Tag: Faith

ORDINARY ANGELS – Review

As the news gets darker and more depressing, a triumphant “against the odds” inspired by true events underdog story may be just the cure for the late Winter doldrums. And that’s exactly what this week’s new movie promises…and pretty much delivers. It’s an ode to the “help your neighbor” spirit of small-town America (not that it’s completely absent in the bustling cities). Plus there’s a bit of spirituality (right in the title) along with some folks overcoming their own personal struggles. And as a bonus, this marks a most welcome return of an actress to the big screen, in a wide release, after earning a second Oscar almost twenty years ago. In a new “real-life” role this extraordinary actress becomes the leader of a group of ORDINARY ANGELS.

The film’s story doesn’t start with her, though. Instead, we’re in the hospital room as Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson) meets his new daughter, Michelle, as his wife Theresa (Amy Acker) beams with joy. But five years later in 1993, that light has dimmed from her face in her final moments in that hospital, as Ed tearfully says goodbye. Across town, in a raucous Louisville, Kentucky honkytonk bar, Sharon Stevens (Hilary Swank) is being “over-served” as her friend and partner (they co-own a hair styling salon), Rose (Tamala Jones) becomes more concerned. Cut to the next morning as Sharon wakes up in her bed, but doesn’t recall getting there. While mixing up a “breakfast bracer’, she’s surprised by the sight of Rose in her apartment living room. She insists on taking her to an “AA-style” meeting. Sharon doesn’t contribute (there’s no booze problem), but perks up when someone says that you need a “reason in life”. Stopping off for a six-pack, she finds that “reason” on the front page of the paper via a photo of Michelle (Emily Mitchell) and the headline stating that she’s in dire need of a kidney transplant after losing her mom. She swoops in, first “crashing” the funeral (in her tavern “attire”), then stopping in at the Schmitt house and stunning Ed and his mother Barbara (Nancy Travis) with over three grand in cash from a marathon cutting event at her salon. But that’s not the end of the visits from “Auntie Sharon”. She’s going to save the family from drowning in a sea of medical debt, Ed’s grateful but his pride is soon hurt by this “aid”, though his mother’s fine with it. But could Sharon be making Michelle her new “addiction” while not dealing with her alcohol reliance? And could all her efforts be for naught as the little girl’s health worsens during the long wait for a new kidney?

So yes, this is a big “for reals” return to the big screen (I’ll not count the dismal “potboilers” of the last couple of years, FATALE and THE GOOD MOTHER which landed on their respective year’s worst lists) of the gifted Ms. Swank. Sharon is an “acting meal” for her and she devours it voraciously, from the first “barfly” scene to the big dramatic finale. With her piercing eyes, we just know that she’ll melt any “cold heart’, though we understand when her “determination” can be grating to those she’s helping. But Swank is most powerful as she shows us the “dents” in Sharon’s armor, especially as she fails in re-connecting with her own offspring. It’s a real showcase for a talent who has been underused in the last decade or so. And as Sharon’s “pet project” rising star Ritchson (earning praise for the Amazon Prime “Reacher” series) conveys a real “working class” dignity as the battered but unbeated Ed. For much of the first act his furrowed brow cuts through his fog of grief until this woman storms into his days of despair. He doesn’t know quite how to respond until he finally has to erect some boundaries. This leads to an emotional release as the physically intimidating Ritchson allows us to see Ed’s anguish. As his faithful but worried mother, Travis is an excellent “sounding board’ for Ed’s conflicts, while using her nurturing spirit to nudge him onto the right path. Giving the film its dramatic urgency is the achingly adorable Mitchell as Michelle who truly shines in scenes with her older sister played with great warmth by Skywalker Hughes. And kudos to the bold, brassy, and wise performance by Jones as the BFF we all hope to have in our lives.

