately began actively working towards this unification of all things Marvel and 4 years later we saw the Avengers take stage.

So now, 10 years later as we have seen 3 Iron Man movies, 3 Thor movies, 3 Captain America movies, 2 Avengers movies, 2 Guardians of the Galaxy movies (who could have predicted that), and stand alone films for the likes of The Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and a deal with Sony that gave us Spider-Man in this universe as well. This is an historic film-making achievement. Never in my wildest dreams as a kid did I imagine that my 35 year old self would get to geek out at the movies at least twice a year thanks to these good people.

What Happens in Infinity War?

With all of this time and dedication over 10 years, the Russo brothers were able to step immediately into the story with over 25 established characters, histories, and motivations. I honestly can’t imagine watching this film without the knowledge that I currently possess. I’m sure that there is someone out there for whom this is their Marvel initiation. If so, I’d love to hear from you to see how confused you were and if you were still able to enjoy the movie.

Alright, last warning! Shove off if you haven’t seen it. It’s time for the adults to talk now. 

In a nutshell, Thanos is collecting the 6 Infinity Stones from across the cosmos with the ultimate goal of snapping his fingers and wiping out half of all sentient life everywhere. All of our heroes (except Ant-Man and Hawkeye) team up to attempt to stop to his plan. This means that our intergalactic band of miscreants meets the God of Thunder, Tony Stark’s mind is opened to a world of mystical arts that he had never experienced, and the scrawny patriot from Brooklyn gets to fight alongside a talking tree. It is truly a thing to behold.

I think the best way to break down everything that we saw would be character by character, seeing how things unfold through their eyes and with their motivations. That way you can see that there are very few plot holes and that everything flows in an incredibly natural way. I’m not going to do that here. But I recently posted this kind of walk through from Thanos’ perspective.

Instead, I want to look at the big themes of the film and some key lines of dialogue and draw them out into some biblical lessons and parallels.

We Don’t Trade Lives

Throughout the film we get several examples of characters who make sacrifices for the accomplishment of their goal. When Vision learns that Thanos is coming for the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead, he explains to Cap and the others the idea that Scarlet Witch may be able to use her powers to destroy it.

In true Android/Vulcan fashion he believes that it would be the most logical action to prevent Thanos from capturing all 6 Infinity Stones. They immediately dismiss that plan because it would mean that Vision would most likely have to sacrifice himself, since his life force is so intrinsically tied to the stone. The Captain tells Vision, “We don’t trade lives,” to which Vision counters by referring to Cap’s own story of sacrifice to protect millions.

We see Captain’s own words come back to him in the final fight in Wakanda. Captain America tells Vision to run away to safety as he battles Cull Obsidian. Ignoring his advice, Vision instead saves him. When Cap says, “I told you to get out of here,” Vision replies “We don’t trade lives, Captain.” This stood out to me because the idea of trading lives, or at least offering to make that sacrifice is the stuff that real heroes are made of.

As Christians, we know that the only true way to salvation is through the trading of lives. That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we see a superhero who is willing to lay down his life to save countless others we see them as an example of Christ.

Thanos the Anti-Christ

The idea of sacrifice is not limited to the heroes. Even Thanos, when seeking to gain possession of the Soul Stone, learns that the price of the stone is the soul of a loved one. With this choice, Thanos becomes an Anti-Christ. He is willing to save the world, but only through the sacrifice of others, while Jesus is willing to lay down his own life.

Thanos tells young Gamora after his snap that it cost him everything to accomplish his sick plan of “saving the world”. However, Thanos’ sacrifice led him to seek ultimate power by assuming the form of a God while Christ, who is God, emptied himself and took the form of a servant.

The reason that Logan probably resonated with me so much is because his sacrifice seems so Christlike. In Todd Miles’s book on heresy, Superheroes Can’t Save You, he says:

“Superheroes represent mankind’s best efforts to create saviors, demigods made in our own image, beings who are able to rescue us from the horrors the face us all as humans. The thing is, our best attempts to create such heroes fall desperately short for what we actually need… Superman would not be able to rescue us from our greatest problems, and he certainly would not be able to rescue us from the wrath of God. He is not super enough, not human enough, not compassionate enough, and not divine in any way. He just does not measure up to the one who is more than enough of all those things, Jesus. Superman is not Jesus, and he never will be.”

