"MEDIA NUNS HELP OTHERS FIND THE HUMANITY IN TECHNOLOGY"

Thanks to Chicago's NPR (WBEZ) for a story on Daughters of St. Paul: "Nuns Help Others Find the Humanity in Technology"!

http://www.wbez.org/news/culture/media-nuns-assist-catholics-staying-connected-digital-age-106328

DADDYHOOD

MOVIES: "42" (THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY)

This review is dedicated to memory of Roger Ebert,
one of the movie reviewer greats (he made movie reviewing virile
 and something to be reckoned with!) who died on
Blessed Fr. James Alberione’s 129^th birthday, April 4, 2013.
After over 100 years of cinema, film has no patron saint.
Many have been proposed, but the Church has rejected them all.
We are hoping it will be James Alberione who was a filmmaker himself
and wrote much about the power of film.

A new film on the sports career of major league baseball color-barrier-breaker, Jackie Robinson, is a must-see! The film is simply called “42,” for Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers’ number. Forty-two is the only number in baseball that has been retired, and is now worn by all MVP players in commemoration of Robinson’s achievements.

This film should be seen—if possible—on the big screen. It is a lush, grand period piece with an Aaron Copland-style Americana orchestral and muted brass soundtrack. BUT this is not a trite, simplistic “let’s project 2013 on 1948” message-film with feel-good, righteous messages about equality. The concepts and the dialogue are fresh and original. It’s the story of a reluctant hero (Robinson is played by lookalike Chadwick Boseman*) who just wanted to play baseball, and a major league baseball executive who just wanted to win (Branch Rickey is played by Harrison Ford). Writer-director Brian Helgeland is a genius filmmaker-artist. Check out his eclectic, prolific résumé on www.imdb.com. Oh, and he graduated from Jesuit Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles (considered one of the country’s top 10 film schools), and he’s a New Englander. You know him from the uber-brilliant “L.A. Confidential,” “Mystic River” and much more.

The cinematography (Don Burgess of “Flight,” “Spiderman,” “Forrest Gump,” “Enchanted”), color-palette, lighting, etc., is impeccable. If you like Technicolor and the expansive feel of Hollywood films from the 50’s and 60’s, then “42” is for you. “42” is baseball’s “Sound of Music.” Without the music. Even most of the mammoth crowd scenes (in the bleachers) appear to be real people and not blow-up extras (like “Seabiscuit” used). This film manages to be grandiose and intimate at the exact same time.

The well-cast ensemble of characters are interesting, and the whole story is consistent and cohesive. A gracefully-aged Harrison Ford carries a big part of the drama as the risk-taking Rickey who hires Robinson. The dialogue is rich and ordinary, surprising and funny, really has something to say, utterly quotable while avoiding clichés. The dialogue feels like, well, LITERATURE. Must be because Helgeland is a well-read, well-spoken New Englander. The time is post-war 40’s, but Helgeland doesn’t indulge in quippy, overly-stylized, of-the-times banter.  Instead, he employs plain talk, and never falls into anachronistic blunders of using modern-day lingo like so many screenwriters.

Nothing drags in “42.” Just when things seem most peaceful, discord erupts. Just when things are most heated, they are resolved, or simmer down.

A ton of expository information is thrown at us in the very beginning (this seems to be a trend these days—exactly what “Argo” did), with voice-over and montages. I would rather have jumped into and gotten invested in the story, the characters, baseball (yuck), and then done some backing up to explain the state of the Union and the sport.

There are so many organic moments of tension, and the myriad forms of prejudice, bigotry and downright cruelty manifest exactly what Robinson was up against from the get-go. There is a slow build of the levels of conflict and the obstacles he faced. And yet, the overriding tone of the film is one of joy and success peeking and peering through the lives of determined people who stuck their necks out and went against the grain. As Rickey muses: Laws can be broken and people may even think you’re clever if you get away with it, but break a code, an unwritten law and you’ll never be forgiven. We need to keep reminding ourselves that the civil rights movement of the 60’s was still a long way off. Ingrained racist customs (especially, but not exclusively, in the South), segregation and other discriminatory laws were firmly in place and enforced.

