Pan’s Labyrinth
Audio Review by James Harleman (contains spoilers)

“Is there real immortality and real magic? I believe there is… I believe they are a spiritual reality that is as tangible and as real as the material world… Only those that KNOW where to look - only those that have the right GAZE - can see it.”
– Guillermo Del Toro

The film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it received a 98% rating at Metacritic, making it Metacritic’s fourth highest rated movie of all time. At the Cannes Film Festival release, it received a standing ovation. Clearly, it made an impression. After viewing the film at a Cinemagogue event with a large audience, I unpacked the underlying themes in Guillermo’s beautiful story, using many of the artists own words.

To Director Guillermo Del Toro, the film represents “Violence and fantasy – how the “real” material world scoffs at the girl’s interest in the fantasy world.” There are differing ideas about the film’s religious influences. Del Toro himself has said that he considers Pan’s Labyrinth “a truly profane film, a layman’s riff on Catholic dogma”, but that his friend Alejandro González Iñárritu described it as “a truly Catholic film”. Del Toro’s explanation is “once a Catholic, always a Catholic”.

What does this story intimate about “reality”, our belief in what lies beyond the material world? Does Ofelia invent a fantasy world to escape the horrible realities of life that surround her in 1944 after the Spanish Civil War? OR… are her eyes open to a world that is deeper and wider, beyond her understanding but ultimately offering, hope, escape, and immortality? More importantly, what does this say about us? Is our assumption of the material world as “reality” the true fantasy?

Del Toro: “That moment of putting away our toys and giving up our childhood is a profound, melancholy moment.”

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” – Jesus (Luke ch.18)

You can listen right here by clicking the play button above.
You can also listen to the audio in another browser by clicking on the link below, or right click and “save as” to download the mp3. For those options, click here.

A review of THE BIG LEBOWSKI
by Elliot Strong
starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman
directed by Joel Coen
Rated R

His words are quoted, books have been written about him, gatherings are arranged in his honor, and the image of his long hair and flowing robes are legendary. Welcome to the modern cult of The Big Lebowski.

For those uninitiated, Jeff Bridges does not play the ‘Big Lebowski’ in the titular 1998 movie. While the ‘Big’ Lebowski is a millionaire living in his Pasadena mansion, Bridges is Jeffrey Lebowski, aka ‘The Dude’—or ‘El Duderino’ if you’re not into the whole brevity thing—an aging (and unemployed) hippie who lives a modest life in his Venice, California, bungalow. It seems as if this was the role that Bridges was born to play. He even used much of his own wardrobe to outfit himself for the movie.

Released to a tepid critical response and quickly becoming a borderline box-office failure (or “bomb” as some like to call it), The Big Lebowski went on to achieve what I would consider to be the definition of a cult classic. Knowledge of Joel and Ethan Coen’s strange tribute to Los Angeles has been spread by word of mouth, DVD sales, and home-viewing parties. Like all cult classics, it has taken on a life of its own. The film has gone on to spawn books, festivals held in various cities, innumerable online tribute videos, and even a religion.

Set in the Los Angeles area in 1991, The Dude roams the Earth with his two friends—Walter (John Goodman), a brash Vietnam war veteran, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a meek and often befuddled man—in search of justice, the perfect White Russian cocktail and diversionary games of bowling (sadly, we never actually get to see The Dude bowl). What is this movie about? Well, it’s hard to explain, though I’ve seen this film more times than any other movie in my life. While it seems like almost everyone in the known universe has seen this once-obscure movie, I still run into people that have not seen it and therefore deserves some explanation.

Basically, a rug that “really ties the room together” is stolen from The Dude’s bungalow, precipitating a massive undertaking to recover or replace it. This involves, among other things, confronting the wealthy “Big” Lebowski, becoming involved in an elaborate hostage-negotiation scheme, and German Nihilists. It’s an absurd premise, which results in quite possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen.

Broadly tracking the plotline of The Big Sleep, The Dude and his colorful cast of compatriots work to unravel the misfortunes that have been forced upon him by a simple misunderstanding due to his last name of Lebowski. It turns out his rug was stolen as payment due to some henchmen confusing one Lebowski for another, no matter how different their lives may be. The story unravels from there, pushing The Dude and company towards further encounters with a variety of antagonists (predominantly embodied by Peter Stormare’s excellent Nihilist #1) and the occasional potential ally.