Death is Real

Some people have complained about the ending because they feel like they know that the snap is going to be undone in the next movie. However, any postulating about the next film shouldn’t take away from the real consequences and trauma that we see in this film. Obviously, my mind was reeling with possibilities as the credits rolled, but that doesn’t take way from the fact that I was wrecked just minutes earlier.

I’ve heard of people sobbing and upset for days if they have a particularly strong connection to a particular character. Especially with some of the most shocking deaths being from two of the newest heroes. Usually, when you walk into a “superhero” movie, you often expect to come away feeling unscathed. We like our heroes to be bulletproof, but with this and other recent movies like Logan we see the fragile humanity of our heroes.

I’m of the belief that mourning and weeping is actually a very healthy place to be. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.” Although Infinity War is very funny, that only makes you fall harder when it comes time to mourn.

Flippancy over death is one of my biggest pet peeves with action films and video games. When an office building full of people crumbles during an alien attack and instead of somber reflection we are presented with a joke, it cheapens death. On the other hand, Infinity War portrays death as a real problem. In this sense, the film can be helpful in raising discussions about our very real mortality and the need for a Savior (a Hero, if you will) who can defeat death once and for all.

The End is Coming

The Russo brothers were brave to end Infinity War the way they did. It doesn’t end with all of the story lines neatly tied up in a satisfactory conclusion. Instead, it leaves us wanting more, wondering what happens next. Things are not right with the world and we know from a sense of innate justice and years of conditioning that the wrongs must be righted.

Any kind of real Marvel fan will know that there will be a next installment. We already have dates on the calendar for Ant-Man and the WaspCaptain Marvel and even the conclusion to Infinity War in what we now know as just Avengers 4. It looks like it will be the Return of the Jedi to this The Empire Strikes Back. This puts fans in an interesting place. We are forced to accept the shattered landscape of this superhero world all while holding onto the hope that there is a day coming when all wrongs will be made right.

Christians know this feeling all to well. We live in the wilderness awaiting the culmination of the promise of the gospel. All around us, it can seem like evil is winning and Satan is laughing. But there is great hope even in the midst of the darkness because the Bible says that just as Christ ascended into heaven, he will come again in glory and all of creation will breathe a sigh of relief as our longings are satisfied. It’s vastly different in terms of magnitude, but this tension can be felt in stories like Infinity War which leaves the audience looking for consolation in a future hope.

What about you? Did you pull any nuggets of wisdom from Avengers: Infinity War? What do you think about my ideas? How did you like the movie? Do you want me to stop asking questions? Then leave me a comment below or hit me up on social media. As always, I’ll see you at the movies.

 

 

Best of 2017: Insiders 6-10

After getting a bit sidetracked with Oscar predictions, let’s get back to the Best of 2017. You can see my 11-15 and 16-20 as well, but as we enter the coveted top 10, we find some truly remarkable films that resonated with me personally. I am proud of the diversity of films from drama to action to biopic. Let’s go!

10. Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh comes out of retirement to make his best since the original Ocean’s Eleven remake. He shows off his flair for visual storytelling and gives us a hillbilly fairy tale wrapped up in a heist movie. The cast of characters is outrageous, the premise is outlandish, and the film is outstanding.

The film centers around the Logan brothers played by Adam Driver and Channing Tatum and their plan to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway in efforts to break the 100 year old Logan family curse. Other cast members include Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Sebastian Stan, Hillary Swank, Katie Holmes, Dwight Yoakam, and so many more deliciously funny characters.

I know many people who might not be as stereotypically country as these characters are but who suffer from a curse nonetheless. This curse of living paycheck to paycheck and being overlooked and derided is turned on its head as they mastermind a heist that would make Danny Ocean jealous. It is a hilariously wild ride, with a strong focus on family and a message about changing your station in life that might surprise you.