One of the film’s many sources of humor is the fact that Rickey is a devout Methodist (like Robinson) and has no problem beating people up with religion.

Everything about this film feels like it’s coming from a truly noble and good place.

_______________
*Boseman has managed to keep his birth date off of www.imdb.com, something many actors have been trying to do. Somehow he has managed to commandeer his own page on imdb—it looks like his own promotional set-up. Smart guy. And a really cute smile. His current residence is Brooklyn. J Studied at the British American Dramatic Academy at Oxford. It shows.

OTHER STUFF:

--Best film of 2013.

--Even the typeface choice for the subtitles is perfect.

--Does the trailer look all Hallmark-y? It ain’t. NOT SAPPY. I repeat: NOT SAPPY.

--Robinson has a great character flaw in the film: his temper. But so does his perhaps even more feisty wife.

--I really, really dislike baseball, but this film made me care about it intensely, at least for the duration of the film. J

--This makes me wanna make my hockey movie now more than ever.

--How did Helgeland light this so well (even the indoor scenes)? Seems like he used lots of natural light streaming through windows....

--All the actors are superb, but Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU") is a total scene-stealer as Leo Durocher, the Dodgers' manager, who barks out one of the best short tirades against racism ever. :)

--Everything is so well-dramatized. Lots of “showing not telling,” and nothing is “on the nose.”

--Bring the kids! Especially the boys—so they can see what real men are made of (and not made of). It’s PG-13 because of language (but no F-bombs). The Dad in my screening just kept leaning over to his 7-year-old son each time saying: “That’s a bad word.”

--There are a few false notes, but very few. Like when Robinson is talking to his newborn son. For our sake.

--In some ways, this film is a study in non-violence. Creative non-violence. Very creative non-violence. Or rather: “non-violent action.”

--I’ve always wondered how people of color can STAND being so maltreated to their faces, especially Black men. I really think it would make me perpetually angry, bitter, and probably violent. This film will make you feel that. You will feel all the silent outrage that Robinson feels. AND also how he chooses to overcome.

--Lots of mini-Oscar moments. Every actor shines. But is it too early for the Academy to be thinking of 2014?

--I went to Robinson’s alma mater, UCLA!

--The excessive use of the “n” word is really hard to take.

--Things do not just happen “magically” in this film. Things don’t just work out all hunky-dory.

--Grown-ups made this film.

--Well-crafted. Mature but accessible. Satisfying. Enriching. Entertaining. We get to spy on how good, quality people think and act and react behind closed doors. Not facile.

--OMGosh. The CYO! But this is EXACTLY the moralistic clout the Catholic Church had over sports, films and all kinds of stuff in the public arena/public life at the time. One of our elderly Sisters talks about letter-writing campaigns Catholic schools all across the country would have students do to protest stuff.

--Such unfair PRESSURE Robinson was under as a trailblazer….

--Good for EVERYONE to remember, and kids to learn, the dismal depths of racism in this country not long ago.

--It’s amazing how far filmmaking has come. “Brian’s Song” can’t even begin to hold a candle to “42.”

--Interesting article on why not as many Blacks in baseball today: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2139711,00.html
(A negative side-effect of the dissolving of the “Negro leagues” meant less community investing/viewing/enthusiasm. Also mentions that initiation into baseball tends to be a father-son thing, and the African-American community is sorely lacking in fathers that are present. Also, with the professionalization/travel in children’s sports, baseball has become expensive. There are also fewer safe outdoor spaces for kids to play/learn to play.)

--Chicago Tribune's Kass wants u to take your kids/teens to "42" (Jackie Robinson): http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0414-20130414,0,4808186.column …

--Jackie Robinson's Widow, Rachel, Says "42" Gets It Right http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-42-jackie-robinson-20130407,0,2311900.story

VOCATION WEEKEND WITH DAUGHTERS OF ST. PAUL!