The Coens based some of the characters and incidents in the film on people and anecdotes they had encountered while in Los Angeles. The Dude and Walter are both composite characters; The Dude draws heavily off producer Jeff Dowd and Walter from writer and notorious Hollywood conservative John Milius. The movie is more of a study of the idiosyncratic characters introduced rather than driven by its plot. Walter and Donny serve as The Dude’s de facto family in the absence of any other apparent family structure in the world he inhabits. Even within their threesome, relationships are strained, but outside of the pack no one is trustworthy.

So what is it about this movie that attracts its faithful adherents, and what makes film aficionados remember it fondly rather than just as another commercial flop from a decade ago? (more…)

A review of THE DARK KNIGHT
by James Harleman
starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
directed by Christopher Nolan
Rated PG-13

“This is not a dance…”

Actor Liam Neeson spoke these words to a weary Bruce Wayne in the first act of Batman Begins. Rather than simply criticizing the balletic fight moves of a man who would become Batman, the statement seemed to speak more deeply about the film itself, which took a deviation from the choreographed, “beautiful” battles of recent superhero and action fare, steering the movie in the direction of fierce scraps with a heavy script. This was not Iron Man. Batman Began BOLDY, and the world took note of it’s brooding, philosophical edge (audio review of Batman Begins appears below).

Still, by comparison , 2008’s summer smash The Dark Knight makes even Batman Begins look like a whimsical two-step.

When asked, my first response to what I thought of the film was “I feel like I got kicked in the head and stomach for two and a half hours”. Other keywords began to stir in my brain: lumbering, brutal, tiring, fearsome, depressing. Even agonizing. Most days, readers will think most of these words were intended to pepper a negative review. However, for a film wrestling with mankind’s lack of moral compass, the exhilarating anarchy of The Joker, and the heavy and seemingly unbearable weight of leadership, this movie - like it’s titular character - is exactly what it needs to be.

The story begins with a clown-masked bank robbery, unveiling the arch-nemesis Batman will be tangling with throughout the flick (played by the late Heath Ledger). However, The Dark Knight is not about the Joker, or Batman, but truly about Gotham City and its denizens. While the first movie dealt idealistically with whether or not Gotham should be saved, this installment is where the rubber Bat-Pod meets the road. Bruce Wayne’s lifelong friend and potential paramour Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is paired - in business and pleasure - with new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The photogenic yet genuine idealistic seeks to root out corruption inside the police department as well as removing the mob factions left in the city, who are beginning to band together. Even Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) sees Harvey’s white knight crusade pointing to a possible end for his own dark nights, carrot-dangling the possibility for a normal life.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
review by Caitlyn Stark
Rated PG

How many times have we not been able to wait on the perfect timing of the One who loves us? Cinemagogue reviewer Aaron Webb had another perspective on Prince Caspian, but family film reviewer Caitlyn Stark provides her own thoughts:

Prince Caspian is set one year after the Pevensie children stumble upon the land of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but it’s 1300 years later in Narnian time. In World War 2 England, the children are all coping with living in in the modern world in different ways: Lucy (Georgie Henley) is ever hopeful to return to Narnia; Edmond (Skander Keynes) still believes, yet is comfortable living back home; Susan (Anna Popplewell) is beginning to doubt, trying to move forward in England by pushing Narnia out of her head; but Peter (William Moseley) is having the hardest time, struggling to be a teenager boy again after being High King of Narnia for years.

Meanwhile, Caspian (Ben Barnes) is a young prince of the Telmarines whose uncle is coveting his throne. After his aunt gives birth to a son, Caspian flees for his life and ends up in the forest where he is taken in by Narnians, thought by the Telmarines to be extinct. The Narnians see how Caspian can save them from the oppression they have been living under for generations, and pledge their swords and their lives to fight for Caspian’s crown. Inadvertently, Caspian is able to find a way to pull the Pevensie children back into Narnia. When the Pevensies realize that they have returned to Narnia, they meet Trumpkin, a dwarf who watched Caspian blow the horn, they set out to meet up with Caspian. On the way, they discover that Narnia is a much different place then when they left: the Narnians are in hiding, animals who could once talk have forgotten how, and the trees who used to dance, have retreated into themselves, now standing still. The children soon make it to Caspian and they all prepare to fight the Telmarines for the freedom of Narnia.

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Audio Review of JUNO
by Pastor James Harleman

“I need to know that it’s possible that two people can stay happy together forever…”

Jason Reitman, the brilliant Director that gave us Thank You for Smoking, shot Juno in just 31 days. It was the highest-grossing film of all five Best Picture Oscar nominees (2008). Writer Diablo Cody won for the Award for Best Original Screenplay.

