Courageous in theatres today

COURAGEOUS_FINALPoster (1)

Courageous, a movie from the makers of Fireproof, opens in theatres today. The movie follows four law enforcement officers who struggle with work, life, families, and fatherhood. The following is a synopsis from the movie's website: "Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: … [Read more...]

DVD Review: Source Code

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan in Source Code

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Source Code, a sci-fi suspense film with an incredible storyline. Gyllenhaal plays the role of Colter Stephens, an army captain who finds himself trapped in the body of a man he does not recognize, while seated on a commuter train headed for Chicago. In front of him is a woman who appears to know him. They chat for eight minutes, and then poof! It's all gone. For certain, director Duncan Jones has a knack for blending mystery and disturbing claustrophobia with his … [Read more...]

‘Suing the Devil’ #2 indie film at box office

Suing the Devil cover

The Christian film 'Suing the Devil' opened August 26 and has taken second spot at the indie box office. The film is described as a Christian thriller and was written and directed by Harvard alumnus Tim Chey. In the film, Bart Bronsen plays Luke O'Brien, a janitor turned law student who decides he will sue Satan (played by Malcolm McDowell) for the sum of $8 trillion dollars. O'Brien is surprised when Satan actually shows up to defend himself with a team of the country's 10 best trial lawyers. … [Read more...]

Film Review: Of Gods and Men

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Of Gods and Men  Directed by Xavier Beauvois Starring Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale & Oliver Rabourdin   Of Gods and Men tells the story of several French monks who lived in Algeria and were part of the local community there until they were abducted by an Islamist militia in 1996. The monks eventually died under mysterious and controversial circum-stances --— were they killed by their abductors, or were they killed by the army during a botched rescue attempt? — … [Read more...]

Tron Legacy

Tron Legacy

As for Tron Legacy – in which a man named Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is zapped into cyberspace by a villainous computer program (Jeff Bridges), while looking for his long-lost father Kevin (Bridges again) – space does not permit much analysis here. But suffice it to say that one of the key themes of the original film – the quasi-religious relationship between programs and the ‘users’ who created them – is almost entirely missing here. And the special effects are nowhere near as … [Read more...]

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Voyage of the Dawn Treader Cover

Two films about people who get dragged into another world against their will came out in the weeks before Christmas. Both films were sequels to movies with strong messianic overtones. And both films were somewhat disappointing, albeit to different degrees. For my money, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a better film than Tron Legacy; but as of this writing, it seems audiences might disagree. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The first … [Read more...]

Deathly Hallows a grim prelude to Harry Potter’s final battle

Voldemort and Harry Potter

By now, it has become routine for critics and audiences to greet a new Harry Potter movie by saying it is 'darker' than the ones that came before it. And yes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is certainly the darkest of the seven films released so far. Unlike the previous films, which rarely killed more than one good guy at a time -- and usually at a suitably climactic moment – the new film kills and wounds the friends and family of Harry, Ron and Hermione right from its opening … [Read more...]

Duvall’s Get Low subtle and moving, but not big on faith

Get Low

Another decade, another Robert Duvall movie with a religious connection. In the 1980s, Duvall won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic country singer who finds God -- and a second chance at a family and a career -- in Tender Mercies. In the 1990s, he was nominated for yet another Oscar for his portrayal of a Pentecostal preacher on the lam in The Apostle -- a film that he wrote, directed and financed with his own money. And now, there is Get Low -- which technically belongs to the 2000s, … [Read more...]

Avatar more than just an awesome thrill ride

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There is a lot that can – and will – be said about Avatar over the next few months. The latest sprawling epic from Titanic director James Cameron is a technical marvel and, at times, an awesome thrill ride. It also has the clunky dialogue and simplistic political and philosophical posturing that we have come to expect from his later efforts. And already there is much talk about the film’s chances at the Academy Awards in March. For now, two points stand out for me. First, perhaps … [Read more...]

YWAM’s Rwanda film is a challenging work of art

Munyurangabo

If you are reading this paper while it’s still hot off the presses, then here’s a tip: get to the VanCity Theatre as fast as you can and catch Munyurangabo, a stirring independent film, made in Rwanda, that is playing at that theatre for a few days until November 30. If you miss the film’s Vancouver premiere, don’t worry; the film, which has been making its way around the festival circuit for the past two and a half years, also came out on DVD several weeks ago. So, one way or … [Read more...]