WHY DOES CHURCH DISCRIMINATE AGAINST GAY PEOPLE?

"Fulfillment in life isn't having sex, it's leading a life of love."

I would just correct Chris by saying most of the CANONIZED saints were celibates.
Hopefully, that gonna change. :)

ROMAN SOLDIERS AT JESUS' TOMB IN FRONT OF LUTHERAN CHURCH ON MAIN ROAD, LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS

ONLINE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY COURSE! THREE SATURDAYS IN MAY!

(Video will be archived and accessible with registration fee.)

REGISTER: www.visit.pauline.org/CHICAGO

Live in Chicago? Join us in person!

Fr. Robert Sprott, OFM, holds an M.A. in anthropology and theology, and a Ph.D. in linguistics. 

THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE HAVE SPOKEN.

With signs including the slogan: "I need a Mom and a Dad," and pink and blue balloons, 1.8 million French marched on March 24 (second march this year) on the L'Arch de Triomphe to protect marriage between one man and one woman. Crowds (including elderly and children) were tear-gassed by police. Crowds are demanding a referendum.

Gay activists and celebrities are marching also (they are for gay lifestyle, but agree it's not marriage).

Socialist President Hollande is determined to push through the law without the approval of the people.

Even the "Mariannes" showed up at the March 24 march (young women who dress up in white and red like the mother/symbol of the French Revolution). You can get a brief glimpse of them at :58 and 1:58.



Here's more info: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/1.4-million-march-against-gay-marriage-in-france-police-tear-gas-crowd-chil

See this blogpost from the first march: "WHAT DO THE FRENCH KNOW THAT WE DON'T?"
 http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-do-french-know-that-we-dont.html#.UU_hcBdwr0c

Oooops! Wrong march (below)...um...but it kinda fits...

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: PALM SUNDAY

BRAND NEW! MY VIDEO REVIEW OF "WARM BODIES"!

Here's my extensive print review: http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2013/02/movies-warm-bodies.html#.UbLUFOdwr0c

 

PAPA FRANCIS LAYS FLOWERS BEFORE MADONNA

TOP 4 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY FILMS!

Have you been longing to learn Theology of the Body,
but you're also a cinephile and you'd love it
if there was a way to do it through film?

Your cure has arrived.

Take prescription in the following order:

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(THE BIG PICTURE)

Ever notice how our world is kind of screwed up? Majorly screwed up? We Christians believe that's because of the Fall. When we said "no" to God and chose death for ourselves, we screwed up all of Creation with us. "All of Creation is groaning...awaiting...the redemption of our bodies" Romans 8:22-23. "The culture of death" has actually been with us from the beginning, but take on different faces in every age.

All our relationships were ruptured at the Fall: with God, within ourselves, with each other, with all Creation. "With each other"? There was only Adam and Eve, male and female: the primordial human relationship, which is the first love, from where children come, from where the future comes. The family is the most basic cell of society. Families form neighborhoods, neighborhoods form cities, cities form states, states form countries. Society is based on the male/female relationship.

BUT even though there are NO chicks in the BOOK "The Hobbit"--Galadriel, some hobbit womenfolk of the Shire and a quick shot of dwarf wives are in this Hobbit MOVIE. The Theology of the Body connection is that "The Hobbit"--although fantasy--depicts a world bigger than just humans, the big picture. We need to situate ourselves in the bigger picture. We are not alone in Creation, there are other beings. All of Creation--the material world--is affected by evil (the animals are getting sick because of witchcraft) and we are all caught up in the spiritual warfare, the drama of good vs. evil. No one gets to sit on the sidelines. We are all connected.

