Noah (12A)

A bold and unconventional take on the Biblical story, and a welcome alternative to most Hollywood drivel or Christian mediocrity.

Noah (12A)

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

Art-house filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s Noah arrived in cinemas amidst a perfect storm of controversy and sensation. Critics praised, Christians cried sacrilege - but is this really a case of Hollywood defacing Scripture, or a worthy attempt by a secular artist to grapple with some very difficult subject matter?

At the very least, Noah is evidence that Aronofsky is a man of immense God-given talent, and those who panned it not only for straying from Scripture, but for being ‘boring’ or ‘badly made’, overstep their jurisdiction. But one thing is for certain, a Hollywood interpretation should never be used in place of the real thing.

The story is isolated from its position in the Biblical narrative, cloaking it's true meaning from those who aren’t already versed in Scripture. The most obvious embellishment is the inclusion of giant rock creatures - fallen angels inspired by mention of the mysterious ‘Nephilim’ in Genesis 6:4, and described in greater detail in The Book of Enoch, which though not canon with Scripture, as a secular writer Aronofsky considered equally valid source material.

An eco-centric agenda is clearly pushed, with the violent antagonist Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone) characterised by his industrial and carnivorous lifestyle, which is equated negatively with the Biblical mandate to have dominion over creation. Environmentalists have often vilified Christianity as posing an unsustainable plan of plundering the Earth without replenishing, which is a biased misunderstanding of God’s command to subdue and multiply in it.

The temporary warping of Noah’s character from righteous man to disturbed murderer, is explained if we notice that the purposes of God (referred to in the film as ‘The Creator’) are portrayed as beyond the understanding of any one character alone, be that Noah’s Grandfather Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins), his doting wife (Jennifer Connelly) or even Noah himself (Russell Crowe). All are used to do God’s will, and in the end a divine being of mercy and love is revealed.

One gets the sense that though misguided, Aronofsky is on a desperate search for truth, even daring to take seriously the concept of sin - something tragically rare and unpopular these days, and amazing to see tackled in a mainstream film. Christians are the privileged few who can separate the fact from the fiction, and despite numerous times the film gets things wrong, it’s still moving to see familiar concepts explored in such a giddy mix of confused flaws and exhilarating artistry.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (12A)

This Oscar nominated (Best Original Song) biographical film of the late former South African President's life is still in cinemas.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (12A)

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based on the late leader’s autobiography, chronicles his struggles against Apartheid South Africa, his time in prison and subsequent election as President.  It’s a rise to power uncharacterised by corruption, and famously hinging on forgiveness which has inspired millions.

The film opens with a brief but electrifying glimpse of Mandela’s childhood, as he undergoes a ritual to become a man in his home town of Mvezo.  Flash forward to his mid-twenties, and we see the respect he already commands from his oppressors, as the young lawyer proves more than a match for his white opponents.  It isn’t long before his ambitions outgrow this career, and he turns his attentions to the resistance movement of the African National Congress.

Director Justin Chadwick spends a surprising amount of time dwelling on Mandela’s love life, as a combination of affairs and overwork tear his first marriage apart.  Scenes and dialogue are included that disappointingly dismiss God, and rule out any real exploration of his religious beliefs.  This is likely more a reflection of the script writer’s worldview, and symptomatic of the supposed need to pander to audiences as Western culture drifts ever further from it’s God-fearing roots.

The film never mentions that Mandela was partly educated by Methodist schools, nor that during his almost three decades in prison was visited by a Methodist chaplain.  His grace and forgiveness of course seem as fruits of the Spirit, but being a very private man for whatever reason he kept his personal beliefs to himself.

Hackney born actor Idris Elba does a fine job in the title role, particularly in the latter half of the film as Mandela’s greying hair accompanies his ever greater pragmatism.  The stand out performance however comes from Naomie Harris as his second wife Winnie - she fills the part with heartbreaking humanity, even as Winnie eventually endeavours to humiliate her husband after his release from prison.  The tragedy is palpable as her attitudes become ever more separate from Mandela’s, and she spirals into bitterness and constant calls for violence, which the film makes clear Nelson only resorted to when all other means failed.

Long Walk to Freedom movingly dramatises key moments in Mandela’s career, investing enough in each for the film not feel like a highlights reel, whilst still giving a compelling sense of his life as a whole.  No easy feat in under two and a half hours.