9. Phantom Thread

In opposition to the previous entry, Phantom Thread is set in the alluring world of 1950s British couture. Paul Thomas Anderson helms what is supposed to be Daniel Day-Lewis’ final performance. The previous collaboration of these two produced one of my favorite movies of all time, There Will Be Blood. I hope this isn’t the last we see from Daniel Day-Lewis because he is one of the greatest actors of our time and he has much more to give. However, if he did choose to make this film his last it would be a fitting close to an amazing career.

Hey plays Reynolds Woodcock who is a fictional mashup of several real designers from this time-frame. He is an exacting personality, he is brilliant but petulant and spoiled. The best thing about this film was the surprising humor. It arises from places you would not expect and the whole story goes in a direction that subverts the viewers expectations. It is a twisted picture of love, relationships, and power.

8. I, Tonya

Much like Phantom Thread, in I, Tonya we have a unique character study with dark humor that springs from odd places. People my age and older may think they know this story. We watched much of it play out on television. It happened right at the beginning of this new trend of 24/7 news coverage. So for weeks, you could not escape the saga of Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.

The story is so strange because of the varied and conflicting versions of the story that come from all sides. Instead of trying to present the truth, it seemed to leave us in an ambiguous place where we are rooting for the good in Tonya while still seeing he faults and part to play in the whole fiasco. Violence was the language that these people spoke and while that does not excuse any actions, it does provide a picture of the twisted mindset that could commit this crime.

Part of me wonders how much coverage this story would have received without the media coverage that it received. Did our thirst of “news” as entertainment feed into this? Because just as soon as a bigger story came along we were off on our next witch hunt. Today, this thirst has grown exponentially to the point that this story would have been nothing more than a blip on our Twitter feeds that would disappear within a few moments as soon as the next viral video appeared.

Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan were very good, and the visuals could almost fool me to think that Margot Robbie trained to actually complete a triple Axel just for this film. The way that they filmed the skating sequences was captivating as well with the camera moving fluidly around the skater as the perform on the ice. However, the real star and one of the best overall performances of the year was from Allison Janney who played the cartoonishly evil mother of Tonya. She was wickedly delightful.

7. Baby Driver

The more I think about this movie the higher I want to put it on my list. Looking back in a couple of years after I own this Blu-Ray and watch it 5-6 dozen times it will probably find its way well into the top five. I love that it came in with a modest budget and blew it out of the water showing that you can make original and artful cinema and still make loads of money.

When I mention Edgar Wright, you might recognize the name from Shaun of the Dead, or Hot Fuzz. Here Edgar wright uses more of his distinct visual style and uses it to craft a musically choreographed heist film. Do yourself a favor and watch the first 6 minutes of the film. If it strikes your fancy then you will love the whole film. If it doesn’t then you may be doing something wrong.

My one issue with the film is that the whole thing isn’t presented as a musical. There are certainly musical elements and complete scenes that are linked directly to the music we hear, but I would have loved to see a full blown action centered La La Land type film.

6. Lady Bird

I have to admit that I jumped pretty hard on the Lady Bird bandwagon, and it’s hard not to. It is delightful. Its simplicity is part of its charm. However, I think that the simplicity might keep it from taking home any of the 5 Oscars it is nominated for on Sunday. But that is okay. It doesn’t need to be controversial or flashy to draw attention.

I feel like Lady Bird was so well loved because the characters albeit quirky are so accessible. Have you ever wanted to spread your wings and escape from your town or your school or your family? Everyone has! So much of this comes from the performances of Soairse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. Ronan manages to capture that odd teenage limbo between the confidence in their own abilities and the realization that they are clueless as they prepare to leave.

Did anyone else feel like Metcalf appeared out of nowhere like someone had her locked in a time capsule since Roseanne. She was so good. She was warm and motherly and cold and calculated all in the same scenes. I have to give a small shout out to Tracy Letts as well as the dad. With three teenagers or nearly teenagers of my own I always look out for great father figures and he is now up there with the likes of Stanley Tucci from Easy A.