Director Jon Gunn keeps the script by Kelly Fremon Craig and Meg Tilly (yes the star of THE BIG CHILL and other 80’s classics) moving and establishes the setting very well (few cell phones in the mid-90s “heartland”). Certainly, he does hammer at our heartstrings (Michelle asking for Mommy), but it never gets overly sentimental, thanks to the bits of comedy concerning the “steamroller” Sharon (I kept thinking of the classic SCTV parody, Edith Prickley in “Gangway For Miracles”). Still, the dramatic momentum is sparked too often by a sudden malady (yellow eyes, coughing red) prompting another downbeat hospital visit (“Wanna go on an adventure?”). And the theme of “renewing faith” is inserted with subtlety. The film’s promoters are marketing this as an uplifting “tear-jerker’ and it delivers on that promise, though much of it has the feel of a basic cable TV movie offering. However, the work of the talented, hard-working cast led by Ms. Swank provides the wind beneath the wings of these ORDINARY ANGELS.


2.5 Out of 4

ORDINARY ANGELS is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE – Review

Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy) and Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) in THE BOOK OF CLARENCE. Courtesy of Sony

Director/writer Jeymes Samuel seems to have been inspired by those Hollywood’s long tradition of epic Biblical movies, like BEN HUR and THE ROBE to try his own version of those big-screen extravaganzas mixing Bible stories with adventure and action for THE BOOK OF CLARENCE – but with a big comic twist. With a plenty of humor, some social commentary and with a mostly Black cast playing the Jewish population of “Lower Jerusalem” in 33 A.D., Jeymes Samuel aimed to create a new, entertaining version of this venerable movie genre. The result is a movie with one foot in something like BEN HUR crossed with Monty Python’s LIFE OF BRIAN, with a touch of Mel Brooks’ HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1. THE BOOK OF CLARENCE is a cinematic creation that teeters precariously and unevenly between the wisecracking and the reverent, sometimes making head-spinning switches from one to the other.

Often, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE does hit the mark on comedy, and even on social commentary. It also often hits the mark on the touching and gentle faith-inspired moments. It is in putting those two together in one movie where this movie hits rough patches.

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE both honors the classic Hollywood Biblical epic and sometimes mocks it, a film with both faith and low comedy. It opens with wonderfully-ornate classic Hollywood titles to introduce its chapters, and the film has high-quality production values, with fine sets and costumes, so that it evokes the epics that inspired it. Further, it has an excellent cast, led by the gifted LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, and including Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.

Clearly, Jeymes Samuel comes at this production from a place of sincere faith but just as clearly he wants the audience to have fun, laugh, and be entertained. But the humor, which tends to low-brow, and the serious, which leans to sentimental or touching, don’t often mesh in this movie. Low comedy in the style of Mel Brooks is hilarious and fine on its own, but it doesn’t work in every movie story, especially one that strays into the sentimental or touching. The two just clash here.

It is an ambitious project and a tough balancing act to pull off, and Samuel deserves credit to the attempt, even if the mix of humor and faith doesn’t always work, sometimes whip-lashing from a serious scene to a joke with head-spinning speed. with a movie that seems often off-balance. Still, for the right audience, one willing to ignore that uneven tone and whiplash shifts, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE’s underlying sincerity might come through.

Like in LIFE OF BRIAN, this story is set in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, and the central character, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), is someone who is continually mistaken for Jesus. But in this case, it is not an accidental case of mistaken identity. No, Clarence is a con-man, a non-believer who deliberately creates that confusion, with faked miracles and the aim of gathering donations from a crowd of followers.

Like BEN HUR, there is a chariot race, in this case the opening scene where Clarence and his buddy  Elijah (RJ Cyler) attempt to win a chariot race to win a big cash prize, bankrolled by a local tough guy called Jedediah the Terrible (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), They lose, leaving Clarence in debt to this loan shark.

But this 33 A.D. Jerusalem is full of Messiahs, something that makes the Romans rulers nervous, fearing it is a lead-up to rebellion. Clarence is an ambitious young man, hoping to be “somebody” and struggling under the ruling Romans’ thumb like everyone else and a host of personal problems. Ironically, he loses that opening-scene chariot race to the fiercely independent woman (Anna Diop) he is secretly in love with, who also happens to be the sister of that loan shark to whom he now owes money. Clarence is also the twin brother of Jesus’ apostle Thomas (also Stanfield), who looks down on his never-do-well twin, while Clarence resents his brother for abandoning their sick mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) when he left to follow Jesus, leaving Clarence to nurse her back to health.

