Noah Review

         
          I recently saw the new Noah movie. Here's what I thought. Yes, the movie, as predicted, and as expected, was incredibly unbiblical. I did not go into the movie expecting something very biblical knowing the director's past work. I thought as a stand alone movie, it was ok. I got a little bored at times. I don't think people should get upset about this movie though. Personally I think it is doing more good than it is harm. At no point during the film did I think the director was trying to trick me into thinking that it was biblically accurate and that this was how the story actually happened. The director even said in interviews that his purpose was not to make a biblical movie. He finds the bible story to be fascinating, and decided to tell his own verson. It seemed to be a movie that had many biblical truths mixed in with fantasy.           
           It surprised me with how many redeeming qualities the movie had. Some of the most important redeeming qualities are at the end. I have found, that because of this movie, many people are doing something that they were not doing before...discssing biblical accuracies, and getting interested in a story that has never been brought to the big screen in such a way. 
         Many people will watch the movie, and think that a lot of it is incredibly fantastical, and turn to the bible to see if that's the way it happened. The movie was beautifully directed, acted, and composed. It demonstrated in an incrdibly effective way how far gone mankind was at that time, and the need for the great flood. If you go into this movie with the mindset that you will like it if it is biblical, and condemn it if it is not...then it is not for you. I went into the theatre knowing that it would not be accurate to the Bible, and came out pleasantly surprised. I would describe it more like a fantasy adventure, with biblical connotations. It is not exactly one for the whole family...and if I had any little ones who did not know the story of Noah, I would not take them to this movie thinking they will be well educated. I think the movie opens many doors for discussion, and mostly positive discussion.
        It woud not be right for us as Christians to try and encourage everyone to boycott a film like this. It definitely has it's flaws, but I believe that the outcome is more positive than many people know. Probably the one thing that bothered me the most, and would probably bother most people, is the way that the movie portrayed the character of Noah. Over the course of the movie he came off as a heartless extremist...but without giving too much away, I think they mended it in the end with redeeming dialogue that made the whole movie come together. Be prepared for some very bzarre change to the Bible story that we know, but keep in mind that most people will find it bizarre, and that is why it can't be taken as a straight up biblical epic. I am by no means saying this was an amazing movie, but it definitely deserves a chance, and paves the way for some positive outcomes.

The Blair Witch Project

   Finally got around to watching The Blair Witch Project because I was bored.....I don't understand what the big deal was. I was reading trivia about the movie and how it cost $22,000 to make....and how it took them a "mere 8 days to shoot the film". I don't know why they had to pay 22,000 dollars to make a homemade video of people getting lost in the woods. The only thing it has going for it is that it was the first of it's kind...and I guess you could say it was suspenseful....but usually movies give you a reason to feel suspense.....the suspense in the blair witch project was you literally waiting for something...anything, to happen. I thought the movie was supposed to have a popular ending...I won't spoil it in case people are out there like me who just never got around to watching it....but I'll tell you right now...it's probably in my top 10 worst movie endings of all time. Nothing to write home about. The only redeeming factor is that because of the way it was filmed, a lot of the actors reactions to different situations are genuine...but I mean...prepare yourself for an almost 2 hour movie about some ignorant kids who get themselves lost in the woods, and then stand around crying about it when they should be on the move. Two thumbs down.

