Change Your Image
hwviper
Reviews
Ninth Life (1991)
An indie film before indie was cool!
While this film would never rate consideration at Oscar season, it is a low-low-budget film that has its moments. Directed by Ken Harrison, the film has a certain hometown charm, set in the Deep Ellum district of Dallas, Texas.
The story explores the relationship between three good friends that gets torn apart through various subplots. Although the main plot never reaches fever pitch, the final scene is not your typical Hollywood ending.
Good performances from Robert Prentiss, Barri Murphy and Bill Bolender. This movie deserves the opportunity to explore the DVD market. I would like to see the film re-released in the secondary market. Even though it might end up in the $5.00 bin, there are several movies there already that would it would upstage.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The Message of Christ
Amid the brutality and blood and the hype of the movie, lies a very important message that ultimately might be completely overlooked. It is a message intended for the entire population of this earth and is especially demanding of Christians in the United States.
This is what war looks like. This is what persecution looks like.
For Christians of this country to stand up and simply say, "See this is what we've been trying to tell you all along" is an oversimplification of a religion that grew from the sacrifice of an important figure in history.
For a country that claims that its foundation is based on Christianity, we watch persecution occur on a daily basis. Who gets persecuted in the United States? People of color (Blacks, Hispanics, etc), women, homosexuals and non-Christian religions. The poor, the sick and the elderly who are given up for 30 pieces of silver.
We have a Christian right that has pounded the war drums incessantly for the last year. The scene where Mary flashes back to a young Jesus falling was especially heart-wrenching. It reminded me of the 500 plus young soldiers that have died in Iraq. How many times do their parents have the same flashback?
All in all, is this what he meant when he said "Love one another"?
He didn't die to give you a "free pass" to heaven or a "blank check" to behave however you like. He gave his life to stop the persecution and the hatred. He endured the punishment so that man would never know this violence, anger and greed. But alas, after 2000 years, the message didn't take.
In the end, a wonderful movie from Mr. Gibson. Excellent actors in an excellent portrayal based on a best seller.
Cast Away (2000)
If you've ever found yourself alone, you understand...
If you found no redeeming value or lesson to take with you after re-viewing this film, the boat passed you by. I didn't go see this movie at the theatre because the thought of watching an entire movie based on a lone man's experiences was not appealing. However, as is the case with many of Tom Hank's latest films, the message was more valuable than the price of a theatre ticket.
Many times in our lives we find ourselves alone on a metaphoric "island", isolated from everyone else as a result of some tragedy or unwelcomed consequence that has drastically affected our lives. And like Hanks' character, we find ourselves without the familiar surroundings or things we have taken for granted. So we struggle to learn again many processes and procedures that before were simple and available to us.
When the struggle becomes to much of a burden, we begin to wonder if it is worth the life that was presented to us at birth. If that hurdle is overcome, then you realize that faith in the next day is all you have for hope. And like Hanks' character was presented with material to form a sail to escape his predicament, we also carry the hope of surviving our experiences as a result of life's waves.
The soliloquy that he delivers toward the end of the movie is priceless. He sums up his fears, his challenges, his triumphs and his failures with the statement, "I have to keep breathing. For tomorrow, the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring."
The final scene with Hanks standing in the middle of a rural intersection is the icing on the cake. For when we survive our crises, we find ourselves at a crossroads with many roads to choose.