Director Jeymes Samuel clearly knows the Gospels well but has no problem playing around with the Jesus story to suit his film. Clarence lives in economically depressed “lower Jerusalem” and the residents of Jerusalem are played by a mostly Black cast, while the Romans are played by white actors. Although we see what appears to be Hebrew writing on the signs and walls, there is no mention of Jews or Judaism.

The humor tends to be low-brow and sometimes even slapstick, like when Clarence meets Jesus’ mother Mary (Alfre Woodward) and pointedly quizzes her about being a virgin, resulting in a slapstick scene. That style of comedy is hard to integrate with more serious or reverent scenes. Some serious scenes are touching but others are melodramatic or too pat, which also does not help matters.

The film is filled with familiar Biblical figures. Nicholas Pinnock plays Jesus, while David Oyelowo plays a hyper-critical John the Baptist and Omar Sy plays a superhero type Barabbas, who becomes Clarence’s pal. James McAvoy plays a chilling Pontius Pilate, rounding up all those roving Messiahs, while Benedict Cumberbatch plays a beggar covered in dirt and rags, who gets a makeover and a bath, transforming him into the Renaissance image of Jesus, with the expected adoration results.

BOOK OF CLARENCE has plenty of problems, including not quite being able to decide if it wants to be a comedy or a more serious film about faith and belief. But in a movie world of re-makes, re-boots, sequels and prequels, one has to give Samuel credit for doing something fresh.

In a movie world of re-makes, re-boots, sequels and prequels, I want to give Samuels credit for doing something fresh. But if you come to THE BOOK OF CLARENCE looking for a revival of the classic Hollywood Biblical epic, you may be disappointed. If you come for comedy and action only, you also may be disappointed. However, for some audiences, more willing to just go with the movie’s shifts of tone and style and embrace it for the quirky, faith-based thing it is, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE may be just the funny, inspiring, quietly reverent film they are looking for. It isn’t everyone but there may be an audience for this sincere cinematic if offbeat effort.

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE opens Friday, Jan. 12, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN – The Review

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How far does your faith stretch? If you’ve never considered your answer to that question, I highly recommend watching Katrin Gebbe’s NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN. The writer and director’s feature-film debut is a powerfully poignant meditation on that very question. This recommendation, however, comes with a warning of great caution. You are likely to be offended, but this is perfectly fine.

This German film’s original title is “Tore tanzt,” which translates in English to “Tore dances.” Tore, being the film’s central character, is played by Julius Feldmeier. Tore is a pale, lanky teenager who somewhat resembles Napoleon Dynamite. In an effort to find meaning and purpose in his life, Tore joins a religious group in Hamburg, Germany who refer to themselves as The Jesus Freaks. Tore is perfectly at home amidst the group, but it is apparent he is truly a lone sheep existing within a pack of wolves.

As Tore discovers the flaws and inconsistencies within The Jesus Freaks, he grows slightly disconnected but remains in denial of the truth. In the process, Tore finds what he hopes will be a refreshing reprieve with a local family. After helping to repair Benno’s car, Tore is invited to join them for a meal. Benno, played by Sascha Alexander Gersak, seems like a friendly, generous man at first, but does not subscribe to Tore’s spiritual philosophy, which proves only to be the beginning of their differences.

The upside of encountering Benno proves to be Tore’s meeting his step-daughter Sanny, played by Swantje Kohlhof. At first presenting herself as a typically cynical teen wrought with attitude and discontent, Tore somehow brings out a lighter, more caring version of herself, likely to have been oppressed since about the time Benno entered her life. Tore finds himself driven to save Sanny from the devastating physical and emotional abuse she endures from Benno, while constantly impeded by the inconsistent insecurities of Sanny’s mother Astrid, played by Annika Kuhl.