Did you hate any of these movies? Am I out of touch because I chose an Oscar bait movie like Phantom Thread or do I need to give up my Movie cred because I liked a trailer trash movie like Logan Lucky? I want to see your top 10 lists, leave me a comment here or shoot me a message on social media!

Brokeback Mountain – Review

As I look ahead to my Best Movie Bracket for 2005, I had to acknowledge a blind spot that I have missed over the years. Back when Brokeback Mountain was released in 2005, I was just beginning my stint as a youth minister after finishing my Bachelors of Theology. I was definitely into movies, but I was not watching them with the same eyes or frequency that I see them today. I would have likely been in the camp of Christians who followed their conscience and decided to completely abstain from the film and sadly to avoid even the discussion of its themes, happy to be cloistered away with other likeminded people.

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I am a different person than I was then. Life as a pastor, manager, father and husband for over a decade has changed my perspective. I won’t say that it has changed for the better because I can certainly see where my conservative Christian brethren are coming from. However, I believe that I have the responsibility as a Christian to see the film and to offer my opinion on it from a biblical perspective. I’m afraid that most of the reviews that I read in those days were in two camps. Either reviewers loved the film and sang the praises of the cinematography, bucolic setting, and powerful performances, or they condemned the film as immoral or dirty with little explanation as to the reason behind their emotional response except for “the Bible says it’s wrong.”

As a Christian and a movie critic I have a set of lenses that I view every film through. But let’s not act like this is a unique scenario. Everyone who shares their opinion of a film sees it through the lenses of their life. Those lenses could be republican, democrat, liberal, conservative, racist, sexist, feminist, black, white, rich, poor, urban, or rural. The list is as long as the human experience. We don’t generally see movie critics come out sharing their particular lenses. Instead, we have to reverse engineer the way they see the world through the reviews they give. My point is that no one comes to a film as completely objective. We all have preconceptions, experiences, and beliefs that shape our opinions and color our world. How boring would things be if we were all cookie cutter copies of each other with the same passions, interests, and desires?

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However, we must also understand that many (if not all) dramatic filmmakers are trying to say something with their film, not just providing 2 hours of celluloid to entertain the audience. As a theology student and later as a pastor, I spent years studying the Bible for meaning and interpreting its words to teach believers how they should implement the words and lessons that they encountered. I approach films in much the same way. There is a lesson to be found. If I walk out of a film the same as I walked in, I feel cheated. It’s as if I dove into a pool only to find that there is no water.

However, film works almost imperceptibly at times. Because of the medium, the message comes through almost so well that it hits us directly at an unconscious level. This is unlike the Bible that is often shrouded in mystery because of thousands of years of changes in culture, location, and language. The Bible often takes time and study to uncover meaning. We have to pull the meaning out of the text. That is the same with film. However, in that case, we are pulling the meaning out of ourselves to see things through the eyes of the writer, the characters, and the filmmaker.

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As a Christian, there are behaviors which I believe are sinful. However, if I limited my movie viewing only to this without portrayals of sin, I would never enter the theater or turn on the television. Because every person besides Jesus that enters the frame is a sinner in some form or fashion. So I have no trouble looking at this film and calling out the sinful behaviors that I see. However, the presence of these behaviors does not make the film any worse or any better. Whether it is the dishonest way that Aguirre is having them tend his sheep, the premarital sex that we see between Jack and Lureen, or the consistent lying that surrounds their illicit relationship, there is plenty of sin to go around. This film could have just as easily left out the homosexual relationship and had the two men destroy their relationships by being inattentive and selfish (which they are). But that would miss the message that Director Ang Lee is trying to communicate.

The basic premise is that two cowboys, Jack and Ennis, take a job tending to sheep in the Brokeback Mountains of Wyoming. The two grow close on the trip and on a particularly cold night they share a tent and things get physical. After this summer job they go their separate ways to their own lives. Ennis gets married to Alma as he planned before the summer and she has two girls rather quickly. Soon, four years have passed and Jack finds Ennis and they have a sordid reunion. Ennis insists that they cannot be together and Jack settles down with Lureen, a fellow rodeo professional, and they soon have a son. Jack and Ennis however keep up their relationship under that pretense of hunting and fishing trips. However, they retreat to the place where their relationship began and argue about whether or not they can leave all that they have tied themselves to in order to be together.

