New on DVD, these three films deserve some commentary. “La Vie en Rose” is probably one of the most moving biopics I have seen. Directed and co-written by Olivier Dahan, it is the “extraordinary life of Edith Piaf”, the French singer whose voice is the aural tradmark of Paris. Not only is her life and talent extremely well portrayed by Marion Cotillard (Marion in Big Fish), but the direction and non-linear narrative keeps the viewer online for the almost 2 1/2... Read more

I am probably the last film reviewer to see writer/director Tony Gilroy’s (The Bourne Trilogy) Michael Clayton and I admit to seeing it at the discount theater here in Culver City. Although it reflects the creative influence of George Clooney and pal Steven Soderbergh – and a hit of last summer’s legal drama Damages – Michael Clayton is a riveting look at the ethics in the legal profession within the context of globalized food production and personal morality. Clooney plays Michael... Read more

Now beginning its third weekend, I finally got to see Disney’s charming ENCHANTED, starring Dr. McDreamy – Patrick Dempsey of Grey’s Anatomy as Robert, Amy Adams as Giselle, James Mardsen as Prince Edward, Susan Sarandon as the evil stepmother Queen Narissa, and Rachel Covey as Morgan, Robert’s daughter.   Adams, Mardsen, and Sarandon all exist in all of Disney’s Wonderlands collapsed together. Sarandon/Narissa doesn’t want Adams to marry her step-son the Prince because she will lose her queenship as a result. So she... Read more

Media Mindfulness Strategy for The Golden Compass   As a media literacy education specialist I know that a media mindfulness strategy can be very helpful when analyzing books and films such as The Golden Compass.  By simply asking and answering these four questions below, families can make an informed decision about seeing the film and once they see it, talk about it in meaningful ways with young people. Catechists and religion teachers can also use this strategy as a means... Read more

New Line Cinema’s latest contribution to the fantasy film genre is director/writer Chris Weitz’s (About a Boy) The Golden Compass, based on the 1995 award-winning book of the same title by Phillip Pullman. New Line was the studio behind director Peter Jackson’s interpretation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, and it may have another hit trilogy on its hands, beginning with The Golden Compass.   The Golden Compass is Book I of Pullman’s His... Read more

This will be a brief entry because I don’t have much time but I saw No country for Old Men yesterday. It was an afternoon showing in the  suburbs; I think it was senior citizen day. On the way out of the theater I overheard an older woman saying to her husband (I think): “Next time I get to pick the movie!” Another woman said, “I have no idea what that movie was about.” And then the two older ladies... Read more

Champions of Faith: Baseball is one of the best documentaries in recent years. On November 4, 2007 it won a CIMA (Catholics in Media) Award for documentary film. I just received an email with a link to a special offer for bulk orders of this wonderful DVD (excellent for middle-school kids through adults of all ages). What a meaningful Christmas gift this will make for you, your family and friends – for anyone teaching Confirmation classes, too. Instead of a gift... Read more

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Several years ago a few folks who love theology, spirituality, and film, started a yahoo group called Cine&Media. In typical technology overload fashion, I forgot my password and the list and languished a bit for lack of management. However, my technology-enduced brain cloud lifted and I remembered! If you are interested in joining out group (you can sign up for a daily digest or individual emails when people post), please do the following: Go yo www.yahoogroups.com Search... Read more

Jeffrey Overstreet, moderator; Rev. Peter Malone, Claudia Puig, Eleonora Granata, Jonathan Bock, panelists. On Sunday, October 28, 2007, Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA; www.CatholicsInMedia.org) and Open Call (http://home.catholicweb.com/OpenCall/) sponsored an panel discussion event during the City of Angels Film Festival (www.cityofangelsfilmfest.org) at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. The event was a panel conversation entitled: “Where’s the Love? The Movie Critic vs. the Religious Audience.” As one of the panelists, Rev. Peter Malone, MSH, past president of SIGNIS (www.signis.net),... Read more

“Lars and the Real Girl” is my favorite film of the year so far. Written by Nancy Oliver (who also penned several episodes of Six Feet Under) and directed by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock), Lars is a complete surprise. Lars (Ryan Gosling) moves back home but lives in the garage while his brother and sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) live in the family house. Lars, dreadfully shy, insists on living alone. Their father has died, and we discover that their mother died... Read more