White Elephant (15)

White Elephant (originally Elefante blanco) is still showing in select art-house cinemas.

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

White Elephant (15)

White Elephant, by Argentinian director Pablo Trapero tells the story of Julián, a Catholic priest who has dedicated his efforts to aiding a housing project and pastoring the residents of a slum in Buenos Aries.  He persuades his old friend Nicolás, a younger and less experienced priest to join him and share the pressures faced serving the tumultuous slum community, plagued by drugs and organised crime.

The film starts at a leisurely pace which isn’t initially grabbing, but once Nicolás joins Julian at the slum (known as Ciudad Oculta, which means Hidden City) the story develops a sense of urgency and realism which is impossible to look away from.  Unexpected violence erupts from nowhere and the harsh realities of slum life are brought to the screen; it’s a harrowing dose of reality.  The White Elephant of the title is a huge unfinished hospital building, casting an ominous shadow over Ciudad Oculta.  Window and doorless, it now serves as housing and a tutoring centre.

The priests are portrayed as flawed but genuine in their attempts to be guiding lights in a community lost in darkness.  Their humanity isn’t glossed over, as Nicolás struggles with feelings of attraction to new colleague Luciana, a secular social worker with whom he has to work frequently in high pressure conditions, and in whom he tellingly confides, “How can my desire for a family live alongside my calling?”  Meanwhile Julián has to deal with the frustration that his senior clergyman don’t have the same priorities that he does for the projects in the slum.

Ricardo Darín is solid as Julián, convincingly generating the sort of humble charisma that might earn the respect of such hoodlums as he works with.  Jérémie Renier gives the character of Nicolás a kind of everyman relatability, and Martina Gusman sparkles as his temptress Luciana.  Guillermo Nieto’s accomplished cinematography is sumptuous and immediate, and the score by Michael Nyman is serviceable if not memorable.  Content-wise the film earns it’s 15 certificate thanks to frequent strong language (subtitled), a sex scene with brief nudity, drug use and of course the violence.

Being rooted in such sobering realities the script is largely (but thankfully not entirely) humourless, so don’t expect anything ‘feel good’, but rather a complex and open ended insight into the everyday struggles of a distant land.  White Elephant shines as a riveting, beautifully filmed slice of life.

Lincoln (12A)

Spielberg's latest masterpiece (really!) is still in cinemas... catch it before it bags a load of Oscars on the 24th!

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

Lincoln (12A)

Steven Spielberg had to ask three times to convince Daniel Day-Lewis to don the iconic stovepipe, believing Lincoln wouldn’t be worth filming without the talents of the worlds best actor.  The film centres on the abolition of the slave trade, and we first meet Lincoln visiting his battle weary troops, finding black soldiers as earnest and loyal as any.  From there we witness his uphill struggle to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, to outlaw slavery once and for all. 

Like all exceptional biographical films, Lincoln doesn’t simply follow the character from cradle to grave, but tells the story of the choices he made under the greatest pressures of his life, thus revealing the man’s heart.  Spielberg has never made a more mature and thoughtful film, with his carefully tempered use of harrowing battle scenes and gory images serving to demonstrate the cost of the Civil War, and the high stakes with which Lincoln was faced.

A film so steeped in politics risks being dry and laborious, and while there are scenes that require a greater than average investment of attention, they always pay off tenfold thanks to Spielberg’s decision not to shoot until Tony Kushner’s script had been fine tuned to perfection.  The wit and sparkle with which history is brought to life is remarkable, and sets a new standard for historical biopics.

Day-Lewis’ performance has been roundly lauded as uncanny, but there’s no chance of distraction from the story despite awe of his performance, because Day-Lewis has uncovered a character so authentically humble that you forget you’re watching a film, and experience something of what the man himself might have been like.  Tommy Lee Jones is also on top form as Thaddeus Stevens, injecting his incisive insults with delicious venom; just one example of the delightful humour Kushner uses to bring periodic levity.

Another film about slavery is on release concurrently with Lincoln, Django Unchained.  While Django represents a fictional and unrighteous attack on slavery, Lincoln is the opposite, telling a true story of a righteous assault on evil.  Important questions are raised as Lincoln ponders that we don’t choose to be born, and are perhaps therefore made for our time with a specific job to do.  It’s food for thought for Christians considering God’s purpose in their lives, and Lincoln’s ultimate triumph is an encouragement to fight injustice even against odds which, from an earthly perspective, seem insurmountable.

