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jpoling3
Reviews
The Gospel (2005)
Surprise!
This was by no means an outstanding movie, and if I didn't feel some professional obligation to see it (I'm a pastor) I probably would have passed. But then I would have missed out on a solid film telling a compelling story with some fine acting and even better music.
Yes, many of the characters are two-dimensional, and yes, the plot is predictable. But that's because it's telling an old, old story. Within that old, old story a variety of subplots bring up real-life issues in families, workplaces, churches...and excuses to bring on some very fine black gospel music (as well as gospel adaptations of popular "white" tunes).
I'm not a pastor in the black church, so I can't speak to the back rooms of that culture, but I can say that most pastors of whatever stripe do face the lure to "bigger and better," whether it be budget or attendance or campus acreage or book sales or conference registrations. And the wives of pastors face the constant challenge of being both honest and supportive, without losing their own integrity in what's a very difficult environment.
I would definitely recommend this film; for all its shortcomings it is a powerful piece.
Stuey (2003)
Let me count the ways
How does this movie suck? As a fan of Michael Imperioli's work on The Sopranos I picked this up at Blockbuster based on his name and a story that sounded like it had promise. It still does, but this movie doesn't fulfill it.
Every turn of the story is entirely predictable; I kept looking for the Lifetime bug on the bottom right corner of the screen. It's all there: the noble woman coming out of hard times, the guy failing to live up to his potential despite her best efforts, the kid who gets stuck in the middle, etc., etc., etc. The mysterious stranger's identity is what really made me want to throw stuff at the TV -- I would have been more satisfied with little Stuey waking up and realizing it was all a dream.
The filmmakers may as well have had a "The moral of the story is..." bit before the credits, since as another reviewer pointed out this thing really does roll like an afterschool special. Don't gamble, don't drink, don't do drugs, stay with your wife, spend time with your kids...come on, how about a little nuance? How about some interesting bad guys? Writer/director A.W. Vidmer should be singled out for special notice: not only is the dialogue leaden, the pacing (within dialogue and at either end of many scenes) makes this movie at least 45 minutes longer than it needs to be (and believe me, it feels like longer). The talents of Imperioli, Renee Faia and some of the supporting cast (Steve Schirripa, natch) are the only things that keep this from a "1" rating. All of their good work is nearly offset, though, by the atrocious job of portraying the boy Stuey. Not sure if it was a casting mistake (hey -- it's a mob movie, so let's cast someone from Blue's Clues who can't do anything but over-overact with a big fake grin...next let's cast the sullen, brooding kid in the Disney flick) or just awful directing but those scenes are really painful to watch.
I'd be interested in another filmmaker's take on this character and his story; it's a shame Imperioli has already been used up by this flick. Awful, awful, awful.
Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (1973)
One thing is needful
As a period piece, I understand from others that this is a worthwhile representation of the hippie era. (I was born only a year before the movie's release.) As a representation of the Gospel, it's missing one big thing: context.
As a dramatization of the parables, I suppose Godspell has its qualities. But what modern-day viewers can miss is the cultural context in which Jesus' parables were told. Apart from the intrusion of the Pharasaic robot-monster and cop cars at the end, there's no sign in Godspell that Jesus came at a place and time in history and taught in a way that aligned with some elements of his culture and violated others (both style and content). There's no reason for the crucifixion in this movie unless you know the story behind it; it just pops up with an awkward voice-over of the rationale.
Many comments have contrasted Godspell with Jesus Christ, Superstar; the latter really does bring out the element of opposition that Jesus faced, however cheesy its other elements were.
Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly (2000)
The show is funnier
Not bad, but not nearly as good as his later work, especially the TV show on Comedy Central. "Undercover Brother" is when he really broke out and became ridiculously funny. In this one he seems nervous, not completely on top of the crowd as he seems to be in the studio bits of his show. Appears to be pulling punches a bit, even -- definitely not like what he does on the show.
Still, some of the funniest stuff out there, and like his fellow genius Chris Rock not nearly as egregiously foulmouthed as others like Eddie Griffin.
"Sesame Street" bit alone is worth the price of rental -- I see the Count in a whole new light.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
An abomination
This movie is what happens when someone with an oversized ego has way too much money and nobody to tell him he's off the wall. The ending was absurd, even more so than the rest of the film. "AI" and "Episode 1" will go down in history as object lessons.