I’ve decided to get back into movies. I’ve always loved film and having children and the busyness of life (not to mention my prolonged period of pharasaism) had my movie watching become greatly diminished. I am moved by great stories and I see God’s truth portrayed in those things are done with excellence (unlike the mostly ineffective excuses for film bandied about as "Christian" film.) Here are some movies I’ve seen recently and my (very brief) reactions to them.

  • Fearless with Jet Li – declared to be Jet Li’s last martial arts film, this movie had all the elements of a good martial arts film as well as a story that was inspirational. Like many Chinese martial arts films, the acting had a certain melodrama to it, but it’s due to the genre and pulls this off without detracting from the story of the film itself. I heartily recommend this movie. It’s a great story about a man who leads a misguided life, almost dies and is essentially reborn. In this reborn state, he becomes the hero of a nation. Really good stuff.
  • 13 Conversations About One Thing – Wow. This movie moves quite slowly as it develops. It shows 13 vignettes about four different groups of people. The performances are great and the message is thought-provoking. You see people struggling and grappling with the question of fulfillment and happiness. What does it truly mean to be happy? Why is it so fleeting? I loved this movie.
  • Wit with Emma Thompson – a movie that is a story told by the main character to the camera. Emma Thompson’s character has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and as she undergoes experimental treatment, she discovers that being humane requires more than a pulse. Sometimes driving yourself to excellence gives you the excuse to stop being human so that you can help others improve as you have.

My plan is to continue to post about movies I’ve just watched and books that I’ve read or am reading but with some more detail and perhaps some specific observations of how they’ve affected me. We’ll see how this plan pans out over time.