"I want to help the world be always more in harmony with the will of the Creator." --Pope Francis, March 15, 2013
My full review: http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2012/12/movies-hobbit-unexpected-adventure-part.html#.UT6cndYjnPY

2. The Tree of Life
(THE FAMILY)

Creation, that is, Sacred Nature, continues to play a large part in the contemplative three-hour long "The Tree of Life." Director Terrence Malick wants to make sure we understand our connection to Nature, so he makes us watch twenty minutes of unbroken nature cinematography (this sequence cost ten million to make). 

But now we go from the big picture to zero in on the family. A hurting family, for sure, but one that is trying. As in all Malick's movies, we hear characters whispering prayers to God, we hear their moral deliberations deep in their consciences. AND we see the glorious destiny of the human body-person: HEAVEN.

The film starts with a stark quote from the book of Job, placing the film clearly within the Judaeo-Christian ethos. Catholic religious imagery and practices abound.

My full review: http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2011/05/movies-tree-of-life.html

3. Warm Bodies
(MAN & WOMAN)

From focusing on the family in "The Tree of Life," we come to the male-female relationship, specifically young love. A male zombie falls in love with a female human, and it actually works. Not only that, they realize that their love begins to cure all the zombies. They realize "WE are the cure"!
The healing of the male/female relationship CAN cure the whole world. Marriage is the most private and personal relationship but also the most social and public at the same time. Two imperfect people can do something so perfect. "To live the Theology of the Body is nothing less than to heal the universe. The redemption of the [human] body is nothing less than redemption of the whole physical world." --Christopher West
My full review: http://hellburns.blogspot.com/2013/02/movies-warm-bodies.html#.UT6midYjnPY

4. Call the Midwife
(BABIES)

And what comes of this male-female relationship? New little persons, more little males and females.

Although not a technically a film, this BBC series has spared nothing on production values, sets and fantabulous acting. Based on the real-life memoirs of a nurse-midwife in 1950's poverty-challenged East End of London, we are transported back to a time of high ideals and service as a way of life. Several of these young midwives live with their mentors: Anglican nuns (actual three-dimensional characters, emphasis on "characters"). No matter how poor a woman or family is, not matter what the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, there is an overwhelmingly pro-life sentiment everywhere. Absolutely everyone is pulling for the baby to make it. And here's the thing: pretty much all births were home births. If something went wrong or it seemed there would be a problem from the start, only then was the mother transferred to the hospital. Each woman gives birth in such a unique way. Seeing these very realistic portrayals (even if often excruciatingly painful) could help take the fear of childbirth away in anyone who watches. There is so much joy after the agony.

It's pretty stunning in this day and age to see such a red-blooded (no pun intended), hopeful, positive and optimistic atmosphere welcoming human life without exception as an unquestionable good, the highest good.

GO YE FORTH, WATCH YE THESE FILMS AND BE HEALED!

MOVIE: "SIDE EFFECTS"

The trailer for the new crime-thriller, “Side Effects,” could lead one to believe that this film is an exposé of Big Pharma wrapped up as entertainment. Nothing could be further from the theme of this film. Big Pharma wrongdoing isn’t even the backdrop. “Side Effects” is about something entirely different. While on experimental new anti-depressants, Emily (Rooney Mara) commits murder as she sleepwalks. Or does she? But getting to the bottom of the whodunit still isn’t what the film is about.

Emily’s husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), has just been released from prison for insider trading. Emily should be thrilled that they’re together again, but depression is eating her up. Her depressive behavior is ruining both their lives, and Emily is always teetering on the brink of suicide. She is in the care of psychiatrist, Dr. Banks (Jude Law), who is responsible for administering the experimental drug to her. Everyone is kind and patient with Emily until the killing changes everything. Will Emily be charged with the crime? Or will she be declared insane and be locked up? Will Dr. Banks be incriminated? There is so much at stake for both of them, and Emily’s former psychiatrist, Dr. Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), complicates the proceedings as a third party with her own interests in the case.

The film begins quietly and understatedly. After the death, things heat up and there is a believable, revelatory plot twist approximately every five minutes (a mark of excellent filmmaking--very hard to do without excessive explanation, and “Side Effects” succeeds so well at it). We have to pay keen attention, but when we do, we are rewarded every five minutes! The plot twists double back on themselves, rather than introducing bigger and wilder outside characters, information or action: also a mark of excellence in visual storytelling.

