Top 10 Action Films!

"The King's Speech"

Title: "The King's Speech"

MPAA Rating: R (Although a PG-13 version was released.)
Director: Tom Hooper
Producers: I. Canning, E. Sherman, and G. Unwin
Editing: Tariq Anwar
Composer: Alexander Desplat
Starring:
- Colin Firth as King George VI
- Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue
- Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth
- Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII
- Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill

- Michael Gambon as King George V

Plot and Critical Review: Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V, stammers through his speech closing the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium. The Duke has given up hope of a cure, but his wife Elizabeth persuades him to see Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist in London. During their first session, Logue breaches royal etiquette and insists on calling his patient "Bertie", a name used only within the Duke's family. When Albert decides Logue's methods and manner are unsuitable, the Australian bets a shilling that the Duke can recite Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy without trouble while listening to loud music on headphones. Logue records his performance on a gramophone record; convinced he has stammered throughout, Albert leaves in a huff, declaring his condition "hopeless" and dismissing Logue. Logue offers him the recording as a keepsake.

After King George V makes his 1934 Christmas radio address, he explains to Albert the importance of broadcasting to a modern monarchy. He declares that "David" (Edward, Prince of Wales), Albert's older brother, will bring ruin to himself, the family, and the country when he accedes to the throne. King George demands that Albert train himself, starting with a reading of his father's speech. He makes an agonising attempt to do so.

Later, Albert plays Logue's recording and hears himself reciting Shakespeare without pauses. He returns to Logue, but he and his wife insist that Logue stop delving into his private life and merely work on the physical aspects. Logue teaches his patient muscle relaxation and breath control techniques, but continues to gently probe at the psychological roots of the stutter. The Duke eventually reveals some of the pressures of his childhood: his strict father, the repression of his natural left-handedness, painful childhood metal splints to correct his knock-knees, his first nanny, who secretly mistreated him, and the early death of his younger brother, John. The two men become friends.

Firth and Bonham Carter as the Duke and Duchess of York
In January 1936, George V dies, and David reluctantly takes the throne as King Edward VIII, but causes a monumental crisis with his determination to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American socialite and twice a divorcée. At Christmas in Balmoral Castle, Albert points out that Edward, as head of the Church of England, cannot marry a divorced woman; Edward accuses his brother of wanting to usurp his place, calling his elocution lessons preparation, and resurrects his childhood taunt of "B-B-B-Bertie".

At his next session, Albert expresses his frustration that his speech has improved while talking to most people—except his own brother. Albert reveals the extent of David's folly with Mrs Simpson. When Logue insists that Albert could be a good king, the latter calls it treason, mocks Logue's failed acting aspirations and humble origins, and dismisses him. When King Edward VIII abdicates to marry Mrs Simpson, Albert becomes King George VI. The new King and Queen visit Logue at his home to apologise, startling Logue's wife (who had been kept in the dark about the patient's identity).

During preparations for his coronation in Westminster Abbey, Albert learns that Logue has no formal qualifications. Logue explains he was asked to help shell-shocked Australian soldiers returning from the First World War, and thereby found his calling. When Albert remains convinced of his unfitness to be king, Logue sits in King Edward's Chair and dismisses the underlying Stone of Scone as a trifle. Goaded by Logue's seeming disrespect, the King surprises himself with his own sudden outraged eloquence.

Upon the declaration of war with Nazi Germany in September 1939, George VI summons Logue to Buckingham Palace to prepare for his upcoming radio address to millions of listeners in Britain and the Empire. The King is left alone in the room with the microphone, except for Logue. He delivers his speech competently, as if to Logue alone, who guides him silently throughout. Afterwards, the King and his family step onto the balcony of the palace, to be viewed and applauded by the thousands who have gathered.

-

Films that attempt to retell the story of an important moment in history tend to default to the "historic epic" formula; big production, big cast, big budget, and big advertising. Here we have a truly epic film, but one that doesn't rely on any of those elements; aside from big advertising, which almost all movies must do now-a-days.

While "The King's Speech" boasts an exceptional cast, the ensemble is considerably smaller than what we typically see in historical epics. Here we have 6 principal players, and one of them (Gambon) doesn't get much screen time, anyway. What drives the film (and what drove it to win 12 nominations and 4 Oscars - including Best Picture) is an irresistible plot. It's the same sort of plot that made "The Queen" and "Elizabeth" so enjoyable to watch; the telling of the lives of royalty in both their glory and weakness. This is a film I highly recommend to you. Please do not delay, for you'll not be disappointed.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Content To Caution:

V-.5 - No comment.
L-3 - Coarse language throughout, albeit mostly used in a therapeutic fashion.
DU-1.5 - Several characters smoke. People are seen drinking at parties and in social settings.
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-1 - No comment.
CH-1.5 - Some inappropriate jokes told.
S/N-1 - Mentioning of love affairs.

The "Reel Revelation": "Let's Hear It"

Just recently I had an in-depth and meaningful conversation with a very close friend. We covered a score of topics and, by the end, I felt we'd said a lot. Before we departed I thought to simply ask, "Is there anything else?" They simply responded, "No." I opted to ask one more question about something we had discussed earlier, and that one question opened up another hour of even more meaningful conversation! I was surprised (and delighted) to find that there was so much more that needed to be said, even though it had been initially restrained. Even though we had gone through many topics and points earlier on, we had "stuttered" when it came to saying the tough stuff. Have you ever had a conversation like that, when you "stuttered" as you tried to say what was most difficult?

I've only known one person that actually suffered from a speech impediment and stuttered. It wasn't an acute case, but when they did start to stutter they always took their time and said what they wanted to say as slowly and accurately as they could. They spoke better with an impediment than I do with all of my eloquence. I normally default to throwing as many words out as possible and hoping I get my point across. But I realize that, like everyone else, I stutter when it comes time to say what is most important. It takes us a couple tries to build up the courage to open up our hearts and put truest words on our tongues. Difficult as it is, defeating that "stuttering" and speaking in pure honesty and love is precisely what God is calling us to.

And what is it that we're defeating, if not a real speech impediment? Fear, and that's as real as it gets! By speaking the truth (and speaking it bravely!) we're defeating the fear that we won't be understood; fear that our ideas will be rejected; fear that our feelings will be ignored. We feel that fear in the business place, at home, in our relationships, and in our prayer life.

- Can I tell my wife that i'm upset with her?

- Can I tell my boss that I need a raise?

- Can I tell God that i'm angry at Him?

Yes, you can, and you should! You can say all those things and more by coming against the fear that's caused you to stutter in saying what is most true in your heart.

