Penelope

2006

Director: Mark Palansky

Distributor: Summit Entertainment 

Key Elements: Concept – Music – Message

Review:

This is sort of Beauty and the Beast in reverse - the girl in the fable has a physical affliction that can only be removed by receiving true love.  There's a bit of a twist on where that love comes from though.

The message is simple and pretty obvious - It's inner beauty that counts, so don't waste your time on people who don't see yours.  In our image-obsessed culture, that's an important thing to be reminded of.

But the message is not heavy handed. The film makers seem to be aware that they shouldn't take themselves too seriously, and that makes for a fun, lighthearted show.

Plus... I've had a crush on Christina Ricci for years.

[Spoiler]

If there's one drawback to this story, it's the suggestion that loving ourselves is enough to save us. The Bible - and life in general - make it pretty clear we cannot save ourselves.

But Self-worth is a positive thing. To Jesus we are worth dying for, so we shouldn't let anyone else tell us differently.

Self-esteem, however, ventures beyond self-worth and into the realm of narcissism. And our society has wrongly been stressing self-esteem as something healthy.

Maybe that's semantics, but it's important to distinguish the difference. So let that reality balance your viewing of the film.


Trailer:

Quotes:

• I felt the rush of a thousand heartbreaks.
• I like myself the way I am!
• Y'know you inspired me, doing what you did, going off on your own like that.
• It's not the power of the curse - it's the power you give the curse.

Stills:

Gran Torino

2000

Director: Clint Eastwood

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Key Elements: Story – Lines – Characters – Message – Symbolism – Music

My Review:

When this movie ended, my friends and I were speechless.

It’s dark. Really dark. But it's good writing and great acting.

But the best part is how it illustrates the Gospel.

[Spoiler]

Eastwood’s character lets himself get shot, knowing that his sacrifice will draw the attention of witnesses. This ensures that the gang attacking his friends will be arrested – the most decisive victory he can have over them.

His sacrifice frees his friends from the gang, satisfies justice, and incidentally gives his friend a new car. It reflects the way Jesus’ sacrifice frees us from sin, satisfies God’s law, and provides us with new life. Eastwood's body is even laid out as though on a cross ...with blood prominantly shown on his hands of all places (nail marks).

Amazing movie!

And listen to Eastwood’s song at the end.

Trailer:

Quotes:

• Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with? That's me.
• Get off my lawn!
• You should quit. Those things are bad for you.
  - Yeah? So's being in a gang.
• Take these three items, some WD-40, a vice grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone.
• Get me another beer, Dragon Lady!
• What was it like to kill someone?
  - You don't want to know.
• You're a good man.
• You know, Thao and Sue are never going to find peace in this world as long as that gang's around.
• What are you gonna do, Walt?
  - Whatever it is, they won't have a chance.
• And I'd like to leave my 1972 Gran Torino to... my friend... Thao Vang Lor. On the condition that you don't chop-top the roof like one of those beaners, don't paint any idiotic flames on it like some white trash hillbilly, and don't put a big, gay spoiler on the rear end like you see on all the other zipperheads' cars. It just looks like hell. If you can refrain from doing any of that... it's yours.

Stills:

Loser

2000

Director: Amy Heckerling

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Key Elements: Characters – Message

My Review:

I feel like this movie shouldn’t be that big a deal to me, but there’s something I love about it.

It may be the way Paul mixes gentle naivety with steadfast character. He doesn’t know how to dress, act or talk. But he knows how to love a girl - respect her, appreciate her and protect her. He is at once, one of the dorkiest and coolest movie characters I can think of.

Or maybe it’s that Dora is completely adorable.

I think it’s both.

...And Paul's haircut.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• I love self-loathing complaint rock you can dance to.
• Do you have a girlfriend?
  - Ex-girlfriend. We dated in high school.
  Do you still see her?
  - She lost weight, so she's dating a lot more now.
• Oh yeah? Well if Kafka were alive I'm sure he'd say stop misinterpreting my novels you pretentious bonehead!
• It seems like this whole city is one big orgy and if you actually care about someone you're some kind of chump
• You know how there are couples that stay together just because they feel they can't do any better or there are people who are sad and miserable and live alone, but then there are this microscopically tiny group of people who get to be with the person they are madly in love with.
• I hope someday I get to be one of those lucky people.

Stills:

The Blues Brothers

1980

Director: John Landis

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Key Elements: Lines – Characters – Music

My Review:

Elwood picks up his brother, Jake, from prison and they visit their childhood home, A Roman Catholic Orphanage. They learn that the orphanage is going to have to close unless it can come up with $5,000. The brothers decide to reunite their blues band and play a concert to raise the money. But as they pursue their goal, havoc erupts.

The Blues Brothers are iconic characters and the movie has become a cult classic. The humor comes from their off-beat behavior and coolly delivered hyperbole. I never fail to laugh while watching this one.