“Side Effects” is a well-made and entertaining film with top-notch filmmakers and actors. Steven Soderbergh directs,  and the score is by the highly-acclaimed Thomas Newman. Screenwriter, Scott Z. Burns, crafts amazingly succinct and subtle dialogue that is both deceptively mundane (for credibility) and fresh (for our enticement) at the same time. The element of surprise is strong, and it becomes impossible to guess how things will turn out.

It’s difficult to say more about this film without giving away too much. It just has to be watched—not experienced—we are definitely observers here. The ending is exceedingly neat and tidy, but the great question raised is: “Can we always act rightly, even when dealt a dirty hand? Or is the only way to prevail to become like those who harm us?”

"The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury." --Marcus Aurelius

OTHER STUFF:

--One unnecessarily graphic, explicit, intimate sex scene.

--Inchoate theme about “Madeline.” Shoulda left it out or developed it. Unless it was just a red herring for us, but even then, it was a little too much….

--Dr. Banks’ wife is a bit of a shrew.

--Why did they show us Dr. Banks with the Haitian guy in the beginning? To show you what kind of guy Dr. Banks is.

--We could have picked up the same clues Dr. Banks did. But we didn’t, did we? J

--Seems to me Dr. Banks was a “victim of circumstance,” too.

--The legal stuff was easy to understand and never tedious. Thank you.

--It still pays to be the good guy whether you finish first, last, or not at all. Job had his fortunes restored to him, but it won’t always be that way for us on this earth. However, ULTIMATELY, we will have/inherit/be given/be rewarded with EVERYTHING.  Mark 30:28-31.

--GOD is EVERYTHING. In GOD we have EVERYTHING.

MY CATHOLIC TV INTERVIEW ON "MEDIA APOSTLE" FILM

THEOLOGY OF THE BODY INSTITUTE

MOVIES: "WARM BODIES"

THIS IS THE MOST THEOLOGY OF THE BODY MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN.
"Whoever does not abide in love abides in death." 1 John 3:14
"Love is as strong as death." Song of Songs 8:6
"Whoever does not love knows nothing of God. For God is love." 1 John 4:8

Authentic love between the sexes IS the cure! For what? For everything!
The rift between the sexes was the first rift after the rift with God (and self) in the Garden.

OUR CURRENT OBSESSION WITH ZOMBIES, VAMPIRES,
DARK & DEAD & DECAYING THINGS
IS SUDDENLY ANSWERED BY "WARM BODIES":
BURSTING WITH LIFE & LOVE & HOPE.
IT IS REDEMPTION. OF THE GENRE. AND BEYOND.

"To live Theology of the Body is nothing less than to heal the universe.
To live the redemption of the body is to redeem the whole physical world."
--Christopher West

“Warm Bodies” is a post-apocalyptic zombie love story. More precisely a zombie-human love story. But, of course, zombies were once human, so it’s not THAT much of a stretch. The opening scene is a young male zombie shuffling through an airport, surrounded by other zombies, narrating his typical day’s activities for us. We say to ourselves: “Selves, if the rest of this movie is this hilarious and insightful, I’m glad I came.” And it is! Sit back, relax and be entertained and inspired S-I-M-U-L-T-A-N-E-O-U-S-L-Y.  (I think listening to zombie dialogue has influenced me to drag my words out a bit.) In “Bodies,” zombies are called “corpses.”

Zombie “R” (Nicholas Hoult) can’t remember his name. He can’t remember how he died, or much of anything else. He can’t think, sleep, dream, feel, bleed, etc. Human Julie (Teresa Palmer) is the daughter of the acting leader of the embattled humans (John Malkovich) who live sequestered behind “the wall,” safe from the zombie world. Zombies must feed on humans’ brains to stay alive, er, dead. When they eat brains, they have access to humans’ memories. It’s the only way they can experience anything of what they once were as humans themselves.

When R’s cadre of roaming zombies comes upon some humans, including Julie, a feeding frenzy begins. In the midst of the carnage, R falls in love with Julie--as best he can, that is, with his non-functioning heart—and saves her by bringing her to zombie land (she must pretend she is a zombie to survive there).  He informs her that she must stay there for a few days, but it’s only so that he can begin to woo her.

Lest someone think “Bodies” is a one-trick pony, it’s not. There’s more going on. There’s a third “species” besides humans and zombies called “boneys.” Boneys are zombies who have “given up.” Both zombies and boneys will eat humans, but, as R states, at least zombies “are conflicted about it.” Boneys, instead are relentlessly vicious skeletons—stronger and more powerful than zombies. They eventually become the common enemy of both zombie and human.

Although all films worth their salt are meant to be journeys of change, the overwhelming message of “Warm Bodies” is that people can change. A lot. And love is the ONLY catalyst. Primarily male/female love. “Warm Bodies” is not only a “Theology of the BODY” movie for all the obvious reasons, but—even if unknowingly—has showcased male/female love as THE crux, THE matrix which brings love into the world AND brings peace to unlike, warring factions. TOB principle: “All differences are a call to communion.”

The YouTube: “Zombies vs. Jesus” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y2BrmcVf6c sums up the “hunger” that is really beneath all this zombie-mania today. Hint: It’s Eucharistic.

OTHER STUFF:

--New take on zombie genre. Story is told from perspective of THE ZOMBIE. (Thanks to @gregorjk for pointing this out.)

--SPOILER ALERT!!! Reverse of Romeo & Juliet story. R & Julie's love really does bring peace without them having to commit hari kari.

--Do NOT miss the dig at beginning of film when R longs for the days when we he used to be alive and human and could feel, and share, and warmly talk and connect with people (visual: people with earbuds and heads down using mobile devices, ignoring each other).

--Dear Lord, we give thanks that writer/director Jonathan Levine is only about 37 years old and, You willing, has many more supergroovetastic movies in him. Amen.

--“Warm Bodies” is a postmodern rebuff to determinism. And fatalism.

--Unfortunately, Julie takes the precious name of Jesus--the only name by which we are to be saved--in vain about four times. It sounds so extra-awful coming from a pretty young woman's mouth. (As opposed to old, crusty, cynical, mafia guys or something.) May her (yes, I know she's acting) invoking of THE NAME draw down only mercy.

--This is an ambient film. I felt I was IN the film. I felt I was a zombie coming to life!

--In the mind/body, spirit/matter split of 500 years ago, the masses chose the body/matter. And they were right. BJP2G says explicitly that he was setting out to heal this chaotic and tragic rift with his Theology of the Body. J

--Great, great cinematography. Broad use of filmic palette, tools and techniques.

--The “new world” of Act Two is two very different and hostile worlds of lovers-to-be meeting and clashing. Tres cool.

--Humans can turn anything into a love story. J

--Julie does not like R’s constant “noncommittal” shrugging.

--Clever anti-modern-technology excuse: Post-apocalypse! No internet! So they use all old artifacts: vinyl records, Polaroid cameras, 3-D Viewmasters (of Victorian lovers!), parlor games, etc.

--Lots of 80’s and 80’s style music. Why? More romantic? More being said?

--Pretty darn close to being an elusive, prized “perfect film.” For what it is. A zom-rom-com.

--I just want to reiterate: How does love come into the world? Through male/female relationships. How does life come into the world? Through male/female relationships.

--Oh dear. Filmmakers felt they had to define the word “exhume” for the audience. Oh dear.

--Are you a human, a corpse or a boney? One person can go through all 3 stages!

--Better to love and feel pain than not love and feel no pain.