Consider St. Paul, a man who was called by God to share the Gospel through preaching and writing. We see St. Paul as a courageous figure because he was willing to face the fears and dangers that always surrounded his ministry. He knew that the message he carried in his heart - the Good News of Christ - was too important to hold back. He wasn't willing to let a little "stuttering" get in his way. But as great of an evangelist as he was, Paul endured the same sense of fear that we feel everyday. And just like Paul, God comforts and encourages us:

"And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent..." (Acts 18:9)

Hear those words in your own heart today, "Do not be afraid any longer." Remember also the words of King David who, also under the threat of death, wrote of His confidence in God. Not in his own strength (or in his own words, by which he often "stuttered" and stumbled), but in the strength of God's hand:

"The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the defense of my life;

Whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1)

If we should give into fear, let it be fear of God, that we should speak untruthfully and sin in trusting ourselves to say what is right. But let us be of "good courage" (2 Cor. 5:6) and say what we mean, what is true, what is loving, and what will continue God's work of mercy upon the earth.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

Top 10 Drama Films!

Thanks so much for watching, my friends! I am very behind, but am trying to make up for lost reviews whenever I can. Thank you for your patience. - E.T.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Title: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Michael Gondry
Producers: A. Bregman and S. Golin
Editing: Valdis Oskarsdottir
Composer: Jon Brion
Starring:
- Jim Carrey as Joel Barish
- Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski

- Kirsten Dunst as Mary Svevo
- Mark Ruffalo as Stan Fink

- Elijah Wood as Patrick Wertz
- Tom Wilkinson as Howard Mierzwiak

Plot and Critical Review: Emotionally withdrawn Joel Barish and unhinged free spirit Clementine Kruczynski strike up a relationship on a Long Island Rail Road train from Montauk, New York. They are drawn to each other on account of their radically different personalities.

Although they apparently do not realize it at the time, Joel and Clementine are in fact former lovers, now separated after having spent two years together. After a nasty fight, Clementine hired the New York City firm Lacuna, Inc. to erase all her memories of their relationship. (The term "lacuna" means a gap or missing part; for instance, lacunar amnesia is a gap in one's memory about a specific event.) Upon discovering this, Joel is devastated and decides to undergo the procedure himself, a process that takes place while he sleeps.

Much of the film takes place in Joel's mind. As his memories are erased, Joel finds himself revisiting them in reverse. Upon seeing happier times of his relationship with Clementine from earlier in their relationship, he struggles to preserve at least some memory of her and his love for her. Despite his efforts, the memories are slowly erased, with the last memory of Clementine telling him: "Meet me in Montauk".

In separate but related story arcs occurring during Joel's memory erasure, the employees of Lacuna are revealed to be more than peripheral characters. Patrick, one of the Lacuna technicians performing the erasure, is dating Clementine while viewing Joel's memories, and copying Joel's moves to seduce her. Mary, the Lacuna receptionist, turns out to have had an affair with Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, the married doctor who heads the company—a relationship which she agreed to have erased from her memory when it was discovered by his wife. Once Mary learns this, she quits her job and steals the company's records, then sends them out to all clients of the company.

Joel and Clementine come upon their Lacuna records shortly after re-encountering each other on the train. They react with shock and bewilderment, given that they have no clear memory of having known each other, let alone having had a relationship and having had their memories erased. Joel tries to convince Clementine that they can start over, but Clementine states that it could end the same way. Joel accepts this, and they decide to attempt a relationship anyway, starting their life together anew.

-

"Eternal Sunshine..." is both an enigma and something of a diamond in the rough. It's typically listed as a "romantic science fiction film", but it contains scenes/suggestions of fantasy, psychological intensity, and even time travel (through thoughts - not actual temporal displacement). It's hard to tell what this movie really is, but that's precisely why I (and so many others) have enjoyed it so deeply. Some films tell you up-front what they're about. "The Wild West" is probably going to be about cowboys, and "Comet Force 4000" will probably have something to do with space. Going in you know what to expect and, most of the time, you're probably going to feel alright about it. But here we're taken on quite the ride, even to the point where our sense of reality (within the film, that is) is questioned. Which way is up?! Are we moving forward in the story line? Backwards? Sideways?! It's dramatic, innovative, fun, and emotional.

Combined with an exceptional ensemble, tight editing, and truly inspiring direction, this is not only a "must-see", but a "must-see-over-and-over-and-over" until the heart of the movie is understood beyond the mental games it delightfully plays.

My Rating: 8/10

Content to Caution:

V-1 - No comment.
L-3 - Coarse language throughout.
DU-3 - One character is an alcoholic. Two characters smoke marijuana together.
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-2.5 - Psychological Thriller, after all..
CH-2 - Sexual jokes are made often.
S/N-2.5 - Sex is implied in several scenes. Some scenes contain partial nudity and/or characters exposing themselves.

The "Reel Revelation": "A Reminder to Remember"

Let's try something a little different this time...

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Cleopatra"

Title: "Cleopatra"

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Producers: W. Wagner and P. Levathes
Editing: D. Spender and E. Williams
Composer: Alex North
Starring:
- Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra
- Richard Burton as Mark Antony
- Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar
- Carroll O'Connor as Servilius Casca
- Roddy McDowall as Octavian, alias Augustus
- Martin Landau as Rufio
- Hume Cronyn as Sosigenes
- Andrew Keir as Agrippa
- Gwen Watford as Calpurnia Pisonis
- Kenneth Haigh as Brutus
- George Cole as Flavius
- Pamela Brown as the High Priestess
- Cesare Danova as Apollodorus

Plot and Critical Review: The film opens shortly after the Battle of Pharsalus where Julius Caesar has defeated Pompey. Pompey flees to Egypt, hoping to enlist the support of the young Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII and his sister Cleopatra.

Caesar pursues and meets the teenage Ptolemy and the boy's advisers, who seem to do most of the thinking for him. As a gesture of 'goodwill', the Egyptians present Caesar with Pompey's head, but Caesar is not pleased. As Caesar settles in at the palace, Apollodorus, disguised as a rug peddler, brings a gift from Cleopatra. When a suspicious Caesar unrolls the rug, he finds Cleopatra herself concealed within and is intrigued. Days later, she warns Caesar that her brother has surrounded the palace with his soldiers and that he is vastly outnumbered. Caesar is unconcerned. He orders the Egyptian fleet burned so he can gain control of the harbor. The fire spreads to the city, burning many buildings, including the famous Library of Alexandria. Cleopatra angrily confronts Caesar, but he refuses to pull troops away from the fight with Ptolemy's forces to deal with the fire. In the middle of their spat, Caesar kisses her.

The Romans hold, and the armies of Mithridates arrive on Egyptian soil. The following day, Caesar passes judgment. He sentences Ptolemy's lord chamberlain to death for arranging an assassination attempt on Cleopatra, and rules that Ptolemy and his tutor be sent to join Ptolemy's now greatly outnumbered troops, a sentence of death as the Egyptian army faces off against Mithridates. Cleopatra is crowned Queen of Egypt. She dreams of ruling the world with Caesar. When their son Caesarion is born, Caesar accepts him publicly, which becomes the talk of Rome and the Senate.

Caesar returns to Rome for his triumph, while Cleopatra remains in Egypt. Two years pass before the two see each other again. After he is made dictator for life, Caesar sends for Cleopatra. She arrives in Rome in a lavish procession and wins the adulation of the Roman people. The Senate grows increasingly discontented amid rumors that Caesar wishes to be made king, which is anathema to the Romans. On the Ides of March 44 B.C., the Senate is preparing to vote on whether to award Caesar additional powers. Despite warnings from his wife Calpurnia and Cleopatra, he is confident of victory. However, he is stabbed to death by various senators.

Octavian, Caesar's nephew, is named as his heir, not Caesarion. Realizing she has no future in Rome, Cleopatra returns home to Egypt. Two years later, Caesar's assassins, among them Cassius and Brutus, are killed at the Battle of Philippi. Mark Antony establishes a second triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus. They split up the empire: Lepidus receives Africa, Octavian Spain and Gaul, while Antony will take control of the eastern provinces. However, the rivalry between Octavian and Antony is becoming apparent.

While planning a campaign against Parthia in the east, Antony realizes he needs money and supplies, and cannot get enough from anywhere but Egypt. After refusing several times to leave Egypt, Cleopatra gives in and meets him in Tarsus. Antony becomes drunk during a lavish feast. Cleopatra sneaks away, leaving a slave dressed as her, but Antony discovers the trick and confronts the queen. They soon become lovers. Octavian uses their affair in his smear campaign against Antony. When Antony returns to Rome to address the situation brewing there, Octavian traps him into a marriage of state to Octavian's sister, Octavia. Cleopatra flies into a rage when she learns the news.

A year or so later, when Antony next sees Cleopatra, he is forced to humble himself publicly. She demands a third of the empire in return for her aid. Antony acquiesces and divorces Octavia. Octavian clamors for war against Antony and his "Egyptian whore". The Senate is unmoved by his demands until Octavian reveals that Antony has left a will stating that he is to be buried in Egypt; shocked and insulted, the Senators who had previously stood by Antony abandon their hero and vote for war. Octavian murders the Egyptian ambassador, Cleopatra's tutor Sosigenes, on the Senate steps.

The war is decided at the naval Battle of Actium. Seeing Antony's ship burning, Cleopatra assumes he is dead and orders the Egyptian forces home. Antony follows, leaving his fleet leaderless and soon defeated. After a while, Cleopatra manages to convince Antony to retake command of his troops and fight Octavian's advancing army. However, Antony's soldiers have lost faith in him and abandon him during the night; Rufio, the last man loyal to Antony, is killed. Antony tries to goad Octavian into single combat, but is finally forced to flee into the city.

When Antony returns to the palace, Apollodorus, not believing that Antony is worthy of his queen, convinces him that she is dead, whereupon Antony falls on his own sword. Apollodorus then takes Antony to Cleopatra, and he dies in her arms. Octavian captures the city without a battle and Cleopatra is brought before him. He wants to return to Rome in triumph, with her as his prisoner. However, realizing that her son is also dead, she arranges to be bitten by a poisonous asp. She sends her servant Charmian to give Octavian a letter. In the letter she asks to be buried with Antony. Octavian realizes that she is going to kill herself and he and his guards burst into Cleopatra's chamber and find her dressed in gold and her and her servant Iras dead while an asp crawls along the floor. Octavian is angry that she is dead and leaves. One of Octavian's guards asks dying Chairman if the queen killed herself well and Charmian answers, "Extremely well," and dies.

-

There are so many worthwhile details to share about this movie, but far too many to share here. I hope you'll permit me to copy and paste a few paragraphs from this film's Wikipedia page to give you a sense of how truly "epic" the production and cost (both financial and personal) of this film was.

The film is infamous for nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox. Originally budgeted at $2 million, the budget eventually totaled up to $44 million - the equivalent of $323 million in 2012 - dollars, still making the movie the most costly ever produced worldwide. This was partly due to the fact that the film's elaborate sets, costumes and props had to be constructed twice, once during a botched shoot in London and once more when the production relocated to Rome.

Filming began in London in 1960. Mankiewicz was brought into the production after the departure of the first director, Rouben Mamoulian; in the early stages of the project, before the casting of Elizabeth Taylor, Mamoulian is said to have favored African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge for the lead role. Mankiewicz inherited a film which was already $5 million over budget and had no usable footage to show for it. This was in part because the actors originally hired to play Julius Caesar (Peter Finch) and Mark Antony (Stephen Boyd) left due to other commitments. Mankiewicz was later fired during the editing phase, only to be rehired when no one else could piece the film together.

Elizabeth Taylor was awarded a record-setting contract of $1 million. This amount eventually swelled to $7 million due to the delays of the production, equivalent to over $47 million today. Taylor became very ill during the early filming and was rushed to hospital, where a tracheotomy had to be performed to save her life. The resulting scar can be seen in some shots. All of this resulted in the film being shut down. The production was moved to Rome after six months as the English weather proved detrimental to her recovery, as well as being responsible for the constant deterioration of the costly sets and exotic plants required for the production. (The English sets were utilised for the spoof Carry On Cleo.) During filming, Taylor met Richard Burton and the two began a very public affair, which made headlines worldwide. Moral outrage over the scandal brought bad publicity to an already troubled production.

The cut of the film which Mankiewicz screened for the studio was six hours long. This was cut to four hours for its initial premiere, but the studio demanded that the film be cut once more, this time to just barely over three hours to allow theaters to increase the number of showings per day. As a result, certain details are left out of the film, such as Rufio's death and the recurring theme of Cleopatra's interaction with the gods of Egypt. Mankiewicz unsuccessfully attempted to convince the studio to split the film in two in order to preserve the original cut. These were to be released separately as Caesar and Cleopatra followed by Antony and Cleopatra. The studio wanted to capitalize on the publicity of the intense press coverage the Taylor-Burton romance was generating, and felt that pushing Antony and Cleopatra to a later release date was too risky. The film has been released to home video formats in its 243-minute premiere version, and efforts are under way to locate the missing footage (some of which has been recovered). - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_(1963_film)

My Rating: 7.5/10

Content To Caution:

V-2.5 - Scenes of large-scale battle and hand-to-hand combat throughout.
L-.5 - No comment.
DU-1 - Some drinking. An oracle appears to be under the influence of hallucinatory drugs.
RT-x - No comment.
H/S-1.5 - Cleopatra consults with a witch. Caesar suffers from epileptic seizures.
CH-1 - No comment.
S/N-2 - Cleopatra is often seen in revealing or seductive clothing. Her servants and maids also wear revealing or "skimpy" outfits.

