The soundtrack for this week\u2019s Film Forum is provided by The Arcade Fire\u2019s new abum Neon Bible<\/em><\/strong>. How do you get the soundtrack to play while you read the column? Easy. Buy Neon Bible<\/em> from iTunes and start playing it. The column will be much more exciting to read if you do. Trust me.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n DO MOVIE CRITICS MATTER?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Do movie critics matter?<\/p>\n Absolutely not,<\/a> says Brian Robbins, director of the hit comedy Norbit.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Standing on top of the mountains of cash that Norbit has made at the box office, Robbins expresses his amazement that only 9% of the critics at Rotten Tomates recommend his film to moviegoers. He declares, \u201cThe only films that get good reviews are the ones that nobody sees. I just don\u2019t think you can make movies for critics.\u201d<\/p>\n Robbins\u2019 profound statement has huge implications. If quality can be determined by box office success, imagine what this means for the food industry. McDonalds serves billions of customers \u2026 so, by Robbins\u2019 philosophy, McDonalds must be the best food in the world. Restaurants that get good reviews don\u2019t draw nearly as many customers as McDonalds, so clearly, nobody should bother preparing fine cuisine.<\/p>\n TIME TO REVISE MY NETFLIX QUEUE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking of movies that nobody sees\u2026.<\/p>\n One of my favorite cinephiles, Darren Hughes of Long Pauses, has revised his all-time favorite films list<\/a>. Whenever I spend time reading Hughes\u2019 perspectives on film, I end up revisingmy list of \u201cmust-see\u201d movies.<\/p>\n At church on Sunday, I had six different people ask me, \u201cWhat did you think of 300<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n And on top of that, some parents asked me if the movie would be safe for their kids. \u201cI have some teenage boys who are very excited about it,\u201d one woman said. \u201cAnd they tell me that it\u2019s worth seeing because it\u2019s about history.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, first of all, parents, note the obvious: 300<\/em> is rated R because it contains elaborate displays of graphic bloodshed and sex. So that would give me pause before taking a bunch of teenagers right there. If I was a parent, I\u2019d probably test the movie myself first before allowing my kids to go.<\/p>\n Now, we all know that trailers can be misleading. It may be <\/strong>that 300<\/em> is a subtle, nuanced work of art, rich with complex characters, revealing and thoughtful depictions of evil, and inspiring portrayals of virtue. It may be <\/strong>that 300<\/em> brings history to life with compelling insight.<\/p>\n All I can do here is pass along what I\u2019m reading in the reviews and hearing from trusted friends who have seen the film and shared their impressions with me. And if they are correct<\/strong>, 300<\/em> has as much to do with studying history as Looney Toons has to do with studying wildlife.<\/p>\n But they could be wrong. I\u2019m not going to judge a film I haven\u2019t seen.<\/strong><\/p>\n While reviewers are divided over whether the film is worth seeing, they almost unanimously agree that the storytelling is shallow and insignificant<\/strong>, and that the film exists primarily to show off dazzling digital effects and thrill audiences with a spectacle of gratuitous violence.<\/p>\n Again, that\u2019s what most trustworthy critics are saying. Those aren\u2019t my words\u2026 they\u2019re theirs.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t plan to see the movie. To say it\u2019s \u201cnot my cup of tea\u201d would be an understatement. The previews for 300<\/em> insulted my intelligence enough \u2026 I don\u2019t want to pay ten bucks to be insulted for two full hours. I didn\u2019t like Braveheart<\/em> \u2014 I thought that its many drawn-out scenes dazzling us with violence overpowered any thoughtful consideration of virtue. I staggered out of the theater disspirited and exhausted. Gladiator<\/em> served up more of the same (although there were moments when the film teased me with some interesting ideas). So I just don\u2019t think that 300<\/em> is going to be my cup of\u2026 my bucket of blood.<\/p>\n Claiming to give us a movie about \u201cfreedom,\u201d filmmakers are oh so glad to serve up hours and hours of gory imagery. Thus, audiences are immersed in entertainment that celebrates the tragic cost of freedom, while they come away with little or no appreciation for what freedom is, or the good that is purchased with such sacrifice<\/strong>. Is 300 one of those films? I can\u2019t say. I can only refer you to some of the responses that have seemed fairly persuasive.<\/p>\n Peter Suderman (ALARM!