Little Talks

After being dumped by her rich, successful boyfriend, Elle decides to prove that she is more than just a trophy or a pretty face. So she studies her hardest and, using her own unique "skills" and characteristics, she manages to get into Harvard School of Law. The story really isn't that complicated. She struggles, but actually managed to put in a lot of hard work. She doesn't fit in at first, but she gains some friendship, especially from her ex's new fiancé. One of her professors chooses her to be one of his select interns to help with his current case. Thanks to her way of seeing things, and her unusually thorough knowledge of celebrity and beauty, Elle realizes that the woman whom they are defending in court has, in fact, been wrongfully arrested for the murder of her husband. And, as with all chick flicks, she realizes that she doesn't still love her ex, and falls for her professor's firm partner. There are also a couple of small side plots. The firs...

After my break from blogging, I'm back. I think the idea of having to write a post about this movie is part of what kept me away for so long.  How does one discuss such an iconic piece of history on film? The Passion of the Christ  is about the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, beginning with his temptation in the Garden of Gethsemanee. If you don't know the story, I'd suggest reading it in the Bible (some good places to look: Mark 14-16, John 18-20, Luke 22-24 & Matthew 26-28). However, if that seems like too much work, I can summarize. In the garden, Jesus is tempted by the devil to disobey God's commandment to sacrifice himself on the cross. The disciples are supposed to be praying for him, staying awake with him on his last night, but they keep falling asleep. Then Judas leads soldiers to Jesus, identifying him by kissing him. He is then tried by the Jewish leaders for falsely claiming to be the saviour and for his preaching and performi...

The Death of Ivan Ilych  by Leo Tolstoy This is a  (long) short story that begins with a number of middle-aged men who work in the Russian court learning about the death is their co-worker Ivan Ilych. None of them seem too put off by his death. Both he and his "friends" are very shallow, focussed on work, status, wealth, and possessions. The story then goes back to the beginning of Ivan's life and recounts how he met his wife and had a family, and how he caused his illness. The pages are mostly taken up with Ivan's slow degeneration, and his change in mental state. It is a very psychological piece, focussing on Ivan's fear, pity, anger, pain, and finally acceptance as he moves toward death. There is also a focus on Ivan's relationship with others. He gets farther from his wife and daughter, who are mad at him for his suffering and who only care about the temporary. Meanwhile, he learns to care for his son and his servant, who understand him and try to he...

A Midsummer Night's Dream  by William Shakespeare Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing to marry his Amazonian love, Hyppolita. Hernia wants to marry Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius and Lysander are both in love with Hermia, but Theseus says that the laws state that Hermia must obey he father's wishes. Helena loves Demetrius, even though he scorned her some time ago. No one love Helena, except her best friend Hermia. Lysander and Hermia plan to marry in secret, Demetrius goes to stop them after Helena reveals their planned, and Helena follows hoping that Demetrius will fall in love with her, or at least be thankful that she helped him to he his love back. An acting company is practicing their play for the wedding ceremony, but they do it out in the woods so people can't spy. Oberon, the fairy king, and Tirania, the fairy queen, are fighting over Totania's new changeling boy, so the forest, weather and the fairy world are messed up (...

Where does one even begin when discussing this movie? First of all, I'm guessing a lot of people are unfamiliar with this movie. Anyone I've ever tried to speak to about this movie had no idea what it was, so perhaps I should begin by explaining what it's about. Walker  is a semi-fictionalised account of the life of William Walker, the Grey-Eyed Man of Destiny, and his Immortals. Spurred on by the loss of his fiancé, Walker and his motley band of mercenaries are sent to Nicaragua to end a civil war and create what will essentially be a puppet government of the United States. Cornelius Vanderbuilt, a wealthy American businessman, funds the expedition in hopes of being able to gain control of trade routes through the country. Walker and his small military group enter the country shooting, and don't ever really stop firing until half of their people and the Nicaraguans are dead, and the rest of them leave and abandon the country. Honestly, that's really all it is. I ...

And now for something completely different. A lot of my recent posts have been about superhero movies, but I'm not just a one-trick pony (not sure if that was the best use of that saying, but I stand by my choice).  War Room  is a faith-centred movie brought to you by the people who made C ourageous and Fireproof. It focuses on the power of prayer, especially in the most difficult circumstances. Most importantly, it highlights the power of putting God first in everything you do. Tony and Elizabeth are married with a young daughter, but Tony is cheating on his wife, ignoring his family, putting all his focus on work and turning away from his faith. Elizabeth, meanwhile, realizes how both her husband's and her own behaviour are destroying their family. She is a real estate agent and through her job she meets Ms. Clara, a widow looking to move in with her son and his family. Ms. Clara helps her realize how important prayer is by showing Elizabeth her war room in which she strateg...