Brokeback Mountain is trying to say, if these two men were allowed by society and their own consciences to love (and consequently have sex with) whomever they chose, then they would have been happy and their wives would not have had to suffer through loveless marriages. But I have heard some who make it sound like the solution is to have them forget all about their one-time fling and go home to their marriages and focus on their wives and families. However, I would disagree with this as well. Sure it would be great for these men to treat their wives with love and respect and to care for their children, but doing these things would not be any more redemptive than their “fishing trips” which don’t feature any fishing. In fact, the natural setting of their very unnatural relationship is probably the most insidious and disturbing part of the film. The wives do not push their husbands away, yet home is seen as a trap while their “forbidden love” is shown as peaceful and natural.

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Before I say anything else, I should say that I believe this film deserved the praise that it received. It was a difficult film to make, though Ang Lee never felt that until after it was released and started to gain traction. The performances specifically from Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger are spectacular.  Ledger is so stoic in his portrayal that when he does peel back the layers to reveal emotion it is very effective. Williams crushes it with one scene in which she discovers that her husband’s fishing buddy is more than a friend. Her eyes show all the betrayal that she dare not utter. She knows it to be true but keeps it locked away hoping that maybe she was just seeing things. I think the biggest flaw of the film is that we don’t get to see enough of the families. We are so wrapped up in the affair of the two men that we are left guessing about what is going on at home. I would love to see the exact same story told through Alma and Lureen’s eyes. I believe that it would be an even more engaging and heartbreaking tale. From a technical standpoint I would give this film high marks but the story seems to be lacking.

In an interview, when Ang Lee was asked if he practices any particular religion, he said,

No, my mother is a baptized Christian, so she made me go to church every Sunday, and I prayed four times a day until I was 14. And at lunchtime kids at school would giggle at my praying…I stopped praying. And two weeks later, nothing happened to me, so I didn’t pick it up again.

I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does life go, why we exist. That sort of thing. And it is very hard to talk about it these days, because it cannot be proven. It is hard to discuss it rationally.

Given his experience with organized religion, I’m surprised we don’t see it play more of a role in the film. We are given 3-4 hints of the religious culture of the late 60s and 70s that they are living in. On their first summer together Jack and Ennis discuss their upbringings. Jack speaks of the Pentecost as if it is the day of judgement, and Ennis is just as ignorant saying that his parents were Methodist. Alma and Ennis are married in a religious wedding and we hear of church events that Alma and the girls want to attend. Ennis calls them “that fire and brimstone crowd.” This tells us a lot about both Ennis and the religious people who surrounded him. He characterizes the church people as a judgmental group, but we have no way of knowing if this is because they truly are or because they don’t make him feel good about himself because of his behavior.

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I will be wide open in saying that I believe homosexuality is a sin, but I also believe adultery and premarital sex are sins. However, none of these sins are unforgivable. That is the beauty of Christianity. It is not all about guilt and judgement, but grace and redemption. I believe that Brokeback Mountain is a harsh and stark image of sin in a fallen world. In Ang Lee’s world where God is an absentee landlord who makes threats but doesn’t really have the power to carry them out, this life is as good as it gets. If that is the truth then I would say that Jack and Ennis should run off together and live with passion and do everything they want because one day they will die and that will be the end.

That is where I believe Jack is coming from. That is why we see him going so hard after Ennis and holding onto dreams longer than he really should. But I think Ennis at least has some sense that this life isn’t all there is. He is fighting with the physical urges that he has. It seems that Ang Lee is trying to push us towards a societal solution, but that solution only solves a physical problem. If Ennis did not struggle with the fears and doubts and societal norms then he would have been the same as Jack and they would have probably both ended up dead. But if society were more tolerant towards their beliefs then perhaps they would have started their ranch together and lived there the remainder of their days. But the question that the Christian asks is but what happens after that?