<\/a>) says, \u201cThe movie is basically Gladiator<\/em>\u2019s brain-damaged, steroidal, coked-up younger sibling \u2014 and not in a good way either. Yes, the digitally painted sets and heavily processed photography look fantastic, but that doesn\u2019t save the movie from ending up as little more than a blunt, witless exercise in dumb-as-rocks juvenile wish-fulfillment. This might have been fun, at least, except for the fact that its biggest sin is that it\u2019s boring. Honestly, how could such glorious depravity be so utterly yawn inducing?\u201d<\/p>\n Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service<\/a>) says, \u201cMost of the film is shot in sepia tones, striking at first, but soon becoming tiresome. Leonidas and his impossibly buffed soldiers facing off against digitalized weapons, strange creatures, and seemingly thousands of enemy troops, though the pervasive battlefield violence is somewhat tempered by the often genuinely artful cinematography.\u201d<\/p>\n Via GreenCine Daily<\/a>, I found these two perspectives: Matt Singer (IFC News<\/a>): \u201c[E]ven though 300<\/em>\u2018s visual style moves beyond simply looking good into a stylishness and pictorial beauty rarely equaled in genre pictures, its dumbness overwhelms its prettiness. If battle footage can be beautiful, some of it in 300 certainly is, but, oh how stupid everything surrounding it is.\u201d And Nathan Lee (The Village Voice<\/em><\/a>): \u201cLong ago there reigned a clan of Speedo-wearing militaristic psychopaths called the Spartans. \u2026 At once homophobic and homoerotic, 300<\/em> is finally, and hilariously, just hysterical.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenneth Turan (LA Times<\/em><\/a>) says, \u201cAt least in the short run, 300<\/em> is something to see, but unless you love violence as much as a Spartan, Quentin Tarantino or a video-game-playing teenage boy, you will not be endlessly fascinated.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Walls (Past the Popcorn<\/a>) finds all of this big screen dismemberment and sex \u201cexhilarating.\u201d \u201cFilmed using the same technique as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow<\/em>, and the previously released adaptation of Miller\u2019s Sin City, the film\u2019s visuals are hyper-real. It\u2019s a technique that works wonderfully for the film. Had the battle scenes been filmed more realistically, like those in Gladiator<\/em> or Braveheart<\/em>, the action itself would have had to be based more in reality, and it would not have been nearly as exhilarating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Lawrence Toppman (Charlotte Observer<\/em><\/a>) is similarly impressed. \u201c300<\/em> is a huge step forward in visually sophisticated storytelling.\u201d Okay, so it\u2019s visually sophisticated. But shouldn\u2019t we care about what purpose all of this sophistication serves?<\/strong><\/p>\n Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk<\/a>) does not share Toppman\u2019s enthusiasm. \u201c300<\/em> spends most of its running time showing is not the origins of freedom, nor the bravery of fighting men, but a \u2018grotesque spectacle\u2019 demonstrating how we pursue our basic instincts: survival, sex and a thirst for brutal, bloody entertainment. \u2026 Visually compelling but saddled with a flat script, [the movie] is a loud, furious view of early warfare \u2013 a shell of a great tale that, for a brief time, covers its weaknesses with striking images. But the bottom falls out early, leading to a punishing sit for those who aren\u2019t interested primarily in seeing the myriad methods of death for ancient warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam R. Holz (Plugged In<\/a>) testifies: \u201cI watched as scores of moviegoers (mostly men) walked to their cars laughing and pounding each other on the back. You\u2019d have thought we\u2019d all just seen Top Gun <\/em>for the first time. Such is the influence of the latest big-screen Frank Miller adaptation, a hyper-violent, hyper-masculine ode to honor and duty by way of blood, blood and more blood. Did I mention the blood?\u201d<\/p>\n Some are finding political commentary in the film, such as \u201cDavid Kahane\u201d of The New Republic<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there\u2019s already some buzz<\/a> about what Zack Snyder might do to \u201csucker punch\u201d audiences next time.<\/p>\n The Ultimate Gift <\/strong><\/em>is the latest Christian movie to win a wide release. Once again, mainstream critics and Christian film critics are challenged to give the film a fair review without coming across as propagandists or belief-bashers.