--Um, best use of the word “bit***s” in a movie ever. Funniest line in the whole film. Sums up the whole film. ONE WORD. Brilliant. And it is reassuring as a woman to know that men really do feel us in their hearts. :) BUT here's the real deal. WHAT changes everything for "R" and then everyone else? THE WOMAN. The redemption of the world comes THROUGH a woman. Yessssssssssssssss. BVM imagery, anyone?

--Zombie baseball!

--Male/female love is supposed to be awkward at first!

--"The new hunger is so overwhelming." #TheologyOfBody

--Zombie metaphors, symbolism and applications to real life are manifold.

--“Warm Bodies” will make you soooooo glad to be a human. And make you want to be FULLY human.

--Rob Corddry (sic) is wonderful. Analeigh Tipton is her usual delightful self. Dave Franco (James Franco’s younger brother) is not an actor, I’m sorry. John Malkovich gives a sturdy, dependable performance (couldn’t stop thinking of his hilarious militaristic role in “Red,” however). Teresa Palmer looks and acts like a blonde Kristen Stewart (was casting intentional)? And, for the record, I LIKE Kristen Stewart’s acting.  Nicholas Hoult (A Brit! He was the little boy in “About a Boy”!) is beyond brilliant and wondrous and captivating. Played to perfection—not a hair under- or overacted. Bravo. When those British actors are on the money they are just so nuanced and believable and, well, I just can’t say enough.

--Excellent use of voice-over. Not trapped in convention! It pops in here and there—whenever needed--to great, mirthful effect!

--Why all this fascination with zombies? It’s pretty elementary: life, death, what happens after death, immortality, the precariousness of life, the tenacity of life, the evil of sickness/contagion, the determination to stay alive no matter what, the one great leveling enemy of us all death (personified by “the walking dead”). Some have posited that a “culture of death” is naturally fascinated by the dead.

--I wonder if they forgot to edit out the two shots of a box of medicine in the pharmacy that had absolutely no significance to the rest of the movie.

--Could have been PG.

--So heartening to see such a positive, sweet, young adult love story with such a hopeful message!

--Even though “R” wants to protect Julie and keep her “safe” (with his limited zombie lexicon, he says “safe” umpteen times), she is a strong young woman in her own right. Nice.

--This film (written and directed by Joseph Levine, who is not known for much of anything else) feels like a true male/female collaboration. Check the full credits—lots of women interwoven everywhere. Big, big props to Levine!

--Superb-o soundtrack.

YEAH, THE PUNS ARE ENDLESS:

MY VIDEO REVIEW WITH GREG KRAJEWSKI:

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU WILL SEE/HEAR ON PAPA BENEDICT'S RESIGNATION

THEOLOGY OF BODY TALK AT TEXAS A & M--FEBRUARY 15

WHAT'S A LOSS?

MOVIE REVIEW: "ARGO"

In case you don’t know the plot of the highly-acclaimed “Argo,” it’s based on the true story of the daring rescue attempt by the CIA to get six American hostages out of Iran in 1980. Operative Kevin Hawkins (director/actor Ben Affleck) pretends they are a Canadian film crew looking for an exotic location to film “Argo,” a non-existent sci-fi flick.

Why is “Argo” winning all these awards? (Highest honors at Golden Globes, PGA, SAG, DGA.) I don’t know. It’s good, but I’ve seen big budget made-for-TV movies like this that are just as good. The cinematography is erratic at times (not just the grainy reenactments). “Argo” frequently changes tone and doesn’t seem to know exactly what kind of a movie it wants to be. It starts off to be an exciting, tense, exacting historical reenactment like “Miracle” (the story of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey victory), then it relaxes right at the beginning and gets all sloppy when it shifts to a Hollywood setting, and then turns to pure oatmeal mush when two male characters begin randomly talking about their families so that we get a little more invested in them and squirrel that information away for further heartstring pulling. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting. A great premise (the information only became declassified in 1997), a great story waiting to be told. And starting from the “going to the bazaar” scene halfway through, it becomes a real thriller. But the epilogue goes all warm cereal again.

