Gone Baby Gone

Wow. This film blew me away. Gone Baby Gone is the brutal and fascinating story of a little girl who has gone missing. Was she kidnapped, murdered? Casey Affleck plays Patrick Kenzie, private investigator hired, along with his parter Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), to help out in any way they can: aiding the police, talking to shady people, using their contacts, etc. They work with (and butt heads with) the police assigned to the case, including Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. The story is multi-faceted and has incredible depth, but its hard to describe without giving too much away. The screenplay is based on the novel by Dennis Lahane, who also penned the epic Mystic River. That should be a clue as to the gravity of the themes and ideas put forth in the film.

This film makes its home in the gray areas of morality. Sometimes, the choices we make are very complicated and it is hard to tell what the right decision is. Patrick starts the film by asking "How do we get to heaven, while protecting ourselves from all the evil in the world?" Then he is reminded of Scripture, when Jesus told his disciples to be as innocent as doves, but as cunning as serpents (Mt. 10:16). Religious undertones are all over this film, which has echoes of Martin Scorsese. So what does it look like to be innocent, yet cunning?

Patrick Kenzie is a man of courage and strength. He is willing to give up everything in his life in order to do what he perceives is right. The funny thing is, the audience may or may not agree with his choices. Casey Affleck does a fine job pulling this complex character off.

Gone Baby Gone investigates the letter of the law. Should we always follow it? What about if it "feels" right to do something else. The choices are hard, very gray. It's also one of those movies in which you think its over too soon. "Well, that was pretty good." But then it goes on, and adds layer upon layer, and keeps you in rapt attention until the final scene.

At one point, Ed Harris' character (Remy Bressant) is having a heated discussion with Patrick. He says that everyone has to choose a side, either you are on the side of the child molester, or you aren't (he is talking about times in his career when he did some unethical things in order to get a good result). Bressant explains why he believes that the ends justify the means. They are also discussing murder. Patrick says "murder is murder." But Bressant believes that it depends on who you kill. Wouldn't it be better to rid the world of a child molester/killer who is already a repeat offender? No one wants a "monster" like that out on the streets, harming the ones we love. Then Patrick says: "My priest told me that guilt is God's way of telling us that what we have done is wrong." Is that true? Paul tells us "There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." Isn't guilt a form of condemning ourselves? Maybe, but we need someone to tell us right and wrong, why not our conscience? Sometimes we need to feel conviction to turn us back around.

The main crux of the film is this question: "do people change?" Some say no, others are willing to give people another chance. Do child molesters change? Do bad parents change? Can traumatic events, loss of loved ones, prison, punishment, etc., change us to be better people? The answer is no. The only one that can truly change us and redeem us is Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

Ben Affleck's directorial debut is stunning. I hate most of his films (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Paycheck, Gigli, etc.), so maybe he belongs behind a camera. It is easy to approach this film with apprehension, but Affleck hits it out of the park. This is the best film of the year so far. Gone Baby Gone has depth, insight into the human condition, and is not afraid to dive headlong into gray areas that I had never even thought of. As with most great films, there are no easy answers, life is usually not that way. What a gut-wrenching, heart-pounding thriller with courage and power. God is all over the place in this one.

Michael Clayton

Tony Gilroy's (screenplay for the Bournes, The Devil's Advocate, etc.) much lauded directorial debut stars George Clooney as Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for one of the most powerful law firms in the world. What is a "fixer?" Well, when there is any type of situation that goes awry (whether it be a client or a lawyer), Clayton takes care of it by any means necessary. He is creative, smooth-talking, and bold. Some call him a miracle-worker, but we may see him as a master manipulator. He calls himself a janitor, cleaning up other people's messes.