<\/p>\n Last time Christianity Today\u2019s film critics made some critical remarks about the flaws in a certain Christian movie, they got in all kinds of trouble. But they\u2019re sticking to their commitment to excellence. And so, here\u2019s Carolyn Arends (CT Movies<\/a>), with her thoughts on The Ultimate Gift<\/em>:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ultimate Gift <\/em>\u2026 aims to be just the sort of movie Christians pine for. Lovingly crafted to engage the viewer in an exploration of what truly matters in life, to gently invite a contemplation of faith as a source of meaning, and to inspire hope in even the most tragic circumstances, this film has its heart absolutely in the right place. If only it were a bit more entertaining. Like sensible woolen socks in a ribbon-wrapped package, The Ultimate Gift <\/em>may be good for you, but it\u2019s a little hard to get excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n She has a lot more to say about where it falls short, and where it works.<\/p>\n David DiCerto (Catholic News Service<\/a>) is more impressed than Arends. \u201cThough it has a made-for-TV movie feel to it, [Gift<\/em>] avoids excessive sentimentality as it imparts positive messages about gratitude, forgiveness, family and altruism that overcome its uneven script and some average performances\u2026. The film is one of the better titles to be released under the admirable Fox Faith banner, delivering reasonably well on its promise to provide \u2018quality, inspirational and spiritual entertainment.'\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Shannon (The Seattle Times<\/a><\/em>), who was one of the few mainstream critics to applaud The Last Sin Eater<\/em>, qualifies that rave in his review of The Ultimate Gift<\/em>: \u201cA month ago, I wrote a lenient review of \u2026 The Last Sin Eater<\/em>, if only because spiritually substantial movies strike me as a welcomed alternative to worthless garbage like Norbit<\/em>. \u2026 The Ultimate Gift<\/em> is equally praiseworthy for resolving a spiritual crisis with honorable values.\u201d<\/p>\n But then Shannon admits that this Gift<\/em> is \u201cblandly appealing and timidly reluctant to offend \u2026 an average Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie, just \u2018Jesus\u2019 enough to make it palatable to non-Christians \u2026 comforting, predictable and safe, and impossible to watch without being constantly aware of how it could be improved.\u201d<\/p>\n Shannon says that if the film wanted to offer a powerful Christian message, it should have made the main character\u2019s ordeal \u201ctruly threatening and genuinely transformative, but that doesn\u2019t happen in a movie that can\u2019t convincingly challenge the faith it supports.\u201d<\/p>\n Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk<\/a>) sums it up: \u201cThe Ultimate Gift<\/em> has a great message which might well be used as an evangelism tool. Those who enjoy Hallmark-style fare will certainly appreciate it. It\u2019s also appropriate for anyone looking to instigate talk about the deeper issues of life.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam R. Holz (Plugged In<\/em><\/a>) says, \u201cMovies that deliberately try to deliver a narrowly focused message or moral often fail. Their stories sometimes feel clunky and self-serving. The acting can be sketchy. And they can choose to wield a 10-pound sledge, when they really only need a 2-pound hammer. The Ultimate Gift <\/em>doesn\u2019t always avoid these pitfalls, but it does manage to choose the right mallet.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Walls (Past the Popcorn<\/a>) writes, \u201cThe Ultimate Gift<\/em>, with it\u2019s in-your-face life lessons and relatively modest production values\u2014not to mention a child dying of leukemia\u2014felt more like an after school special than a theatrical feature film. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every bit of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeannette Catsoulis (The New York Times<\/a><\/em>) did not <\/em>enjoy every bit of it. \u201cReeking of self-righteousness and moral reprimand, The Ultimate Gift<\/em> is a hairball of good-for-you filmmaking.\u201d<\/p>\n But Mark Olsen (Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/em>) shows more mercy. \u201cThe film\u2019s values are fairly well encoded into the story, such that it feels less like a sermon and more like a film with a good, if somewhat sappy, heart.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find more mainstream responses to the film here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mira Nair made a fantastic, memorable, inspiring film called Monsoon Wedding<\/em>.<\/p>\n Then she made a visually sumptuous but ultimately disappointing adaptation of Vanity Fair <\/em>(during which I was engaged only by the supporting performance of Romola Garai).<\/p>\n Now, she\u2019s directed The Namesake<\/strong><\/em>, and critics are celebrating her again.