It has been conjectured that the reason it's the darling of the film world (it even MENTIONS the Golden Globes in it), is because Hollywood loves films about filmmaking (most recently, “Hugo,” “The Artist”). When I was studying screenwriting at UCLA, they told us that acting is all about one thing only: “Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!” “Argo” also makes the U.S. government look bad--telling the U.S.’s dirty little history lesson in Iran from the opening scene—which much of the world likes to see. Even Vietnam vets are denigrated. And then the U.S. looks good. A little bit. At the end. Canada, however, shines “from far and wide”—and rightly so! Thank you, Canada! Who knew? But then, the U.S. takes back the glory and has the last triumphant, humblebrag word.

All the other acting is superb, but Ben Affleck is mostly strutting and mugging like Ryan Gosling, and walking around silently, looking slightly worried with the camera in tow. Ben Affleck’s acting strained believability. He is self-consciously unselfconscious. He was pretty deadpan and emotionless. Never looked scared. Never looked anything. Is his character simply a super cool cucumber? He tried to act a little with his eyes.  As with his acting in “The Town,” I felt I could see his preoccupied director’s brain whirring. Methinks he should not be in his own films. Sorry. I also find he does best as a secondary character. There was a pointed “Hollywood” joke about how BEN AFFLECK’s character, Kevin Hawkins, couldn’t possibly pretend to be the DIRECTOR of the sci-fi film. Groan. Waaaaay too many heavy-handed Hollywood insider jokes (mostly poking great fun at “the industry”). Alan Arkin, whom I usually love dearly, wasn’t up to par, either. John Goodman? He should be getting little Oscars for all his little parts. Like in “Flight.” Do they make little Oscars?

What’s the takeaway? Well, there is one fantastic line and concept (especially when dealing with governments, espionage, the military): “SOMEONE is responsible when things happen. I’m responsible.” If this is the heart of the film, if all the action is framed in this, then—there’s some meat to the film other than the display of immense courage and bravery. However, like “Hurt Locker,” the plot is really about BREAKING the chain of command. The NEED to break the chain of command in order to be successful. True American lawlessness. Above the law stuff. Individualism in all its glory, which is the theme of so many products/creations of the American imagination and American storytelling. Or, one could also read such storylines as boiling things down to conscience. How does conscience survive, react, play out in the smallest and largest of dilemmas? To whom or what is blind obedience really owed? Worthy food for thought.

OTHER STUFF:

--4K can look very weird sometimes. Out of place. Just too vérité.

--The 1979/1980 clothing was meticulous.

--I didn’t feel it demonized Iranians at all. Their cause was presented as just (because we deposed their rightful shah and set up our puppet-tyrant). Revolutions are always messy. But it’s sad that instead of truly progressing in their own noble, intelligent, Persian cultural way, they turned backwards to religious fundamentalism, oppression of women, draconic laws, etc., (NOT shown in the film).

--Read Reza Baraheni’s poetry (tortured under the USA shah).

--Persian-graphic-novel-into-film “Persepolis”(by young woman author) is very disappointing. I just had to say that here. It less a critique of the revolution than: "I really miss wearing American jeans."

--The Infant of Prague makes a cameo. Yay!

--Um, “Argo” might be worth it JUST to see the icon of Jesus in the Hagia Sophia in 4K! Yes, they film inside the real Istanbul deal.

--Yellow ribbons. Who remembers?

--The Hollywood sign in disrepair. Who remembers?

--The young adults in my theater were chatting all during the dense historical exposition at the beginning.

--Disgraceful abortion metaphor used toward beginning of film by Ben Affleck’s character: “It’s like an abortion: you don’t want one, but when you need one, you don’t do it yourself.” Really?

--During credits, intriguing juxtaposition of actual photos of the ordeal/characters with the film’s.

--“Nobody can know about this.” Ha ha.

--1970’s muscle car “knock and rattle” when turned off.  Ha ha.

--Answer the phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

--Superb soundtrack.