The central problem of the film that Michael must fix is Arthur Edens (played wonderfully by one of the most underrated actors going today - Tom Wilkinson). You see, Edens is the lead defense attourney for a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against mega-corporation UNorth. The lawsuit involves over 450 individuals, claiming that UNorth's product, a pesticide, has killed their loved ones. But instead of defending his uber-rich client, Edens begins acting strange and compiling facts against his employer. He is convinced that the claimants deserve to be paid, that UNorth is covering something up. But what brings this change of heart for Edens? And is he right, or just crazy? (He exhibits some insane behavior, including stripping down and yelling "I love you" to a young girl during a deposition). Edens lives in a world where the dollar is truly almighty, and "the truth can be adjusted." He has been working on this case non-stop for six years. But he starts to have this feeling that what he is doing is wrong. There is this peculiar scene near the middle of the film where Clayton's son, Henry, calls for his dad, but gets Edens instead. Henry ends up telling Edens all about his favorite fantasy book, Realm and Conquest. I believe Edens wanted to do the right thing, but the only one in his world who believed that people actually do the right thing and that heroes exist was Henry. Henry believes in stories, he believes that right and wrong exist and that money does not rule everything. And through the words of a child, a super-laywer is inspired to change his life. It reaffirms the fact that stories have power, real life-changing power. That, in effect is the whole point of this blog, to remind us of that fact. It also reminds me of that bumper sticker, "Believe the Children."

Though Edens is the most fascinating man in the film, let's get back to the main character. There is a scene at the beginning of the film when Clayton sees some horses high atop a hill, gets out of his car, walks up to the horses, and seems to have a religious moment. But it takes the whole film to explain this scene (clue: it has something to do with Realm and Conquest, another reference to the power of story). It is truly an existential moment in Clayton's life. He is asking to himself "Who am I? What have I missed? What am I doing with my life? And why?" I won't give away what leads up to this, and his actions that follow, but this moment is the centerpiece of the film. The final scene of the movie is Clayton riding around in a cab, not knowing where to go. He jsut hands the cabbie $50 and just tells him to drive around. This confirms that fact that he is questioning his whole existence, his entire life. Where do I go now?

Michael Clayton is a beautifully shot, wonderfully acted thinking man's law thriller. At the same time, it is an examination and indictment of the way we live our lives here in a capitalist society. It reminds us to reflect upon our own lives. We should continually ask the question: Who am I? And what am I doing with my life, with my time here on earth?

We Own The Night

We Own The Night gets its name from the 1980's slogan of the NYC police force, who was attempting to crack down on the drug trade that had been running rampant throughout the city for years. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Bobby Green, a nightclub owner who has many shady friends. He lives and thrives in the seedy underbelly of NYC. But his family connections are not known in those circles, because that could be deadly. You see, his father Burt (Robert Duvall) is a police Captain, and his brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) is also a cop. It turns out that Joe is the head of a new investigation unit, focusing on narcotics traffic, and guess where the kingpin they want to hit hangs out? That's right, Bobby's club. Bobby is caught between two worlds, his family and his desire to live a wild and crazy life. Where do his loyalties lie? Do people change?

We Own The Night paints a pretty clear picture of right and wrong: cops versus drug-dealers. Bobby must decide who he really is. By living this "other" life, he is in essence denying who he really is, his family and history. Does he have the courage and bravery it takes to switch sides, to help out the good guys? He is given an opportunity to inform for the cops, but how will that pan out? Which side will he choose?

I am reminded that God uses even our flaws for his glory, for greater purposes. Bobby has lived a bad life, made a lot of mistakes, and has a lot to regret. Yet, his flaws can be used for good, if he so chooses. He has vital connections; relationships with people that won't talk to the police. When takes something evil and turns it into good it is called redemption. But what will Bobby choose.

What jumped out at me was the idea that our private/personal decisions affect so many more people than we realize. Bobby's decisions throughout his life, including ones he makes during the course of the film, put his family and loved ones in danger. We are individuals, but we are not completely separate entities. Our choices affect more than just us. And this doesn't happen to just Bobby. At one point in the film we discover how even children are being put in harm's way because of the actions of another bad guy. Let's think about our choices, and not deceive ourselves into believing that they only matter to us.

This film also brings up the ever-popular theme in our society: revenge. There are many opportunities for revenge. When this idea comes up in film we must ask ourselves "Does this movie glorify revenge? Are we now inspired to go out and take revenge on our enemies?" Because, Jesus did not tell us to seek vengeance, but to love our enemies. Let us not be deceived. I think the ending of the film leaves room for interpretation on this one, so you be the judge.

We Own The Night is a well-acted, tight and intriguing cop-drama which delves into the themes of family, courage, morality, and loyalty.

The Kingdom

The Kingdom comes at us as yet another film set in the Middle East, this time in Saudi Arabia. I am fascinated with this region of the world for all kinds of reasons, so I am very excited about all these new movies. It stars Jamie (I'm the man) Foxx, Jennifer (I can't act) Garner, Jason (I suck when I'm not on Arrested Development) Bateman, and Chris (possibly the second greatest living actor) Cooper. This makes up a special unit of the F.B.I. that manipulates its way into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist hit on a Western oil compound in Riyaud.

The opening sequence to the film is great, with a boatload of information on the history of Saudi Arabia and its connection to the U.S. Very interesting and well done. After the intro, the film goes on a terrorist hunt.

The Feds quickly run into the cultural differences between a democracy and a Muslim theocracy (especially in regards to the treatment of women). Also, the politics are quite intriguing. We want to go over there to catch the bad guys, and we are good at what we do. They see that as an insult to their competency. Plus, Westerners in Arab lands always spells trouble. It would be a disaster for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia if one of our elite agents were caught, killed, etc. Thus, the Feds are restricted at every turn by the Saudi government.

The most interesting aspect of the film comes in the form of Colonel Faris Al Ghazi, a Saudi police officer charged with watching the Americans. He is a Muslim, but sees the error of Fundamentalism, and wishes to catch the terrorists as bad as the Americans. He is criticized heavily by all for seeming to side with the West, a heinous crime in Arab countries. It is good to see Hollywood putting human faces on Arabs, giving them thoughts and feelings. Helping us to see them as people. But at the same time, the Kingdom does a great job of reminding us that there still are terrorists who believe that Allah desires horrendous violence. Not all Arabs are the same, and we cannot become prejudiced.

The Kingdom is brutal in its depiction of terrorism, as well it should be. The film is intense and exciting. Yet it rarely goes beyond a well-done action flick. It is set in the middle-east, but does not delve into the issues as deeply as other great films (such as Munich, Syriana, Paradise Now or even Black Hawk Down). The final line of the film does provide a great picture to ponder though, and seems to sum up the entire problem of these conflicts. I don't believe this is a spoiler, because I am not giving away any plot points, but feel free to stop reading if you prefer. In the end, we see Foxx's character, Fleury, say that before going over to S.A. he told Garner's character that they would "kill them all." And that is exactly the same thing the terrorist mastermind whispered to his grandson. That is a powerful statement, and it reminds us that both sides are "right and holy" in their own eyes. The myth of redemptive violence plays out over and over and over again, with no true redemption in sight.

Oscar Predictions that are bold as all get out

I thought I would take a wild stab at predicting the Oscars five months in advance, then I can go back and show everyone what a genius I am (or more likely what an idiot I am). So, here we go:

Best Picture

The nominees will be:

There Will Be Blood

Atonement

No Country For Old Men

and the other two I am not so sure about, so let's say two of the following: Elizabeth, Into the Wild, The Kite Runner, American Gangster.

There are a whole bunch of web sites where you can get really early predictions, and they are usually wrong (like Dreamgirls last year and Cinderella Man the year before), and I do check those regularly, so I can't claim complete innovation. Yet I am very confident in my top three, and predict here and now, on October 5th, that the Coen's No Country For Old Men will take the top prize. The Academy owes it to them for not giving BP to Fargo (instead they went with the crappy The English Patient). It looks dark, disturbing, and very, very good. This will be a great year for Tommy Lee Jones too (not only for NCFOM but also In The Valley of Elah, which might get him a statue for Best Actor). I have no clue on actress at this point. I hope beyond hope that Paul Thomas Anderson will get Best Director, and so far he has been getting good buzz.

Hooray for pointless predictions! Go out there and see some movies folks, as all the good ones are coming out soon, or are already out.