I know that, as a Christian, I’m expected to talk about the movie’s controversial handling of whether or not “all babies like to get borned…” but let’s be honest people, the baby is a macguffin; the real issues that this film gives birth to ultimately address finding one’s identity, and the seemingly hopeless nature of love.

“I’m just like losing my faith with humanity. I just wonder if two people can stay together for good.”

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child. While the movie focuses on the women, one real issue seems to be “what’s wrong with our men”? The men in the film don’t act, and at best REact. I unpacked this and other facets of the story at a local film event… (includes spoilers, watch film first!)

Listen right here by clicking the play button above.

You can also listen to the audio in another browser by clicking on the link below, or right click and “save as” to download the mp3. For those options, click here.

What does Pan’s Labyrinth say about “reality”, and our belief in what lies beyond the material world? Director Guillermo Del Toro, who will be directing The Hobbit and is about to unleash Hellboy 2: The Golden Army on multiplexes called this 2006 film a “spiritual sequel” to his thoughtful period piece The Devil’s Backbone.

There are differing ideas about the film’s religious influences. Del Toro himself has said that he considers Pan’s Labyrinth “a truly profane film, a layman’s riff on Catholic dogma”, but that his friend Alejandro González Iñárritu described it as “a truly Catholic film”. Del Toro’s explanation is “once a Catholic, always a Catholic”.

Cinemagogue’s monthly film event in Seattle will view the film in it’s entirety followed by an exploration of narrative themes and spiritual musings, of which this film has an endless supply. We’ll even reveal the truth of the story’s coffee-talk controversy - is the fantasy aspect real, or in the protagonist’s mind? If you look hard enough, the answer IS there, and Del Toro confirms it. Those local can join us Friday July 11, 7pm at Mars Hill Church’s Wedgwood Campus.

MISTER LONELY
review by Zach Malm
Starring Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant and Werner Herzog
Directed by Harmony Korine

It’s been at least a month since I saw Harmony Korine’s latest film, Mister Lonely, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s an odd, poetic, surprising work, and yet it still manages to be easily Korine’s most accessible film to date. It feels more structured than his previous two films, Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy (he also wrote Kids when he was 19), and demonstrates an increase in maturity.

Watching the film was a strange experience for me, and writing about it proves rather difficult (as practically ever review I’ve read makes pains to point out). The plot, which isn’t necessarily the focal point, is in two pieces, with neither explicitly intersecting the other. There are definite tonal connections, however, and I suspect Korine would rather have the audience draw their own connections than force them to accept whatever connections he sees.

The primary story revolves around a Spanish Michael Jackson impersonator living in Paris, though knowing little of the language. He meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, played by the always fantastic Samantha Morton, who convinces him to move to a sort of hippy commune inhabited solely by impersonators. She’s married to Charlie Chaplin, and their daughter is Shirley Temple. The commune is also home to the Pope, James Dean, Madonna, Sammy Davis, Jr., and a rather short-tempered Abraham Lincoln, among others.

The other story involves a group of skydiving nuns.

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WANTED
review by James Harleman
starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Rated R

It’s been the eternal question on no one’s lips: what would happen if The Matrix and Fight Club had a baby? At least now, we know it would be Wanted… a high octane, man-up, power to the people bootstrap bonanza that embraces its utter absurdity with relish.

Y2K was in full swing, and movies were both fun roller coasters and bleak commentary all at the same time. It was 1999, and two anthem movies for men hit the market: The Wachowski Brothers blended conversion, Christ, and Buddhism into a magnum opus Matrix that fueled testosterone, visual effects, coffee-conversation and even sermons (the least interesting things it spawned were two tepid sequels). Meanwhile, David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club took a stab at our confusion in regard to masculinity, merchandising, therapy, social expectations, fragmented personalities and terrorism. From Brad Pitt’s semi-sermon about being in a “spiritual war” to Morpheus’ pill-popping, reality-bending revelation for Neo, cubicle dwellers responded with cheers and excitement at the idea that life had more purpose and meaning, and that they didn’t need to be lemmings scurrying around in an dehumanizing, politically correct landscape. All was well with the world?

It’s now 2008, and not surprisingly most of those men are still in the cubicles, pacified and subdued by Swedish furniture and how many friends they have on Facebook, tapping at their ergonomic keyboard and complaining about carpal tunnel. Whether they are secretly yearning for that dream of sweet release again will soon be evident, as Wanted seeks to deliver two hours of fleeting hope to the emasculated masses.

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