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN is a film so thoroughly drenched in negativity and cruelty that the spiritual optimism of Tore fighting to retain his faith beyond all odds is often unbearable. While Benno’s onslaught of inhumanity comes on slowly, he’s relentless in his mission to emotionally cripple Tore, purely out of spite. Benno has no logical reason to hate Tore, but seems to actually enjoy subjecting him to one demeaning and monstrous ordeal after another. In this, Tore becomes something of an enlightened superhero of ordinary origins.

Despite the unsavory subject matter and the relatively tasteful depictions of despicable acts portrayed on screen, Gebbe somehow manages to invoke a sense of warmth and intimacy that sets the audience up for gentler slap to the face. The cinematography delves into a bleak but inviting yellowish color palette and the freely moving, natural camera puts the audience in the presence of Tore’s experience. We may not always want to be present, but that’s part of the unpleasant appeal of the film.

Gersak’s performance is subdued and withdrawn, making his brand of evil that much more unsettling. In his mind, whether conscious of it or not, his actions are perfectly acceptable. As a result, it seems he is able to fool everyone around him, except for Tore and Sanny. Feldmeier’s performance is also subdued. Tore is the yin to Benno’s yang. The are alike but contrary, like the proverbial superhero has his arch-nemesis. With Tore, we understand his drive and feel his struggle through his eyes as he struggles to maintain his strength and composure, whereas Gersak’s eyes accentuate the cold nature of the sociopath.

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN, as the tile of this film, may be a perfect summation of Tore’s mindset, but is also perhaps the more literally ironic in recent years. I predict this will be a film the audiences will either love or hate. Few will be able to watch this film objectively, as intended — I believe — and in doing so forces the viewer to confront their own sense of morality. Despite the initial setup and context, NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN is not a film about God or religion, but is a triumphantly successful exploration of human nature and its opposing extremes.

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN is currently playing in select theaters.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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BAD THINGS – Short Film Review

Writer/director Miles Trahan (IN DREAMS — 2009 Short Film) delivers BAD THINGS, a seven-minute short drama about two guys dumping a dead body in the woods. Wait… scratch that. This films not just about two guys disposing of a corpse. Sure, that’s what actually takes place on screen, but the devil is in the details, as they say.

BAD THINGS opens on two men, Peter (played by Ryan Castro, NEVER TOO LATE) and Paul (played by Justin Serrano), both in white shirts covered in blood removing a dead man from the trunk of their car. Peter and Paul carry on about faith and God, karma and redemption, taking two opposing viewpoints on the subject of understanding it all… the easy way, and the hard way.

The pleasant, peaceful setting of the woods in autumn daylight and birds chirping, contrasts with the darker deed being done. While the natural assumption would be to assume the two men are killers, Trahan presents the story in a way that does not answer the question for us… the audience is left thinking at the end of the film, wondering what’s really transpired in the time before the film begins.

I found myself rewatching BAD THINGS 3, 4 then 5 times, desperately trying to pinpoint tiny hints that may lead to an answer, to some better insight into Peter’s character and his uncertainty. Paul is calm and collect, while Peter is torn apart by what has transpired. The dialogue is what shines brightest in BAD THINGS, telling a story that is multi-layered. This is a film that requires the audience to read between the lines, refusing to hand over a clean, simple ending all wrapped up in pretty paper.

BAD THINGS is shot in a single location, over one extended period of time. The film begins as abruptly as it ends, and equally as open to interpretation. The HD-SLR video, shot by Iain Browne, looks great and the audio is equally crisp, complimenting the dialogue-driven story. Trahan shows a greater understanding of film as a thought-provoking art form, and I look forward to seeing his horizons expand into equally riveting subject matter.

I’m drawn to films such as BAD THINGS, films that make us think, not just about the story itself but of higher concepts. I’ve always felt philosophy and film are perfect bedfellows, a perfect artistic means to a greater end. Trahan’s film exemplifies this, but also further proves my point that the best cinema is often the least spectacular cinema. In other words… a picture may say a thousand words, but the right picture only needs to say a few.

Visit Magnificent Waste to view BAD THINGS, and for more information about the movie, the cast and crew. BAD THINGS can also be found on Facebook.