The "Reel Revelation" - "Inflation and Return"

I am always amazed when I read about how much money was spent on these epic films and, by applying inflation, how much it would cost to make them today. Consider the following statistics about some of the "epics":

"Cleopatra"

- Budget (Then-1963): $44 Million

- Budget (Now): $323 Million

"Ben-Hur"

- Budget (Then - 1965): $15 Million

- Budget (Now): $107 Million

"Gone With The Wind"

- Budget (Then-1939): $3.85 Million

- Budget (Now): $63 Million - $110,000 a week for Clark Gable's salary

That's serious money no matter what year you're in! When held up against the cost of producing such great films, inflation seems like more than a tracking of the "rise in the general price of goods and services in an economy." Through inflation we can see the value that was given to these films while they were being produced; we can see an investment made in good faith (faith, indeed, for there was no guarantee any of these films would become as legendary as they have) that the films themselves would live on. But what inflation doesn't show us is the revenue these films generated; only how great the initial investment was and how much it'd be today. It might be a stretch, but I imagine we experience a similar sense of "inflation and return" in our own lives. To put it to a question (as is my custom), what are the things in your life that you want to see a return on? What things do you expect a return on?

We've all gotten involved in projects that, when completed, seemed a grand waste of time. All of our hard work seems fulfilled when the project is over, then wasted when there's no return on our labor. Perhaps you've felt that way about your schooling, or career(s), or even relationships. All that work, commitment, and dedication for nothing. The thrill of achievement isn't enough. We long to be involved with something that, as the somewhat recent saying goes, "pay(s) it forward." Does every investment in life have to be a risk? Does every project have to end and leave us feeling empty? What can we sow into our lives that we know will grant a good return? Instead of sowing seeds, what about some fruit?

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5: 16-23)

Consider the "deeds of the flesh" and what sort of return they'll give you: Immortality will breed more immorality. Jealousy will lead to deeper jealousy. Anger will steal away your joy and break the relationships you cherish. Invest in your life by the flesh and you'll receive the return that is due to all flesh; death.

Consider the "fruits of the Spirit": Love multiples in itself...the more you love the more love you'll receive and, thus, be able to love more fully and completely. Patience gives way to deeper understanding and wisdom. Faithfulness makes your "yes" a solemn vow and strengthens your commitments. Self-control tempers you against sin and enables you to aid others in their struggles. Invest in your life through God's Spirit and you'll receive the return that is due to all who trust in God; everlasting life.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

Top 10 Animated Films

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

Title: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

Director: Michael Apted
Producers: M. Johnson, A. Adamson, and P. Steuer
Editing: Rick Shaine
Composers: David Arnold and Harry Gregson-Williams (Themes)
Starring:
- Skander Keynes as Edmund Pevensie
- George Henely as Lucy Pevensie

- Will Poulter as Eustace Scrubb
- Ben Barnes as King Caspian

- Simon Pegg as The Voice of Reepicheep
- Liam Neeson as The Voice of Aslan the Lion

- William Moseley as Peter Pevensie (Cameo)
- Anna Poppelwell as Susan Pevensie (Cameo)

- Tilda Swinton as Jadis, The White Witch (Cameo)

Plot and Critical Review: Three years after the events of Prince Caspian, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie are staying with their irritating cousin Eustace Scrubb. A magical painting of a ship on the ocean transports Lucy, Edmund and Eustace into an ocean in Narnia.

They are rescued by the Dawn Treader. Caspian invites them on a voyage to rescue the seven Lords of Narnia whom his uncle Miraz banished. In the Lone Islands, where people are sold as slaves, Caspian and Edmund are captured and imprisoned while Lucy and Eustace are sold as slaves. Caspian meets one of the lost lords, who reveals that the slaves are not sold, but sacrificed to a mysterious green mist. The crew of the Dawn Treader then rescue the four. The lord, who becomes the new governor, gives Caspian a sword originally given by Aslan.

At another island, Lucy is abducted by invisible Dufflepuds who force her to enter the manor of the magician Coriakin to find a visibility spell. Coriakin encourages the crew to defeat the mist by laying the lords' seven swords at Aslan's Table, but warns them that they are all about to be tested. Lucy recites a beauty incantation she found, and enters a dream in which she has transformed into Susan, and neither Lucy nor Narnia exist. Aslan chides Lucy for her self-doubt, explaining that her siblings only know of Narnia because of her.

Another sword is recovered from a magical pool that turns anything that touches it (including one of the lost lords) into gold. Meanwhile, Eustace discovers and steals treasure from a dragon hoard. While Edmund and Caspian look for Eustace, a dragon approaches and is driven away from the Dawn Treader. The dragon is Eustace, transformed by the enchanted treasure after succumbing to its temptations. Reepicheep befriends Eustace, and touched by the mouse's kindness, Eustace has a change of heart and becomes useful to the crew.

They arrive at Aslan's Table to find three lost lords sleeping. As they place the swords on the table they realize one is still missing. A star descends from the sky and transforms into Lilliandil, a beautiful woman who guides them to the Dark Island, lair of the mist, where they discover the last surviving Lord. Edmund's fear manifests itself as a monstrous sea serpent that attacks the ship. Eustace as a dragon fights the serpent, but Eustace is wounded by the last sword and flies away. He encounters Aslan, who transforms him back into a boy and sends him to Ramandu's island with the last sword. The mist tries to distract Edmund by appearing as Jadis, the White Witch. Eustace overcomes the mist and puts the sword on the table, awakening the three sleeping lords and destroying the mist and Dark Island; Edmund slays the sea serpent and they liberate the sacrificed slaves.

Eustace rejoins Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and Reepicheep, and they sail to a mysterious shore before a massive wave. Aslan appears and tells them that his country lies beyond, although if they go there they may never return. Caspian refuses, but Reepicheep is determined to enter, and Aslan blesses him before he paddles beyond the wave. Aslan opens a portal to send Lucy, Edmund and Eustace home, but informs Lucy and Edmund they have grown up and can never return to Narnia. Aslan encourages them to know him in their world by another name, and tells a reformed Eustace that he may return. The three enter the portal and are returned to the bedroom.

-

It is always difficult to put on screen what is already so well known in a book. In even attempting to adapt a text to a screenplay a filmmaker immediately wrestles with untold numbers of preconceived notions of visuals and well-established emotions and expectations. The most common phrase you're likely to hear after seeing a movie such as "Dawn Treader" will probably be, "They changed it from the book!" Unfortunately I was the one of the many that expressed the same sentiment after I saw this film in the theaters. While the heart of the text is maintained - and by "heart" I mean that they go on a voyage and eventually reach the border of Aslan's country - there are several sub-plots which greatly deviate from the direction and action of the original text. There was, for example, a mysterious fog in the book, but nothing that came close to the smoke monster-type villain portrayed in the film. While the presence of such an antagonist makes the film thrilling, much time is wasted on introducing the character, establishing the plot around it, and then dealing with it as the movie progresses.