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If they are resolute in their belief that God does not exist or that their god is okay with their relationship then I am fine with them doing whatever their heart desires. Alma and Lureen would have been better off in the meantime. As a Christian, I don’t care about disrupting what is going on in their bedroom. I care about God disrupting what is going on in their hearts and souls. I want to see a realistic portrayal of that kind of faith in a film. I would have loved to see Alma broken by her husband’s sin. I wanted to see her confront him and tell him that she still loves him. I wanted her to share her faith with him. The realistic response would have been for him to curse at her and storm out and then we could see the divorce happen just as it did, but instead we get the bigotry and disgust without any of the real love that Jesus commands. The closest we get is Jack’s mother loving Ennis in their shared grief and asking to see him again. I want to think the best of her, maybe she thought better of sharing her beliefs about Jack and Ennis’ lifestyle at this time but planned to do so soon after fostering a relationship.

Lee is right that we live in a very complicated world where talking about religion is difficult to do rationally. But that is just what we are called to do. Jesus wanted us to be salt and light. Salt, as in the stuff that we put on meat to preserve it. We are called to come into contact with the dirty and corrupt things of the world in order to bring the preservation of life. And where does a light shine? Do you use a flashlight in the middle of the day? No, the light’s purpose is to reveal what is hidden in the darkness. But that means that we must first be in the darkness in order for our light to be seen. Is this easy? Is this safe? Is this the kind of life that fits a stereotype? No, but we are not promised a good and comfortable life with all that we could ask for here. We are pilgrims passing through. This world is not our home.

In the end, Brokeback Mountain is a painful reminder that this world is broken and that sin is rampant. I wish we could have seen our protagonists have an opportunity for redemption, but in our nearly post-christian society perhaps the absence of a coherent voice of faith was the most realistic aspect of the film. It features some beautiful cinematography, and most likely some of the best acting of the year. However, I doubt that you will see it on my Best Movie Bracket for 2005. I hope that you can see that it isn’t because I’m a religious wing-nut or because I think God hates gays, but because I feel like there is so much missed potential in the film.

Synecdoche, New York, 2008 – ★★★★

From the insanely creative mind of Charlie Kaufman comes a film that I’ve seen labeled as the saddest of all time. This utterly unique filmmaker has given us Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Anomalisa. He is creative in a way that most filmmakers can only imagine and all of his stories are so deep and personal.

Synecdoche is not exception to that rule. This movie defies explanation, but it is the story of the life and love of a theater director. He is so absorbed in his own story that he keeps missing the stores of everyone else around him. Upon recieving a grant he decides to create a huge stage play upon which he attempts to tell the twisted story of his own sad life.

There are glimpses of genius on the part of Kaufman, the character which seems to be playing a version of him, and the actor playing that character (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He was such a sad loss for Hollywood as you could feel the emotion dripping off of him in this film.

This is not a movie that you will be able to “explain” or tie up in a neat little bow, it is beautifully melancholic, and emotionally rich. You don’t see movies like this everyday and it is amazing that we have one here.

There are nearly 13 million people in the world, none of them are an extra. They all play the leads in their own story.

Kaufman is here telling his own sad story and the only hope is that the play goes on and someone else takes the lead. That is a very dark silver lining. This film reminded me of the depths of sadness of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes who spoke of the futility of life under the sun, specifically life without God.

Kaufman is known for this bleak hopeless storytelling. It will force you to look for hope if you can find it or into despair if you can’t. Either way, it is a great film from a master of the medium.

Vía Letterboxd – mauldin8302

Good Night, and Good Luck – 2005 – ★★★★

“Good Night, and Good Luck” feels almost like a documentary of real events from the 1950s. How stunning it must have been to watch TV journalist Edward Murrow and his confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy. It is a political film, but it doesn’t feel preachy. It is a spectacular movie about television and the role of media in the communication of the news. It should stand side by side with other classics like “All the President’s Men”, and “Network”.

Murrow, played chillingly by David Strathairn, was there at the dawn of television journalism and he cast a mold that all serious news reporters have tried to fill ever since. This film was nominated for Best Picture in 2006, and received five other nominations but criminally went home with nothing. George Clooney was Oscar nominated for his co-writing and direction, his portrayal of the CBS studio is made even more realistic by the film being entirely in black and white.

I am a skeptic by nature and I agree with the film’s premise that we must learn to question things. Television can be a tool in this cultural skepticism when real journalism is taking place, but everything from advertising to our own shrinking attention spans has turned television into just another entertainment device. As Murrow says at the end of the film, “There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful. The instrument can teach, it can illuminate. Yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is merely lights and wires in a box.” The same could be said of the silver screen and the films that are produced by Hollywood. I’m glad that movies like “Good Night and Good Luck” still exist to do more than entertain but educate and enlighten.

Vía Letterboxd – mauldin8302

Edward Scissorhands, 1990 – ★★★★½

This is such a great movie with its stark contrasts and dark themes. It is perfect Tim Burton. This was Johnny Depp before his downward slide. I hadn’t seen this film in years and thought it would be a good watch for a family movie night. I had forgotten quite how dark it is.

I’m not sure how he did it, but Burton managed to make a beautiful allegory of an autistic man and his attempts to integrate into a harsh society. This was before anyone had published any works on or formally studied autism. I can only think that Tim Burton either is or is very close to someone who suffers on the spectrum. Let’s think about it…

He is very mechanical and somewhat cold in his interactions with people. The inventor teaches him social etiquette and encourages him to smile. He shows particular skill which astounds others similar to a savant. Despite his best efforts he hurts others and those mistakes haunt him like scars. He has an amazing capacity to love but society pushes him away because of his differences.

It really is an amazing story, but I’ve always felt like the characters are overly exaggerated and with this allegory in mind it makes sense. The characters are as Edward sees them, brightly colored symbols of the things that he cannot be. He expresses the desire several times through the film to be introduced to this absent doctor whom people are sure could help him. He wants to be a part of society but like the dark castle on top of the hill all he can do is sit in his childlike state and look out over the world wishing he could join them but forever trapped by the society them at the same time.

We are encouraged to be like the Boggs who loved Edward for who he was. They embraced his differences and loved him for who he was, and their world was forever changed because of him.

I’m sure I’m stretching this a bit, but I can’t help but think of Tim Burton placing himself in Edward’s shoes as he makes this film as a brilliant creative man who would be misunderstood.

Vía Letterboxd – mauldin8302

The Witch, 2015 – ★★★

I have mixed feelings about The Witch, directed by newcomer Robert Eggers.  It is an extremely well made 17th century period piece, with dialogue pulled directly from period documents, there is a sense of realism to the film. I don’t know where they found these child actors, but they absolutely nailed the dialogue. It seems as if they had been speaking old English their entire lives. The cinematography is quite good as well. The atmosphere was so natural and creepy.

Despite the technical proficiency and the rich atmosphere of the film, there were some problems that plagued the film for me. First, the mother is in hysterics throughout the film and berates every member of the family, including her husband. At one point, I wanted it to be her that made the deal with the devil? It didn’t seem natural for a wife in the Puritan setting to treat her husband like she does. Secondly, I think the witch was revealed to early in the film (even for a movie called The Witch). It could have built so much suspicion and tension as they begin to turn on one another. Finally, the last ten minutes was far too on the nose. I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending. instead, we got cheesy special effects and an interaction that was completely unnecessary. I have heard  lots of good reviews but I’m just not seeing how it is that special.

Vía Letterboxd – mauldin8302

Kubo and the Two Strings, 2016 – ★★★★½

Laika studios has brought us the best animated film of the year, and easily one of the best films of the summer. The stop motion and CGI animation is technical and beautiful. It’s easy to get lost in just the spectacle of the technical achievement. Never mind the characters, story and action which are also so great, this film feels like a wealth of riches. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to see the film.

If Laika continues to produce films of this quality, they could give Pixar a run for their money at being the best animation house. Kubo is definitely worth seeing this in the theater. I hate that it’s probably going to be overlooked for garbage like an unwanted Ben Hur remake and a movie about those rainbow haired trolls.

Vía Letterboxd – mauldin8302