 September
2005
Summer 2005 Movies -- here are some capsule comments about movies
that have come out this summer:
Star Wars: Revenge of
the Sith
There’s nothing overtly objectionable about this movie; that is,
there’s no swearing or sexual innuendo. Ewan McGregor gives a good
performance as the young Obi-Wan Kenobe. Beyond that, Sith has
little to recommend it. Sorry, but I found it deadly dull.
Some of the sets look like close-ups of the Star Wars toys my son
played with when he was nine. It’s true that the film is about the
struggle between good and evil, but what’s really at play here is
director George Lucas’s thinly disguised New Age philosophy, forever
embodied in Obi-Wan’s statement in Return of the Jedi: “Use
the force, Luke.” God is not a “force” to be used at whim or will. I
had no interest in the characters and didn’t really care whether any
of them survived. Mercifully, this is the last of the Star Wars
pictures—or so we’re told.
Rating: 2 stars
War of the Worlds
This one pleasantly surprised me. Tom Cruise, who in my view
usually plays his grinning pretty-boy self, is my absolute
least-favorite actor. This time, however, he isn’t half bad.
War of the Worlds is ostensibly based on H. G. Wells’s novel
about Martian invaders, but that’s only the backdrop. Cruise plays a
divorced father who is estranged from his children, especially his
son. His ex-wife, now remarried, drops the kids off for a weekend,
and that’s when the invaders appear. The film is really about the
pain and tragedy of divorce, and it’s a powerful commentary on that
theme.
Rating: 2 ½ stars
Ladies in Lavender
This movie is worth seeing just for the performances of British
actresses Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. It’s the late 30s in
Cornwall, Britain. Dench and Smith play spinster sisters who live
together in an old house on the water. One morning they see a body
on their beach; on investigation, they discover that the body is
actually a still-alive young man. They nurse him back to health and
are instrumental in helping him find his niche in life. The film has
beautiful scenery, many touching moments, and wonderful acting.
Rating: 3 stars
March of the Penguins
Did you know that emperor penguins lead an arduous life involving
a lot of difficult treks each year back and forth between ocean and
Antarctic breeding ground? Did you know that the father penguins
hatch the eggs of their offspring? Do you know how big these
creatures are? You’ll learn about these and other fascinating facts
in March of the Penguins. Probably no film better
shows the Lord’s creation in all its majesty than this one. The big
question is how the movie could actually have been filmed. It was,
though.
Rating: 3 ½
stars
Cinderella Man
Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger star as Depression-era boxer
Jim Braddock and his wife Mae. Jim had been a boxer and is now a New
Jersey dock worker desperately trying to support his family. Times
are extremely difficult, and the family often goes hungry. Against
the wishes of Mae, Jim returns to boxing and … well, I won’t reveal
what happens. Suffice it to say that Jim and Mae are admirable
characters who embody Christian virtues in their love and devotion
to each other and their children. In one powerful scene, Jim makes
his older son return a stolen sausage, saying, “We don’t steal, no
matter what.” The film is heartwarming, realistic, and complete.
Warning: One character in the movie is foul-mouthed,
spewing forth a number of four-letter words and abuses of the Lord’s
name. There is no excuse, for this, of course, but if you can get
beyond that language, you’ll probably be moved.
Rating: 3 ¼
stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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