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Reviews
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Go See this movie for yourself!!
About an hour ago I experienced a showing of The Passion of The Christ at a movie theater in Plano, Texas. You've probably already heard a lot and maybe read some about this film. As with any movie, I always say see it for yourself before you decide. After having seen this movie, I say that no matter what you think or feel right now, See It! You owe it to yourself to see the truth for yourself. Don't just listen to what people say but go see it.
I am honestly so overwhelmed I don't know where to start. It is violent - it is realistic and hard to watch, but there is so much in that film that the media and the opponents to the film will not tell you about. This movie is all about LOVE. God's love for us. You will see scenes from the last supper, sermon on the mount, Jesus's everyday life and you will read (because it is subtitled) about his love for us, the reason he came to live and die for us. This film is Mel Gibson's interpretation but it is very Biblical. The truth is there - the whole truth - the beautiful and the ugly truth.
You will see the beauty of Jesus and the beauty of his love for us. You will see the beauty of a mother's love for her son and her God, friends who love Jesus and stand by his side. You will also see the beauty of Satan who is present in this film as he is present in our everyday lives. There are scenes when he smiles and looks longly at you - tempting Jesus, tempting you.You see the beauty of this world and the people who want to be kind to Jesus. You can see it in their eyes that they understand who Jesus is and they love him.
You will also see the true ugliness of this world. The blood will catch your attention, but it is the angry crowd, the frightened disciples running away, the Roman's who beat him and laugh, and the Jewish leaders who judge, the mocking/jeering faces that may have the deeper effect. I see myself in that crowd and know that I have hurt Jesus so many times with my sin. I watch the people laugh and beat Jesus and know that those are the people of today who say his isn't real, who call him just a good teacher, who turn their backs and walk away. The ugliness will make you sad - it made me weep.
But time and again, Jesus will stand in this film and take the abuse, acknowledge his love for us all, no matter how we act or respond and move on toward the cross. His purpose is clear. What Jesus did on the cross is not a sweet story on Sunday morning with Easter eggs waiting at home. Jesus was hurt, beaten, nailed to a cross, tempted by Satan, laughed at and mocked but he endured it for you and for me. He did it to save us from our sin, to give us access to God and to destroy the temple worship that held us in bondage. The movie makes the clear point that Jesus could have said no, could have stopped the crucifixion, could have called on the angels - but he chose to go through every moment because of his love for us. As violent and hard to watch as those scenes are, just remember this is a 2 hour movie about the last 12 hours of Jesus's life - we just scratch the surface of what Jesus suffered for us.
There is no ant-semitism. This is not about the guy sitting next to you. This is about you and the love of Jesus for you. If you watch the film and read the dialog, you will understand what this film is really about and really trying to tell us. The message is clear. The question is what will you do with it.
The film itself is very well made. The filming/acting/makeup/effects/story/dialog all are excellent. Mel Gibson has done an excellent job. There are subtitles but they are easy to follow and don't move too quickly. I think the film is better for not being in english. You really feel like you are experiencing a more accurate account. The film will stay with you after you leave.
One thing has stuck in my head, sums this experience up for me - I think Mel Gibson captured it beautifully. I am reminded of the lyrics of an Andrew Peterson song -- `The curtain tore and the Saints awoke and the whole earth seemed to tremble, with the fury of God's anger...or was it the fury of his love."
Thanks for reading what one girl thought and felt after seeing this powerful film this morning.
Into the Night (1985)
Fun and Entertaining!
This is a great film if you're looking for light entertainment. Jeff Goldblum is excellent as a geeky guy who just caught his wife cheating and now he has insomnia. He finds himself at the airport one night, just in time to save the beautiful damsel in distress (Michelle Pfeiffer - who is just fantastic) jewel smuggler who is being chased by arab killers. It becomes a wild night full of fun scenes and a really great Abbot & Costello tribute. I highly recommend it!
Beloved (1998)
Run Away, Just Run Away!!!
Every time I see copies of this movie are missing from the video store, I pity the poor soul who is forced to endure this painful excuse for a movie. I saw this film at a free theater preview, but we paid dearly for the painful hours of torture. Not only is this movie slow, boring, stupid, and a waste of time, as one theater goer stated loudly on the way out, "That is one weird a-- movie!" I've never read the book, and for fear that it is anything like the movie, I never will!! Everyone (who obviously didn't see the film) praised it and Oprah with promises of Academy awards - I cringed at the very thought. To the Academy's credit, they only allowed a nomination to this film for costume design, clearly a statement that No, they did not forget about Oprah or Beloved. So, consider this if you pause in the video and contemplate - how bad could it be...I will never be able to erase the image of a naked pregnant woman standing spread-eagle on a front porch screaming at a group of women (not to mention this person is supposed to be Oprah's dead baby back from the grave as a teenager who grunts and can't make a complete sentence but can convince a man to have sex with her while she drools). Someone save us, I think we've reached a new low in films!!
La vita è bella (1997)
The Best Movie - A must-see for everyone!
If you haven't seen this movie, you are missing out on the experience of a lifetime! This film captures a truly beautiful spirit and presents a sample of the powerful effect a loving man and father can have on those around him, even under the most horrifying circumstances. What a wonderful world this would be if more people could be like Guido! This masterpiece combines a charming love story with a very serious and touching story of a father's efforts to protect his young son from the horrors of the Holocaust. Bittersweet humor is carefully sprinkled throughout the film to make it possible to watch and smile through tears as you witness a very touching and tragic portrayal of one family's experiences.
For those who have reviewed the film here with distaste and shock over what you think the film is saying about Jews and the Holocaust - Get Over It! Guido is never presented as the model Jew or even the practicing Jew, but rather an extra-ordinary man who approaches all aspects of his life (from as small as a rain storm to as huge as the Holocaust) with the most incredible attitude and interest in actively making life beautiful! Guido should remind us that the Nazis captured all Jews because of how they were born, not whether they were practicing or not. (Some may be aware that people who where not Jewish were also killed and tortured during the Holocaust for trying to help Jews or for being considered gypsies or mentally/ physically unwell.) Benigni has simply presented a different approach to telling of the horrors of the Holocaust. Never does he imply that this is a documentary or completely factual. He does create powerful scenes that will make your heart stop (Guido lost in the camp finds a tower of bodies hidden only by fog) and cause your soul to ache (Guido's wife realizes that she is separating the clothing of the dead and frantically searches fearing to find her own sons clothes). Don't miss the message by too critical and defensive!
This film was undoubtedly the best film of 1999, unfortunately, the Academy Awards judges could not bring themselves to award a Foreign film with the Best Picture award and chose instead to give the award to the second best film - Shakespeare in Love.