Fox hoped to get past such strict criticisms by investing over $100 million in promotion and advertisement for the film. Their investment paid off as "Dawn Treader" became the 12th highest-grossing film of 2010, although it is the weakest of the "Narnia" series with respect to box office revenue. While it feels a more faithful return to the Narnian legend than "Prince Caspian", its departure from the source text leads me to rate it much lower than i'd like.

My Rating: 6/10

Content To Caution:
V-2.5 - Swashbuckling and fantasy-like combat. Glowing swords, too, but not like lightsabers or Sting.
L-.5 - No comment.
DU-0 - Wow!
RT-0 - No comment.
H/S-2 - There be dragons! And sea serpents! And smoke-type monsters!
CH-1 - Sailors telling sailors jokes.
S/N-.5 - You know...mermaids.

The "Reel Revelation": "Another Name"

"In your world I have another name. You must learn to know me by it. That was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me for a little here, you may know me better there." - Aslan to Lucy

By what name do you know Jesus? We know His earthly name and believe that it is above every other name (Phil. 2:9), but Jesus gave Himself names (or titles) by which we might know His divine attributes and different aspects of His love for us. Each name is like a window which opens on the person of Christ. Let's peer through some of those windows together.

Jesus said that He is the "Light of the World" (John 8:12):
- Do you believe Jesus can dispel the darkness in your life?

- Do you trust Jesus to show you the way, even when you can't see the road?

- Do you ask Jesus to help you guide those who are lost to His light? Do you ask Him daily?

Jesus said that He is the "The Way" (John 14:6):

- Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God?

- Do you trust that believing in Jesus will put you on the "narrow path" to Heaven?

- Do you ask Jesus to forgive your sins and keep you in "The Way"? Do you ask Him daily?

Jesus said that He is the "The Truth" (John 14:6):

- Do you believe that Jesus' words are true?

- Do you trust that Jesus' teachings are right for your life?

- Do you ask Jesus to teach you how to live in truth? Do you ask Him daily?

Jesus said that He is the "The Life" (John 14:6)
- Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and now lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit?
- Do you trust that, as He promised, Jesus will give us eternal life?
- Do you ask Jesus to help you during this life, that you might inherit the everlasting life to come? Do you ask Him daily?

Jesus said that He is the "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11):

- Do believe that Jesus can lead you into "green pastures"; better places for your life?

- Do you trust that Jesus is protecting you from harm?

- Do you ask Jesus to guide your life? Do you ask Him daily?

Jesus said that He is the "Living Bread" (John 6:51):

- Do you believe that Jesus will satisfy you beyond what things of the world can

- Do you trust that Jesus will give you everything you need?

- Do you ask Jesus to feed your soul with His Word? Do you ask Him daily?

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"Children of Men"

Title: "Children of Men"

MPAA Rating: R
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Producers: M. Abraham, E. Newman, I. Smith, etc...
Editing: A. Cuaron and A. Rodriguez
Composer: Sir John Tavener
Starring:
- Clive Owen as Theo Faron
- Julianne Moore as Julian Taylor
- Michael Caine as Jasper Palmer
- Claire-Hope Ashitey as Kee
- Danny Huston as Nigel

Plot and Critical Review: In 2027 worldwide female infertility has led to the collapse of society. The United Kingdom, the last known stable nation, is deluged by asylum seekers. In response, it has become a militarized police state as British forces round up and detain immigrants. Kidnapped by an immigrants rights group known as "The Fishes," former activist turned cynical bureaucrat Theo Faron is brought to its leader, his estranged wife Julian Taylor. The couple parted ways after their son died from a flu pandemic in 2008. Julian offers Theo money to acquire transit papers for a young female refugee named Kee, which Theo obtains from his cousin Nigel, a government minister. However, the papers require the bearer to be accompanied, so Theo agrees to escort Kee in exchange for more money. Luke, a Fishes member, drives Theo, Kee, Julian and Miriam, a former midwife, towards the coast to a boat. They are ambushed by an armed gang and Julian is fatally shot. Two police officers stop their car, but Luke kills them and the group escapes to a safe house.

Kee reveals to Theo that she is pregnant, and that Julian told her that she should trust only him. Julian had intended to hand Kee over to the "Human Project", a group of scientists dedicated to curing infertility, supposedly based in the Azores. However, Luke proposes keeping Kee in England and she agrees to stay. That night, Theo awakens and eavesdrops on a meeting of Luke and other members. He discovers that Julian's death was orchestrated by the Fishes so they could use the baby as a political tool to support the coming revolution. Theo wakes Kee and Miriam and they steal a car, escaping to the secluded hideaway of aging hippie Jasper Palmer, a former political cartoonist and Theo's friend. A plan is formulated to board the Human Project ship Tomorrow which will arrive offshore from the Bexhill refugee camp. Jasper proposes getting Syd, a camp guard, to smuggle them in. The Fishes trail the group to Jasper's hideout, but Theo, Miriam, and Kee get away. Jasper stays behind to buy them some time. Before the Fishes arrive, he gives the government-issued suicide drug Quietus to his catatonic wife. A horrified Theo witnesses the Fishes gun him down before escaping. Later, they meet Syd, who transports them to Bexhill as prisoners. When Kee begins having contractions on a bus, Miriam distracts a suspicious guard with mania and is taken away.

At the camp Theo and Kee meet Marichka, who provides a room where Kee gives birth to a girl. The next day, Syd locates Theo and Kee and informs them that a full-scale war between the army and the refugees including the Fishes, has begun. After seeing the baby Syd threatens to turn them in but they attack him and escape. Amidst the violent clash between refugees and British troops, the Fishes capture Kee. Theo tracks Kee and her baby to an apartment building which is under heavy fire from the military and escorts her out. Awed by the presence of a baby, the combatants stop fighting momentarily, enabling them to escape. Marichka leads them to a boat in a sewer. As Theo rows away, he reveals to Kee that he was shot. They then witness a full-scale aerial bombing of Bexhill by the Royal Air Force and Kee tells Theo she will name her baby Dylan after Theo's dead son. Theo loses consciousness and Kee begins to sing a lullaby, as the Tomorrow approaches through a fog.

-

In 2006, "Children of Men" was joined by the films "Blood Diamond" and "Brokeback Mountain"; all of which portrayed social fractures (or human behavior) with intense drama and/or action. It seemed to be the year for that sort of film. Even the music-driven "Walk The Line" told the story of legendary country-singer Johnny Cash in a glaringly honest light. Even though "Children..." was set in the future and, thus, somewhat dismissed as having provided any real social commentary, it still holds a mirror up to our world and bravely asks, "Could we be like this someday? Is this what our world is coming to?"

Visionaries like Gene Roddenberry tried to paint pictures of the future in which mankind moved beyond greed, power, and the desire for dominion. Others offer us images such as we see in "Children..."; images of future societies in which our principal freedoms are challenged, refused, and eventually crushed. Here we ask ourselves if we're simply watching a story or looking into what is ahead for our global society. When the credits roll are we brave enough to ask ourselves, "What can I do?" These movies bravely suggest what our world might become if we don't.

My Rating: 8/10

Content To Caution:
V-3.5 - Intense violence but lesser amounts of blood and gore.
L-4 - Strong profanity throughout.
DU-2 - Some drinking and smoking. One character grows marijuana and shares it with others.
RT-? - Difficult to rate Racial Themes. There's very little direct racism, but there are large groups (and even cultures) that are opposed to new life.
H/S-3 - No comment.
CH-2 - No comment.
S/N-x - A character reveals herself. An intense birthing scene shows partial nudity.

The "Reel Revelation": "That's A Long Shot"

If you've seen "Children of Men" you might recall there being several rather lengthy single-shot sequences. Simply put a single-shot sequence is a scene or sequence of scenes in which the camera never pans or cuts away from the action; it all happens in one continuous frame. "Children..." contains at least three single-shot sequences of note; the scene in which Kee gives birth (around 190 seconds), the car-chase scene (250 or so), and Theo's mad dash through the city streets in the midst of a battle (450ish seconds). We don't even really perceive that they're single-shot sequences the first time because there's so much action and the film as if it's dashing from one shot to the next, but we are in fact held in one frame for the entire sequence of events.

These single-shot sequences weren't thrown together. The city-battle scene reportedly took 14 days to plan and around 5 hours to prepare (the set) to shoot. Can you imagine...14 days to prepare a 7.5 minute shot. And if anything went wrong...if the slightest detail was missed or the cameraman took one step in the wrong direction it took 5 hours to reset the set to shoot again. Can you imagine all of that planning, time, and money lost because of the smallest error? Sounds a bit like some of the plans we set up for our own lives.

Have you ever been in such a situation? Can you think of a time when you spent countless hours (or days or weeks or month or who knows how long!) planning and preparing for something special only to have it fall apart? What caused things to go awry? A mistake you made? Someone's interference? A missed detail? And how did you cope with the disappointment when things fell apart? How did you comfort yourself when you realized all of that time and energy had been wasted? How we handle the end-result of a dashed plan is a choice we make after the fact, but what we do before we start to weave those plans can make all the difference. Remember the wisdom offered up in Proverbs:

"Commit your works to the LORD

And your plans will be established." (Proverbs 16:3)

And again...

"The mind of man plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

And one more for good measure...

"Many plans are in a man's heart,

But the counsel of the LORD will stand." (Proverbs 19:21)

Do you see the theme? If we opt to devise the plans for our lives by ourselves we'll be walking on thin ice. If we set out and try to plan our lives according to our own desires and inclinations we'll be (potentially) walking away from what God desires for us. Which desire is greater? Which desire will yield a greater reward? Which desire will produce the fruit of righteousness and holiness in our lives? Of this distinction Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness..." (Matthew 6:33).

God desires your good. He loves you and desires for your life to be full and overflowing with His blessings. And He desires for you to reach that point of "overflow" under His direction. We couldn't find the way ourselves, no matter of a compass we think we've got.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

"A Bridge Too Far"

Title: "A Bridge Too Far"

MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Richard Attenborough
Producers: J.E. Levine and R.P. Levine
Editing: Anthony Gibbs
Composer: John Addison
Starring:
- James Caan as Staff Sargeant Frederick "Boy" Browning
- Michael Caine as Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur
- Sean Connery as Major General Roy Urquhart
- Elliott Gould as Col. Robert Stout
- Gene Hackman as Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski

- Anthony Hopkins as Lieutenant Colonel John Frost
- Robert Redford as Major Julian Cook
- Laurence Olivier as Dr. Jan Spaander
- Maximillian Schell as Commanding Officer of II S.S. Panzer Troops

Plot and Critical Review: September 1944. The Allied advance is being slowed by overextended supply lines. U.S. General George S. Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery have competing plans for ending the war quickly, and being the first to get to Berlin. Under political pressure, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower chooses Montgomery's "Operation Market Garden."

Operation Market Garden envisions 35,000 men being flown 300 miles from air bases in England and being dropped as much as 64 miles behind enemy lines in the Netherlands. The largest airborne assault ever attempted. As Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning says, "We're going to lay a carpet, as it were, of airborne troops. We shall seize the bridges - it's all a question of bridges - with thunderclap surprise, and hold them until they can be secured."

Two divisions of U.S. paratroopers are responsible for securing the road and bridges as far as Nijmegen. A British division, under Major-General Urquhart is to land near Arnhem, and take and hold the far side of the bridge at Arnhem, backed by Polish paratroopers under General Sosabowski. XXX Corps are to push up the road to Arnhem, as quickly as possible, over the bridges captured by the paratroopers, and reach Arnhem two days after the drop.

After the Market Garden command briefing, General Sosabowski voices his deep doubts that the plan can work. American commander General Gavin worries about parachuting in daylight.

British commanders are alerted that they are short on transport aircraft and the area near Arnhem is ill-suited for a landing. They decide to land in an open area eight miles from the bridge. Some at the briefing are surprised they are going to attempt a landing so far from the bridge, but they have to make the best of it. General Urquhart tells that the key for the eight mile distance from the drop zone to the bridge, is the use of gliders to bring in Jeeps. Browning lays out that if any one group fails, the entire operation fails. The British officers do not question the orders, but Sosabowski walks up to check the RAF briefing officer's uniform insignia and says "Just making sure whose side you're on."

The general consensus among the British top brass is that resistance will consist entirely of "Hitler Youth or old men.", but young British intelligence officer, Major Fuller, brings reconnaissance photos to General Browning showing German tanks at Arnhem. Browning dismisses the photos, and also ignores reports from the Dutch underground. Browning does not want to be the one to tell Montgomery of any doubts because many previous airborne operations have been cancelled. Major Fuller's concerns are brushed off and he is removed from duty.

British officers note that the portable radios are not likely to work for the long distance from the drop zone to the Arnhem bridge amid the water and trees of the Netherlands. They choose not to convey their concerns to those in command.

At the XXX Corps briefing, the overall plan is outlined, laying out the bridges that will be taken by the paratroopers, held and then secured by ground forces. Speed is the vital factor, as Arnhem must be reached within 2–3 days. It is the crucial bridge, the last means of escape for the German forces in the Netherlands and an excellent route to Germany for Allied forces.

The airborne drops catch the Germans totally by surprise, and there is little resistance. Most of the men come down safely and assemble quickly, but the Son bridge is blown up by the Germans. Model, thinking that the Allies are trying to capture him, panics and retreats from Arnhem. However, soon after landing, troubles beset Urquhart's division. Many of the Jeeps either don't arrive by gliders at all or are shot up in an ambush. Their radio sets are also useless, meaning no contact can be made with either paratroopers moving into Arnhem or XXX Corps. Meanwhile, German forces reinforce Nijmegen and Arnhem.

XXX Corps' progress is slowed by German resistance, the narrowness of the highway and the need to construct a Bailey bridge to replace the destroyed bridge at Son. The XXX Corps is able to move onto the Graves bridge without much resistance, but is halted at Nijmegen. There, soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division perform a dangerous daylight river crossing in flimsy canvas-and-wood assault boats. The river crossing is successful and the Nijmegen bridge is captured. The Germans close in on the isolated British paratroopers occupying part of Arnhem at the bridge. British armour continues to fight its way up the corridor, but is delayed by strong German resistance.

After securing Nijmegen Bridge, XXX Corps waits several hours for its infantry forces to finish securing the town. Finally Sosabowski's troops enter the battle. They attempt to reinforce the British in Arnhem, but fail. They are only able to get a few men across to reinforce the British. After days of house-to-house fighting in Arnhem many of the paratroopers are either captured or forced to withdraw. Operation Market Garden has failed.

-

"A Bridge..." wanted to be the "The Longest Day" of its time. No expense was spared as the most popular actors of the time were assembled to form a "mega-cast." The producers hoped that this would increase the quality of the film's acting and bring many people to see it for the sake of their favorite actor. With such a decorated cast they felt certain to hit audiences across the board. Strong as their casting might have been, no one could have anticipated the content of the film would become so contested.

When we watch movies about WWII we expect the good guys (Allied Forces - normally US military) to win in the end. "The Longest Day", "The Thin Red Line", and "Saving Private Ryan" all feature plot lines that end in Allied victories, even if at a great cost in the way of soldiers' lives. And then there's "A Bridge Too Far" which is about, if nothing else, a seemingly fail-safe mission that became a complete embarrassment to the Allied Forces. This film doesn't pull any punches in displaying the ignorance and pride of Allied commanders. The public gave up $50 million at the box office, but the Academy and many of the cinematic boards refused the film awards (even nominations) because it showed a failure on the part of the "good guys."

My Rating: 7.5/10

Content To Caution:

V-4 - Intense battle and war-related violence throughout.
L-4 - I guess they were upset about something...
DU-1.5 - Many soldiers drink and smoke. One character is always seen with a cigar in his mouth.
RT-1 - No comment.
H/S-2 - No comment.
CH-1.5 - Boys telling boys jokes.
S/N-.5 - No comment.

The "Reel Revelation": "A Moment Of Silence"

"Would five minutes be too much? Just five minutes respite. Dear God, grant these young men die in peace and quiet."

Do you recall this scene from the film? After the majority of the battles had been fought many of the wounded soldiers were relocated to a makeshift hospital in a large home the Allied forces had claimed as a command center. The family that lived in the home was forced to take shelter in a small room underneath a stairwell. After the mother of the family put her children to bed she opened the door and looked out upon a room full of soldiers both wounded and near death. The sound of cannon-fire faded and she asked God to grant those soldiers a quiet and peaceful death

Our world is loud. We've become accustomed (and this conditioned) to an unbelievable level of volume around us. Television sets in the home, radios in our vehicles, and mp3 players everywhere in between. But what we're hearing isn't just music or the news; it's noise. Have you ever noticed how much noise there is around you? Or, do you ever notice how little quiet there is?

On an average day here are some of the things i'm most likely to hear in my office:

Alerts from my phone

The AC system turning on and shutting off and turning on again

The printer in the rehearsal room turning out copies

Doors opening and closing

Folks stopping in to chat

Music

The wind (and rain and hail) against the windows

The buzz of the fluorescent bulbs overhead

Traffic

Sirens of emergency vehicles

The phone ringing

Choirs rehearsing

A random kid banging away on the drum set

And the list goes on. I don't hear all of those sounds at the same time, of course, but sometimes it seems like it! And yet i'm able to sit at my desk and complete my tasks as if I was sitting in the middle of a wrecking yard. Even though there's so much sound around me I barely seem to hear it; that's how used to it I am. I really notice the noise (or the absence of it) when I walk at night or awake early in the morning and there's no sound but the whisper of the wind and my feet on the pavement. It's during those moments I feel I am most aware of myself, my thoughts, and God's presence.

It would be heretical to say that God isn't in the "noise", for Jesus came into our noisy world and was even sentenced to death by our screaming. We are able to fellowship with God in a busy and noisy world, but there seems to be a very deep connection between a heart of prayer and silence. We remember, for example, that Jesus told His disciples to "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place..." (Mark 6:31) and that He Himself went way to a "secluded place" (Luke 4:42) when He needed to be alone for prayer and rest. If Jesus needed to get away to a silent place to pray, ought we follow suit?

If you were to pray and ask God to help you find five minutes of quiet time today, would you know it when it arrived? Would you be willing to sit in stillness for five minutes and offer your heart to Christ? Could you shut out the volume of the world and be with Jesus for just five minutes? Make that your aim today and for the remainder of this Lenten season. Find the time. Make that time. Ask God to help you to know when it arrives. Find that "secluded place" and be with Jesus. His voice will be the sweetest sound of all.

See you tomorrow - E.T.

P.S. - I'd like to dedicate this review to my Dad. We've shared a love of war movies for a long time and "A Bridge..." is one we've enjoyed over and over again.

Top 10 War Films

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1N07ABdX8 - Check it out!

Had to upload through YT this time as FB has a 20 minute cap on video uploads. Just click on the link above and you'll go right to the video.

"The Box"

Title: "The Box"

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Richard Kelly
Producers: R. Kelly, D. Lin, and Sean McKittrick
Editing: Sam Bauer
Composers: W. Butler, R. Chassagne, and O. Pallett
Starring:
- Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis
- James Marsden as Arthur Lewis
- Frank Langella as Arlington Steward
- Gillian Jacobs as Dana/Sarah Matthews
- Deborah Rush as Clymene Steward
- James Rebhorn as Norm Cahill

Plot and Critical Review: In 1976, Norma and Arthur Lewis, a financially strapped couple, awake to find a package on the doorstep. Inside the package is a locked wooden box with a button and a note that reads: "Mr. Steward will call upon you at 5:00 pm." Promptly at five, Steward, a middle aged, facially disfigured man, arrives. He tells Norma that if the button is pushed he will give her one million dollars, but someone in the world whom she does not know will die. After much deliberation Norma pushes the button on an impulse. Meanwhile, many miles away, the police are called to investigate a report of shots being fired, only to discover that the man who lived in the house, Jeffrey, has killed his wife and fled, leaving his daughter locked in the bathroom. Steward returns to give Norma and Arthur the money, informing them that they will not know the person who next receives the offer.