Giving Superman a chance

    People these days are too fast to disregard Superman as a boring Superhero with no "real" problems. The most common argument being that his powers are simply unstoppable causing him to be a one sided character. This is usually why he loses when people have the great Batman/Superman debate, trying to argue why the other is better. Well, I am not writing this today to try and convince you that Superman is better than Batman. Personally I don't see why that is even a debate due to the fact that they are both so different and unique in their own way. They should just Not be compared. I want to restore Superman to his former cultural greatness, which I have no doubt the new Superman movie will do. But before it does, I want to be able to say, "I told ya so!"
   Before we get too far into this, I want all of you comic book geniuses out there to know that I am looking at this topic at a purely cinematic viewpoint. I am not an expert in comic books like my brother is. I never delved into them like many people do. I am not writing this to get die hard comic book fans angry and throw a hissy fit about why my opinions are wrong because I haven't read the comics.
    Superman is tremendously more interesting than people give him credit. Superman has always been what the world needs. An unrelenting force for what is moral and right. For a hero to be the symbol of what is good, obviously he will need to be equipped with the greatest powers imaginable to hold the evil at  bay. Superman was sent to Earth by his father Jor-el not only to save his son from the Armageddon of Krypton, but to protect the human race. Superman has more responsibility than any other superhero because of how powerful he is.
     Let's talk a little bit about the past Superman movies. I loved the 1978  Christopher Reeves Superman movie. Reeves was a perfect example for how future actors should portray Superman. People are too quick to judge this movie because of how poor the special effects are. What makes this a fantastic movie is Reeves, the score, and the simply excellent story.  The relationship between Superman and his earthly father is touching and realistic. After he loses his earthly father, Superman goes through a transition and understands his purpose on planet earth. Another complaint I hear about this movie a lot, is about the fact that Superman turns back time to save Lois by flying so fast around the earth that he makes it rotate west instead of east long enough for Lois to be alive again, and then her simply flies in the other direction around the earth so that all is back to normal. Yes yes, Harty har har. We get it, so ridiculous right? Well, try looking at it this way and  it won't seem so ridiculous. This is the hard part, pretend for a minute that if the earth were to rotate in the opposite direction, we would go back in time. Now, love is one of the most powerful forces in the world. A mother can lift a a 4,000 lb car to save her child's life out of love. Can you imagine what Superman could do for Love? If a mother can perform an almost super human act of strength, imagine what Superman could do. Yes the effects are crappy...But, no matter how silly it seems, I think that this ridiculous display of power was perfect for the Superman movie.
     The next Superman movie I want to address is Superman Returns. This movie came out in 2006 and is still being scrutinized for what many consider to be a failed attempt at a more modern Superman movie. I think it was a mistake for the movie to be a continuation of the old superman movies, but their hearts were in the right place. One of the biggest complaints was that this movie had an overwhelming amount of plot and character development, and no action, with below par acting. Although these things may be correct, people fail to see all of the things this movie did right. They really pushed for the movie to be true to the old Christopher Reeve's Superman. They cast someone who looked like Reeves, and they had several shout outs in the movie referencing to the original. The score to Superman Returns is amazing. They kept the original John Williams score, but enhanced it and added some other themes composed by John Ottman. The music was true to a Superman movie, and worked wonderfully with each scene. This movie excellently captures who Superman is as a person. In this movie, Superman has returned to earth after being gone some years to search for the planet Krypton, or at least, what was left of it. Because he had left without saying goodbye, Lois Lane is scorned, and has found a new boyfriend along with writing a newspaper article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman". Basically because he left her, she is going to pretend he's an awful person.  Superman also finds out later that she has a son. Anyways, there is a superb scene in the movie where Superman is talking to a very uptight Lois Lane and convinces her to go flying with him...not that it takes much convincing for a woman to go flying with Superman. In this scene they fly above the city and this is the dialogue that takes place. Superman: What do you hear?  Lois: Nothing   Superman: I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but ever day I hear people crying for one....I'm sorry I left you Lois.------Now, trust me this scene has a more powerful effect when you see it in the movie. This scene shows how human Superman really is, and how he never asked to have responsibility for the entire world. If Superman Returns had too much plot and characterization...that's because the story of Superman DOES need a lot of that. It's imperative to the story that is Superman. Superman can't have normal relationships because he has the whole world to care for.
     The story of Superman is like the story of Jesus. God (Jor-el) sent his only son(Superman) to save the people. Jor-el: "You will carry me inside you, all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father the son. This is all I... all I can send you, Kal-El." That is one of the reasons why Superman is such a fascinating character in literature. Now I hope the next time you consider whining about how dull Superman is, you will consider some of these aspects. I'm sure the new Superman movie will deliver new-found love of Superman across the country. If it doesn't, it probably means they have failed and I will be incredibly disappointed. Saying all of that, I would like to end on this song, for I feel is sums up Superman very well.So go ahead, copy and paste, and enjoy---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q896lBPRC60
   