The Master (15)

This Academy Award-worthy unsettling character piece is still in cinemas.

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

The Master (15)

The Master is inspired by the work of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.  Freddie Quell, a disturbed veteran of the Second World War, riddled with all manner of psychological insecurities and sinful perversities, is taken under the wing of Lancaster Dodd, the founder of ‘The Cause’, a thinly veiled representation of Scientology.  Quell becomes his master’s muse, a seemingly incurable pit bull of a man on whom Dodd focuses The Cause’s efforts to help.

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson continues what he started with 2007’s There Will Be Blood, a penetrating inquiry into the dark and disquieting taboo corners of human nature.  Quell seems more wild beast than human being, with his indiscriminate sexual appetite and violent tendencies.  The depth of madness to which actor Joaquin Phoenix goes in portraying Quell is chillingly impressive.

Philip Seymour Hoffman gives an equally enthralling performance as Dodd, whose character is the polar opposite of Quell’s.  Dodd is a model of courtesy and care, an intellectual family man only given to rare outbursts of anger when defending The Cause from outsiders who won’t blindly accept his claims.  It’s a thoughtfully fleshed out and sympathetic performance; it would have been easy to mock or even demonise the character based on Hubbard.

The Cause isn’t shown in an entirely negative light, and the intentions behind it are revealed to be at least partly positive, even with hints of spiritual truth mixed in with the lies.  Dodd talks about restoring the human spirit to its original state of perfection, which has unmistakable echoes of the Garden of Eden and the fall.

The abstract and unsettling score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood amplifies the disturbing tension to near unbearable levels, whilst drawing you into the minds of the characters and setting of the story.  Anderson shows himself once again to be one of the best filmmaking talents working today, and 2013 could be his year to finally snag an Oscar.

The Master isn’t for everyone, and on top of being deeply troubling it makes extensive use of graphic nudity, which whilst being plot and character motivated (thereby not gratuitous), it’s best to be aware of before deciding whether to buy a ticket.

The film is a fascinating and creepy exploration of the human cost of cult, and is a stunning work by a director wrestling with spiritual inklings versus the seemingly unchangeable savage nature of man.

The Ides of March (15)

Recently nominated for four Golden Globes and still in cinemas (just), The Ides of March is one to watch this awards season.

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

The Ides of March (15)

Opening with a speech about a politician’s religion being the Constitution of the United States, The Ides of March is a clever political thriller of the highest quality. The title comes from the date in the Roman calendar on which Julius Caesar was assassinated, and the plot is rife with backbiting and deception. Ryan Gosling is superb as Stephen, Junior Campaign Manager to George Clooney’s Democratic presidential candidate Mike Morris. Stephen’s loyalty and ideals are tested as multiple scandals threaten to surface.

As well as starring, Clooney directed and co-wrote the film, and being a self described political liberal he clearly intended to make a point. The point would seem to be a mixture of generalised lamenting over the extent of corruption in politics, and a frank admission that even the best of us aren’t completely innocent. Isaiah 64:6 says ‘...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’, and it is striking that even before Stephen loses his supposed innocence, he is already neck deep in lies and spin.

His troubles start when he begins an illicit relationship with intern Molly. What seems to them just a bit of fun soon turns out to be the opening of a Pandora’s box of nightmares. Once again Hollywood inadvertently illustrates how much damage could be prevented if society stuck to the Biblical principle of reserving sex for marriage.

Clooney and Gosling aside, the film boasts a dazzling cast of fine actors. Paul Giamatti plays the opposition’s experience hardened campaign manager; Marisa Tomei is a reporter who’s allegiances stretch no further than her latest story will allow, and the great Philip Seymour Hoffman gives yet another scene stealing performance as Stephen’s senior manager Paul.

The script powerfully brings home many truths that secular society is quick to ignore, with personal responsibility for action and inaction being high up its list of themes. When Stephen tries to excuse his campaign threatening behaviour, Paul cuts him down to size with the line ‘... you didn’t make a mistake, you made a choice”: a distinction which leaves the fresh faced protagonist speechless.

Clooney’s direction is solid and polished, and with surprisingly few direct parallels to 2011 American politics, rather than missing the mark he has had the ambition to make a film that might have the same impact it has today even decades down the line. Consummate, entertaining and honest, Ides is an eye opening must watch.