<\/p>\n Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service<\/a>) says it \u201cholds your interest right up to its emotionally devastating two-hankie conclusion. \u2026 Nair\u2019s uplifting and beautiful film encapsulates all the important elements of our humanity so deftly that watching it almost offers the palpable essence of life itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Mainstream critics<\/a> are moved by Nair\u2019s \u201cdelicate\u201d adaptation. GreenCine Daily<\/a> has collected links to several thoughtful reviews. In The New Republic<\/em><\/a>, Louis Wittig writes, \u201cThe Namesake <\/em>is an exquisite novel of a movie \u2014 uncluttered and emotionally comprehensive, lush with behavioral detail\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the Gates<\/strong><\/em> revisits the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, an event that many moviegoers did not notice until they saw Terry George\u2019s powerful Hotel Rwanda <\/em>a few years ago. Michael Caton-Jones\u2019s movie, which was released outside of America last year under the title Shooting Dogs<\/em>, stars John Hurt as a Catholic priest. Through this character\u2019s eyes, the nightmare is cast in a light that reveals the spiritual conflict in the midst of the bloodshed.<\/p>\n Stephen Holden (New York Times<\/a><\/em>) writes that the film addresses \u201cthe question of religious and spiritual faith in the face of genocide. What is true faith, and how much horror does it take to erode it? Can a reasonable person still believe in God amid the slaughter of 800,000 people? Does reason have anything to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick Schager (Slant<\/em><\/a>) begins his review like this: \u201cNot a definitive cinematic statement on the Rwandan genocide but certainly a far preferable dramatic treatment of the atrocity than Hotel Rwanda<\/em>, Beyond the Gates <\/em>tackles its true story \u2026 with the type of blunt realism absent from Terry George\u2019s celebrated 2004 Don Cheadle vehicle. Director Michael Caton-Jones shoots with a rough-around-the-edges griminess that brings urgency to his tale\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films<\/a>) compares it to Hotel Rwanda <\/em>and says Beyond the Gates<\/em> is \u201ca rawer, more pitiless film offering less reassurance and more outrage at the diffidence of the Western world in the face of the Rwandan genocide.\u201d He concludes that it is \u201cmost worth seeing for its uncompromising portrait of an episode more representative of the Rwandan genocide than the events depicted in Hotel Rwanda<\/em>. At the same time, Beyond the Gates<\/em> offers little insight into the Hutu or Tutsi experience, little depth to match the courage of its convictions.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service<\/a>) says it \u201ctowers above most current films, with even the more worthy ones seeming like fluff in comparison. It\u2019s a gripping film about one of recent history\u2019s most regrettable episodes: the international community\u2019s failure to come to the aid of the thousands of men, women and children who lost their lives during the Rwandan genocide. \u2026 Hurt \u2014 in real life, a clergyman\u2019s son and monk\u2019s brother \u2014 gives a wonderfully committed and believable performance, and Dancy \u2026 convincingly conveys the growing horror and disillusionment of his character.\u201d<\/p>\n Denny Wayman (Cinema in Focus<\/a>) offers a post-viewing discussion guide for the film.<\/p>\n Mainstream critics<\/a> are offering a wide variety of responses.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a piece<\/a> that ran in The Guardian <\/em>about co-writer and producer David Belton, and his experience in making the film. And here\u2019s another<\/a> about some of the trouble that the filmmakers stirred up during production.<\/p>\n Park Hee-bong (played by Byun Hee-bong) is too old for this @#$%.<\/p>\n He has just enough energy to run a snack bar and take care of his two sons, his daughter, and his granddaughter.<\/p>\n But when a mutant creature, the most dangerous piece of sushi you\u2019ve ever seen, rises from the Han River to wreak Godzilla-scale havoc, Hee-bong must lead his family in a dangerous rescue mission to rescue his daughter.<\/p>\n Sounds like a formulaic monster movie\u2026 but it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Bob Smithouser (Plugged In<\/a><\/em>) says, \u201cLike all good science fiction The Host <\/em>is about more than meets the eye: Government smoke-screens. Confronting demons of our own making. What being a family really means. Despite dragging a bit before the final, bittersweet act, The Host<\/em>\u2018s ebb and flow of intense chases, lighter moments and pathos is effective \u2026 and moving.\u201d<\/p>\n I could share a few of the most memorable mainstream reviews with you, but my word\u2026 GreenCine Daily<\/a> has already done a better job than I could. (Although Anthony Lane\u2019s relentless sense of humor makes his review<\/a> worthy of special mention.)