Also, the movie is filled with amazing musical cameos – James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to name just a few.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• Well thank you, pal. The day I get outta prison, my own brother picks me up in a *police* car!
• We're on a mission from God.
• Ya see, me and the Lord have an understanding.
• Are you the police?
  - No, ma'am. We're musicians.
• Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now.
• They're not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God.
• Book us for tomorrow night.
  - Hold it, hold it. Tomorrow night? What are you talking about? A gig like that, you gotta prepare the proper exploitation. I know all about that stuff. I have been exploited all my life.
• Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers HAS been approved.
• It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
  - Hit it.
• Maury, we need $5,000 fast.
  - $5,000? Who do you guys think you are, The Beatles?
• That Night Train's a mean wine.
• Who *is* that girl?
• People, when you do find that special somebody, you gotta hold that man, hold that woman! Love him, please him, squeeze her, please her! Signify your feelings with every gentle caress, because it's so important to have that special somebody to hold, to kiss, to miss, to squeeze, and please!

Still:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2008

Director: Mark Herman

Distributor: Miramax Films

Key Elements: Story – Characters – Message

My Review:

Based on John Boyne’s book by the same name this movie serves as another important reminder of the horror that was the holocaust.

The premise was simple. The ending was surprising. The last shot was dreadfully poetic

Artistic. Moving. Profound.

Trailer:




Quotes:

• I'm a solider. Soldiers fight a war.
  - That's not war!
• We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that?
• It's only a shower.
  

Stills:

Rebel Without a Cause

1955

Director: Nicholas Ray

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Key Elements: Lines – Characters – Message – Concept – Symbolism

My Review:

This is an important movie.

For one thing, it’s iconic. It’s James Dean’s definitive role and it captured the motif of the teenage rebel.

But more than that, it’s a movie about the importance of fathers and the damage done when fathers don’t fulfill their role.

Judy is rejected by her withdrawn father. She craves fatherly affection, but when she tries to hug her father, he slaps her away. She is starving for healthy, masculine love. She turns to Jim.

Plato is abandoned by his absent father. He needs a man to teach and lead him but there’s nobody there. He’s left emotionally unsupported and lost. He also turns to Jim.

And Jim is ashamed of his passive father. The man allows his wife to walk all over him and it makes it impossible for Jim to respect him. Jim desperately wants to look up to his dad, but is constantly let down.

Jim has everyone turning to him, but no one to turn to himself.

Fathers are needed. Without them, the whole world falls apart.

Clip:




Quotes:

• You live here don’t you?
  - Who lives?
• You're tearing me apart!
  - What?
  You, you say one thing, he says another, and everybody changes back again!
• … Dad.
  - This is all going too fast for me, son.
  You better give me something. You better give me something fast.
  -- Jimmy you're very young. A foolish decision now could wreck you're whole life. In ten years, you'll never know this happened.
  Dad, answer her. Tell her. Ten years. Dad, let me hear you answer her. Dad. …Dad, stand up for me. …Stand up!
• If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?
• If he had guts to knock Mom cold once, then maybe she'd be happy and then she'd stop picking on him. Because they make mush out of him! Just mush!
• Do you think the end of the world will come at night time?
  - Uh-uh, at dawn.
• If only you could'a been my dad. We could have breakfast in the morning.
• love somebody. All the time I've been... I've been looking for someone to love me. And now I love somebody. And it's so easy. Why is it easy now?
  - I don't know; it is for me, too.
  I love you, Jim. I really mean it.
  - Well, I'm glad.
• I've got the bullets!
• I don't know what to do anymore. Except maybe die.
• You can wake up now, the universe has ended.
• Help me!
  - Look Jim. You can depend on me. Trust me. Whatever comes, we'll, we'll fix it together. I swear it. Now Jim, stand up. I'll stand up with you. I'll try and be as strong as you want me to be. Come on.

Stills:

Seven Pounds

2008

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Key Elements: Concept - Gospel

My Review:

I had to chew on this movie for a while.

Ben, a man in despair over a defining tragedy in his life, is seeking atonement. Blaming himself for taking so much good from the world, he seeks a way to restore some good to it.

[Spoiler Warning]

The way he does this is to seek out people who fall into two categories: They must be in need of something he has, and they must be someone he deems worthy of his help. In the end, he sacrifices himself so that he can give one woman his home, one man his eyes and one woman his heart.

I’m not sure how to measure the ethics on this one. But I have to say, I can identify with where his heart is, and I respect that. The action he takes is an ultimate expression of love.

And we can see the Gospel in that love. Just as Ben willingly gives his life for his friends, Jesus willingly went to the cross for us. Ben’s action provides a home, sight, and a new heart. Jesus also gives a home to the lost, sight to the blind and new life to the brokenhearted through the everlasting life He gives.

A terribly thoughtful movie. Give yourself the chance to really mull over it.

Trailer:



Quotes:

• In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine.
• The first time I ever saw a box jellyfish, I was twelve. Our father took us to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I never forgot what he said... That it was the most deadly creature on earth. To me it was just the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
• It is within my power to drastically change his cirumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve.
• You know, Ben, I keep asking you this but why me?
  - Because you are a good man.
  No, really.
  - ...even when you don't know that people are watching you.
  Why do I get the feeling you're doing me a really big favor?
  - Because I get the feeling that you really deserve it.

Stills: