I received this issue of Film Capsules by Dr. Ed McNulty as an EMail from the Presbytery of Cincinnati and thought it interesting to pass along as information for all who did not have an opportunity to see it. ~ R.Lowry
in this issue
Crazy Heart
The Book of Eli
The Lovely Bones
Dear John
Edge of Darkness
A Single Man
Tooth Fairy
Crazy Heart
Rated R . Luke 15:17a
Jeff Bridges is every bit as good as advertised in his role of Bad Blake, a hard drinking and whoring country western singer far along on the downward trajectory of his career arc.
Playing in bowling alleys and bars, he rises to the occasion when he is offered the opening spot of the younger singer with whom he had had a falling out, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell).
Earlier, while singing at a bar in Santa Fe he is interviewed by a reporter named Jean (Maggie Gyllinghaal). Over the next few days he becomes close to her and her 4 year-old son Buddy, but given his addiction to drink and casual sex, will he be able to "walk the line"?
Although similar to such films as Tender Mercies, the talented cast and bitter-sweet resolution set this film apart as a rewarding story of love and redemption.
The Book of Eli
Rated R. Romans 15:4
In this Western-Samurai-Post-Apocalyptic film Denzil Washington is like Clint Eastwood's character in his spaghetti Westerns--traveling alone, quiet-spoken around others, and seemingly harmless, until provoked-then, watch out.
The book that Eli is carrying on his mission to the west coast of the devastated America is just what you think it is. Because of his deep faith he prizes it for itself, but Carnegie (Gary Oldman), boss of the town that Eli stops over in, wants it for the power that he believes it will give him. When Eli refuses to join his gang or to hand over the Book, enough blood is shed to keep the Red Cross supplied for a year. Eli picks up the unwanted companionship of a female companion in the town, but during the long chase sequence she becomes a valuable ally.
Not for the squeamish, and yet the film compares well with the other recent film of its genre, The Road. The intriguing ending will remind you of Ray Bradbury's classic, Fahrenheit 451.
The Lovely Bones
Rated PG-13. Psalm 10:8
Peter Jackson directs this adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel about a young girl brutally raped and murdered, and who then narrates her story from a place somewhere between heaven and earth. The young actress from Atonement Saoirse Ronan plays 14 year-old girl Susie Salmon, and her performance is the best thing about this bizarre film.
Like those in ghost tales in which a dead person lingers around a former homes because of unresolved issues, Susie refuses an invitation from other murdered girls to journey along with them toward heaven because their serial killer lives right down her street undetected. The sometimes-confusing tale is an unusual take on unresolved murder, showing the effects upon the father, mother and surviving sister as well.
Aiming for a rating short of R, Jackson quickly moves past Suzies' awful death. Even though we know the outcome, he instills a great amount of suspense into the events leading up to her death, and even more in a scene involving her sister.
Dear John
Rated Philippians 2:3-4
It is well into the story, based on Nicholas Sparks' novel, before Army Ranger John Tyree (Channing Tatum) receives the infamous letter that gives the film its name.
A little before 9-11 he had been home on leave in Charlotte, SC when he had met at the beach the lovely coed entering her last year of college, Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried). She was home for summer, and though attached, quickly dropped her old boyfriend for John. She was not only beautiful (Aren't they all, even "Ugly Betty" easily beautified with the right hairdo and makeup?) By the time his leave is up and he is returning to Afghanistan, the two have vowed to marry when his term of service is over.
Then comes 9-11, and John follows the example of his buddies by re-enlisting. Savannah is not pleased, but maintains their relationship through a series of letters that we might call "dear John with a little d." Over several years there are a lot of changes, including some with a neighbor and John's somewhat autistic father, whom she often visits.
The critics have been unkind to the film, but those wanting a film that makes them feel warm and fuzzy might appreciate this tale in which war and national tragedy serve as a backdrop.
Edge of Darkness
Rated R. Romans 12:17-19
It has been 13 years since Mel Gibson played the suffering hero in Signs. (Well, of course, there is that Hero in a certain 2006 film, but he did not star in it, only directed it.)
Gibson plays Boston police officer Tommy Craven, happily welcoming home his daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic), a scientist working for a large corporation. She begins to develop nosebleeds and vomiting; he rushes to take her to a hospital, but when they open the front door, a man shoots her with his shotgun.
Thinking himself to be the target, Tommy sets forth to avenge Emma's death, his search taking him to the facility where she had worked and to a high level of the federal government as well. Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), a sinister British agent, flits in and out of his life as Tommy discovers that his daughter had become a whistle blowing member of an environmental group out to expose corporate and government wrong-doing.
Conspiracy theory lovers will enjoy this far too bloody for its own good romp that plays to our dark impulse to wreak double vengeance upon evil doers.
A Single Man
Rated R. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
George Falconer (Colin Firth), a transplanted Brit teaching literature at a California university, cannot recover from the loss of his life partner Jim in an auto accident. As he meticulously starts his day grooming his body and laying out his clothing, we wonder if this will be his last day because of the gun he places in his brief case and stops to buy bullets for.
Through his relationship with a male student and a fellow Brit who wishes that he could relate to her on a sexual basis rather than just friendship, we are given a peek at the life of a gay man striving to hold on in a largely hostile world-it is the early 1960s-not at all interested in understanding him. The best film dealing with this subject since Brokeback Mountain.
Tooth Fairy
Rated PG. Ezekiel 36:26
This somewhat silly attempt to raise belief in the Tooth Fairy to the level of belief in Santa Claus will be of interest mainly to those who want to see Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson dressed up in tights and a pink tutu.
In fact, I suspect that the story might have sprung from a story conference set up to create the next vehicle for the star of so many action films. Someone tosses out what he thinks is a crazy idea, only to be surprised that the others take him seriously.
Borrowing a lot from Miracle on 34th Street, they hit upon children's belief in the Tooth Fairy. In the story rugged hockey player Derek Thompson denies the Tooth Fairy's existence, almost spilling the beans to the little daughter of his girl friend. Because of this and an incident following a game when Derek disillusions a young fan, the head of the real tooth fairies summons him to wherever tooth fairies live and sentences him to two weeks service as a tooth fairy himself.
Although containing some of the usual "moral instruction" of such films, one would do well to wait until this film appears on AMC-no money wasted.
Film Capsules is the Rev. Dr. Ed McNulty's synopses of current films plus suggested scripture readings with similar themes. Ed, an honorably retired member of the Presbytery of Cincinnati shares his work at the request of those who attended the Ministers Retreat held in October 2008. Fuller descriptions and discussion questions are available by subscription at http://www.visualparables.net/.