At Norma's sister's wedding rehearsal dinner Arthur wins a chance to select a present from a pool provided by the guests. He sees a plain brown box that looks exactly like Steward's box. He opens it to find a photo of Steward before his disfigurement. Arthur asks Norma's father, a police officer, to run the license plate number of Steward's car.

After returning home, Arthur drives the babysitter to her house. She acts strangely, telling Arthur to "look into the light" to solve his problems. Her nose begins to bleed, and she passes out. Later, at a supermarket, Norma is approached by a woman who tells her to look up a certain. Separately, Norma and Arthur visit the library. Arthur approaches a woman he learns is Steward's wife, and she leads Arthur to a room that has three coffins made of hovering water. Two lead to eternal damnation, while the other leads to salvation. Arthur enters one of the gateways. Norma is led by two women to Steward, who informs Norma that he was struck by lightning and can now communicate with "those who control the lightning". Steward asks Norma what she thought the first time she saw him. Norma explains that she felt love for him because of her own foot disfigurement. Stewards looks mildly surprised and asks her to grab his hand. She does and wakes up, finding herself back at home in her bed. Above her, Arthur hovers within a rectangular water module that suddenly bursts.

Back at the NSA, the NSA Chief and Arthur's boss from NASA are discussing Steward. They say he was struck by lightning and died shortly after; but, hours later in the morgue, a nurse heard Steward laughing. He was transferred to a military hospital where his body seemed to regenerate faster than normal, with cellular degeneration halting.

At the wedding reception of Norma's sister, Arthur is forced to leave the reception at gunpoint by the wife-killer Jeffrey, who is, in fact, a former NASA employee. Shortly after, Norma and their son Walter are kidnapped. Jeffrey he reveals to Arthur that he had been forced to choose between his wife and his daughter. He also shows Arthur the Human Resource Exploitation Manual seen in the pictures earlier, which contains, among other things, a diagram of the three water portals. Meanwhile, NSA employees are seen rounding up large groups of people, including Walter, and leading them into enormous portals of water similar to the ones at the library. Steward is overseeing the process; by his side are several boxes, identical to the one he had given Norma. Through a discussion with one of his subordinates, the boxes are revealed to be part of an experiment, conducted by "those who control the lightning" to learn whether the majority of the human race is capable of putting other peoples' lives before personal gain. If the results of the test show that the majority of subjects push the button, the human race will be exterminated. Steward also reveals that all the test subjects are couples under 40 years of age with one child.

Arthur and Norma return home and find Steward, who offers them a final choice. Their son Walter is now deaf and blind, as a result of being taken underwater at a motel swimming pool, and locked in the upstairs bathroom. They can either live on with their million dollars and their disabled son, or Arthur can shoot Norma through the heart, at which point Walter's sight and hearing will be restored and the money will be placed in an interest-bearing bank account for Walter, to be given to him on his 18th birthday. The couple runs to the upstairs bathroom where they can hear their son struggling and calling for them, but he cannot hear them calling back to him. Norma refuses to see her son suffer, and begs Arthur to shoot her. Arthur agrees, and, as he shoots his wife, another couple far away pushes the button on their box. The police arrive and arrest Arthur, while Walter regains consciousness and calls out. As Arthur is taken from his home, Steward leaves the other couple's house. NSA agents and Arthur's boss arrive at Arthur's house. Arthur's boss assures Arthur that his son Walter will receive good care. Arthur is taken away and Walter is shown through an upstairs window in the home with his grandfather standing behind him.

-

Unfortunately there's nothing out of the ordinary or especially interesting here. I won't say I dislike the film, but I won't say that i'm going to recommend it to you. In the end I was left with the sense that there could have been much more development in the A-Plot instead of all the wanderings in weak B and C-Plot lines. Did we really have to go through all of those nosebleeds?

What is special about this movie is the curtain of mystery that's drawn around Steward, his wife, and those Steward controls. Even at the end of the movie we're not sure what they're really about and if their initiative is for good or ill. Was Steward in the service (here we see the irony in his name, of course) of aliens or the divine? "Those who control the lighting" says so much and so little. It's that sense of lingering suspense that almost always satisfies.

My Rating: 5/10

Content To Caution:

V-2 - Some fist fights and scuffles...but why so many nosebleeds?!

L-1.5 - No comment.

DU-2 - Drinking and smoking throughout.

RT-.5 - No comment.

H/S-3 - Supernatural and psychological suspense throughout.

CH-2 - Some adult humor.

S/N-1.5 - No comment.

The "Reel Revelation": "Truth: The Game Changer"

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31b-32).

Jesus says it so simply and with such clarity; "the truth will make us free". Simple as it is, do we openly receive this sentiment? It is almost too good to be true. Almost. But it is true; truth is a game changer. In coming to know the truth (and especially the truth of God revealed in Christ) we learn who we are, whose we are, and what God has purposed for us during this life. We discover more about ourselves and of God than we ever could have by our own devices. Whatever life we were living before will be altogether changed when we encounter the truth of God's love. It changes us. Not only does it "make (or set) us free", it shows us the way into deeper knowledge of God and righteous wisdom. We find discover deeper and more profound truths as our relationship with Jesus, who called Himself "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). But no matter the depths to which we go in seeking out God's truth, the truth has one consistent attribute; it "makes us free."

Recall what Mr. Steward said in "The Box", that he "came into contact with those who control the lightning." That single line - as truthful a line as he'd spoken the entire movie, albeit somewhat enigmatic - shook up the entire film! Up until that point we didn't know much about Mr. Steward aside from fragmented (and not altogether trustworthy) facts about his past in the military. But he finally offers us a genuine insight (the truth) and it rocked the whole plot of the film. The characters finally came to know him for who he was - for what he was! - and responded to him differently as a result. Isn't this how God's truth affects us?

When Jesus says "You are...", His words reach out and seek to change the perception we hold of ourselves. When Jesus says "You will...", His words challenge us to a certain behaviors that might be foreign to us, but will ultimately fulfill His will for our lives. When Jesus says "I am...", He is expressing an aspect of His character that He wants us to understand. When you love someone you want to come to know them in a deep and profound way. You want to understand the truth of their life. Do you desire to know Jesus in the same way?

Jesus' words are game changing for our lives! They move us in new directions and call us to a new way of life. Every day they summon us to be more than what we are or what we think we can be; they call us to be like Our Lord in every way. Are you willing to allow God's Truth to be "game changing" in your life during this Lenten season? Are you prepared to listen to Him and, having discovered the Truth of God in Christ, follow His words? This is the cost of discipleship. The reward is finding the truth, knowing it, and living a life "set free" in God's grace and love.

See you tomorrow - E.T.