Oz The Great and Powerful

       Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi,(Spiderman trilogy, The Grudge) hits its mark, but will not make as big a splash as The Wizard of Oz did when it hit the big screen in 1939. Oz is a prequel to the original, telling the story of how the wizard came to Oz and the events leading up to the issue of the Wicked Witch of the West wreaking havoc on the people of Oz, an issue that is dumped upon poor Dorothy to deal with in the original.  The movie starts off in black and white in Kansas, just as The Wizard of Oz does, and transitions into "glorious technicolor" when entering into the wonderful land of Oz. Okay, well, it's not "technicolor", but I couldn't resist.
      The movie throws out several instances that are intended to remind people of the original, but all in all this movie is completely original and stands on its own two feet. When I saw the land of Oz for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the special effects, and thought it looked more like Alice in Wonderland than Oz, and was about ready to give up on the movie since so many movies have been ruined due to the overuse of special effects these days. But the complete ridiculousness was short-lived, and the effects were toned down.
     I really enjoyed the actors in this movie, even if this was not some of their best performances. I like James Franco, and Mila Kunis, but both of them had their awkward moments in this movie. Franco has been hit or miss recently, and this role was teetering on the edge. But in the end it worked well for him. I really loved Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz's performances. They both embodied their characters incredibly well.
      One of the biggest problems I had with this movie is that it seemed hard to tell if this would be a good movie for the family or not. It's rated PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language. Many of the scary moments I would think would be much too scary for little children, and give them nightmares and complexes on top of complexes. Seeing the movie in the theatre with children would be a poor choice. Many instances are meant to make you jump...and the wicked witch is the classic green hag that would scare the socks off of any child. And none of the witches had a problem with flaunting their feminine qualities. I would say this movie is good for children no younger than 9 or 10. 
     Overall, I thought this movie was very enjoyable, and family friendly enough for what it is. Many children were frightened of the original....and those same children will be frightened of this movie. It could have been cut down 20 minutes or more, but I wouldn't say it gets incredibly slow at any given point. It delivers a good message that people can learn from, and will be a fun ride for most people. So go ahead and enjoy Oz The Great and Powerful!
      
      

Oscar Nominees

Best Actress in a supporting role: Amy Adams, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Jacki    Weaver      Best Picture: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty Best Actor in a Leading Role: Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhané Wallis, Naomi Watts          These are all of the oscar nominees this year, and this is what I am predicting/hoping will be the outcome for each. Of course, one can never tell with the Oscars when movies like No Country for Old Men win Best Picture. My predictions--->  Best Picture: Argo  (Rooting for Djano Unchained, but I can't picture the Academy ever picking a Tarantino movie.) Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis.  Best Actress: Jessica Chastain.  Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway.
Reasons: In regards to best picture, I am guessing Argo because of the historical aspect, and the general talk circulating the movie. I have to admit I have not seen it myself. It's going to be close between Argo and Lincoln. Had The King's Speech not won last year's Oscars, I might have said Les Miserables, but I do not think the Academy will give Best Picture to the same director as last year. Best Actor is really up in the air for me. I would not be surprised if Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Jackman, or Bradley Cooper won. They all did very well. At first I was leaning toward Bradley Cooper because he has not had his time in the spotlight yet, but we'll see how things pan out. I chose Jessica Chastain for Best Actress because of all the attention she has been getting recently. The movie The Help really put her on the map, and it's been gravy ever since then for her. She gives a very solid performance in Zero Dark Thirty, and is really the driving force in that movie. When it comes to Supporting Actress, I choose Anne Hathaway, hands down. If there is anything I am sure about with these Oscars, it's that Hathaway will walk away with supporting actress.
I chose a very bad Oscars to make predictions for. The competition is incredibly stiff this year. It has been an amazing year for movies and actors.Obviously there are many different categories I did not cover, but these are the important ones. I would usually cover Best Original Score, but this year I just don't know enough about the music in the movies that were nominated for that.Sometimes the Oscars can be a huge disappointment because of the lack of quality movies they have to work with. This time that is definitely  not the case. I am not sure on any of my predictions(excepting supporting actress). I would love to see Django Unchained win Best Picture...but that's in a perfect world. Either way, It would be very difficult for even the Academy to screw this one up.