<\/p>\n Days of Glory<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ll let Greg Wright tell you about this Days of Glory<\/strong><\/em>, since he\u2019s singing the movie\u2019s praises from the rooftops.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat veteran French director Rachid Bouchareb offers straight up is high-quality visual, aural, and narrative believability,\u201d raves Greg Wright (Past the Popcorn<\/a>). \u201cIt\u2019s arresting\u2026. Where Days of Glory<\/em> sets itself apart, though\u2014and, my gosh! with what power!\u2014is in its performances. You may never have heard of any of these actors before, but you\u2019ll wish you\u2019d been watching them for years. Each of them has a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as long as your arm, and each has the chops, charisma, and screen presence to hold you spellbound.\u201d<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t stop there. Get this! \u201cIf you only drag yourself out to see one foreign-language film every decade, make it this one.\u201d<\/p>\n I think that qualifies as a \u2018thumbs way, way, way up.\u2019<\/p>\n Mainstream reviews are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Tailenders<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Doug Cummings (Filmjourney.org<\/a>), who has become one of the most adventurous explorers in the moviegoing world, has discovered The Tailenders<\/strong><\/em>. He writes:<\/p>\n Adele Horne\u2019s examination of Global Recordings Network (GRN), an evangelical Christian organization devoted to spreading the gospel to the \u201ctailenders\u201d of world evangelism \u2014 people in the remotest regions of the world \u2014 is a provocative and beautifully constructed examination of how messages are carried, translated, and received. It is not a critical expos\u00e9 of GRN, but a thoughtful montage of cultural, sociological, and economic questions raised by their activities.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here\u2019s a summary description<\/a> of the film.<\/p>\n This sounds fascinating. It\u2019s not often that we see a fair and thoughtful consideration of missionary work on film. I\u2019d love to see this shown on a Christian university campus to provoke discussion about what it means to \u201cspread the Gospel.\u201d Or perhaps\u2026 to discuss what not <\/em>to do.<\/p>\n More reviews of recent releases<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Lives of Others:<\/strong><\/em> John Podheretz<\/a> raves and raves about The Lives of Others<\/em>.<\/p>\n And America quickly decides to remake it<\/a>. Hmmm. I wonder if it\u2019ll qualify for Best Picture at an upcoming Oscar ceremony, now that Americans<\/em> are making it.<\/p>\n The Departed:<\/strong><\/em> Cineaste<\/em><\/a> <\/em>has an essay on Gangs of New York <\/em>and The Departed<\/em>, and how Scorsese is dealing with race issues in those films.<\/p>\n Amazing Grace:<\/strong><\/em> Here\u2019s a site I haven\u2019t linked before: The World Socialist Web Site<\/a>. Why? Well, it\u2019s all part of my attempt to share all kinds of perspectives on Michael Apted\u2019s Amazing Grace<\/em>. Here\u2019s what the WSWS says: \u201cThe creators of Amazing Grace <\/em>have performed a service in calling attention to a significant historical period and one of its most worthy representatives. With clean, tight images and deep commitment, the film brings to life a figure who was a friend of US President James Madison and hailed as an inspiration by Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.\u201d<\/p>\n And Mark Steyn<\/a> is writing about Wilberforce this week\u2026 the man, not the movie.<\/p>\n Taste of Cherry:<\/strong><\/em> David Lowery<\/a> on Abbas Kiarostami\u2019s Taste of Cherry<\/em>. (Caution: He gets a bit spoilerish about the film\u2019s last big surprise.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.rottentomatoes.com\/images\/movie\/custom\/03\/1170203.jpg\")
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\n300<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.rottentomatoes.com\/images\/movie\/custom\/66\/1173966.jpg\")
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\nThe Ultimate Gift<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"<\/p>\n<p>\"](\"http:\/\/images.rottentomatoes.com\/images\/movie\/allposters\/mmpo\/505251_rt.jpg\")
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\nThe Namesake<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.rottentomatoes.com\/images\/movie\/custom\/44\/1172544.jpg\")
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\nBeyond the Gates<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.rottentomatoes.com\/images\/movie\/custom\/92\/1169392.jpg\")
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\nThe Host <\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n