Les Miserables

   The beloved musical that shook the world of theatre has finally made it's way to the big screen, and after the results of the film, one might wonder, what on earth took them  so long? Being a theater person myself, I was excited to see another musical made into a movie. It's been a while since they have had a really successful musical to movie released, the last being, in my opinion, The Phantom of the Opera.
   The way Les Miserables was filmed was entirely original and had Oscar written all over it. The camera work was fresh and a relief from the same old techniques of filming movies. There were several instances where a "fish lense" was used to give the movie a different sort of perspective. What really made this movie stand out though, was how brutally real it was. For the first half of the movie, whenever an actor was finished singing a solo and there was silence....you  could hear a pin drop in the theatre. Nobody wanted to be the person who coughed during the silence, let alone breathe. There was a very nerve wracking feel to the first 30 minutes of the movie. Many of the solos in the movie were filmed using close-ups of the actors. It was incredibly effective, and set the tone of the film excellently.
   Anne Hathaway played the character of Fantine in the movie, and I am surprised to report that she did an excellent job. I do not like Anne Hathaway. I have not liked Anne in a very long time because of  all her work after her disney movies. I never see any personality on screen other than her own annoying self. However, her portrayal of Fantine was superb, and in my mind, will undoubtedly win her best supporting actress at the Oscars.The cast was wonderful all around, except for Russel Crowe's inability to sing, and the inability of the audience to watch the character of Marius sing for long intervals of time. His facial expressions were just too bizarre and distracting.  The director, Tom Hooper, did a wonderful job of integrating special effects and actual sets. Some movies use too much CGI (computer generated imagery), and some just don't use enough. Les Mis successfully used the right amount of both.
    I found the movie to be beautifully made, and successful in holding the attention of the audience. This can be a difficult feat for many musicals because let's face it....a lot of musicals have that one song we all wish just didn't exist. For the most part, Les Mis managed to avoid this issue. And for the people who don't know, when it comes to movie musicals, this one was groundbreaking in the sense that every song was sung live by the actors, on set. Up until this movie, every musical has had actors previously record their songs, and then lip sync to them when filming. I thought this new freedom of singing live was very effective for the actors, and definitely embellished the experience. There were definitely times when the actors exercised this new-found freedom too much, and simply acted their way through a song when they should have been focused on the right tune...or focused on making it sound like a song. This problem was fairly rare, but did show itself a couple times.
    It will always be important for a movie that's a musical to understand the difference between a musical reality, and actual reality. People do not break out in a made up song that everyone around them just automatically knows. It's important to maintain the same reality throughout the movie. If you try and make a musical too much like actual reality...then the two will clash and make for moments. I only bring this up because Les Mis was definitely on the verge of clashing, but managed to avoid it for the most part. Overall I thought it was a wonderful experience that will keep you singing Les Mis songs for a very long time. This movie has definitely set a bar for movie/musicals, and it will not be so easily topped.

Django is definitely, "off the chain"!

      For some people, "wow", is the only word that comes to mind when describing a Quentin Tarantino movie. And it's not surprising in the slightest. Tarantino's most recent film, Django Unchained, is no exception. Ever since I had seen Tarantino's Kill Bill, I have been anxiously waiting for him to direct a spaghetti western. Many of his films include aspects of classic spaghetti westerns, particularly in his directing style and the music he chooses to use. He often uses themes composed by the great Ennio Morricone, whose music influence in the western genre has been unprecedented. Django Unchained is a harsh story of slavery, love, and revenge. And he definitely does not hold back on the revenge aspect.
         If you have never seen a Quentin Tarantino film, I would suggest watching some of his previous movies before diving headfirst into this particular one. Being  huge Tarantino fan, I was not disappointed in the slightest with Django. Tarantino continues to excel in surprising the audience and giving them an in depth story that is both engaging, and shocking. There will be several instances of laughing heartily and then thinking to yourself...wait a second, should I have laughed at that? He accomplishes what no other director can in that he gets to the heart of the dialogue in movies. Every conversation in the movie is funny, shocking, heartbreaking and emotional. One thing is for sure..whether you like the movie or not, it will keep your attention all the way through. This has to be either the first or second most violent Tarantino film I have seen. The violence is of course over the top and ridiculous, nothing that is actually meant to be taken seriously. Django Unchained has a delightfully entertaining feel to it that will leave any avid movie goer satisfied.
          The slavery aspect of the story gives a gritty look at our nation's past, without holding back  the cruelty that was slavery. A controversial area of the movie is in the constant use of the "n" word. As controversial as it may be, it is a realistic look at how shameful times were in those days. This movie is definitely not one for the whole family, and maybe not even for you and the wife because of some male nudity in the movie. It's very extreme by nature, and will leave some audience members angry at the humor in the movie that often times pokes fun at very heavy material. But once again, this is how Tarantino has always operated. Tarantino has this unparalleled gift to find the humor in any situation no matter how dark, and still manage to make a movie that is 100% serious and Oscar worthy.
          Much like in his film Inglourious Basterds, where Tarantino (spoiler alert) rewrites history and has Hitler brutally murdered, ending the world war as we know it and sticking it to the Nazis, Tarantino sticks it to the white slave owners. He builds them up to be a great eveil, and then has the slave Django rise up and stick it to the slavers. The movie is riddled with classic quotes that will surely not be forgotten. Tarantino continues to surprise me with every film of his that I watch. He is original and definitely a one-of-a-kind director. If you are a squeamish person, I would not suggest watching this movie. With Tarantino you've just gotta roll with the punches. I loved this movie and can't wait to see what Tarantino pulls out of his sleeve next.