This late 2025 release, based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same title, uses a few known facts about the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes (Anne) Hathaway as the foundation for this moving historical drama.
The movie set, costumes, and lighting, masterfully convey the raw, gritty realities of life in the 16th century. The performances are highly effective with a particularly poignant portrayal by Jessie Buckley as Agnes (she received multiple well-deserved awards, including Oscar for Best Actress). The liberties taken to fill the gaps around the few known facts, are artfully woven to create a believable and compelling vignette.
A pervasive sense of weight hangs over the entire movie, making it impossible not to be drawn into the family's struggles and sorrows. Unless you have ice in your veins, expect to feel...a lot...maybe even like you're drowning in their grief. And don't be at all surprised if you shed a few tears of your own.
For me, the most poignant, felt reality is how very difficult it can be to access one another in our grief. Grief is a lonely, isolating, and very personal experience. In this story, that connection finally comes for the couple through a performance of Hamlet which allows Agnes to recognize for the first time that her husband's grief - though experienced differently - matches her own.
Hamnet is a beautifully crafted film that I highly recommend.
I generally avoid reading movie reviews, partly because I don't want to go see them with a preconceived bias - positive or negative - and partly because I so often disagree with the critics anyway. I will sometimes read a brief synopsis, which is exactly what I did last night. Those few sentences led me to believe that BRAVE was a movie I'd probably appreciate...plus, it's Pixar and really, how wrong can you go with Pixar?
Up to this point, it seemed to me that the Pixar films had mostly avoided the Disney mantra that permeates nearly every movie they make. What mantra?
The Child always knows what's best for himself more than those stodgy, uptight adults who love him. He must rebel, throwing off authority and tradition and anything else that might rob him of his freedom to choose for himself. Follow your heart and your TRUE destiny awaits. The Stupid Adults realize in the end that The Child was right all along.
BRAVE's Merida is just the latest face on this storyline.
But I have an even bigger bone to pick with this modern "fairytale." Over the years, we've lost not only our awareness of what constitutes a true fairytale, but we've also lost our knowledge of The Real Point of fairytales. The whole "princess gets rescued from death by a prince" thing has been severed from that which it intends to image: The Bride has fallen prey to some kind of evil from which she is unable to rescue herself; The Prince lays down his life to rescue her and exalt her as Queen. Fairytales are not about how helpless women are apart from men, or how every woman needs the ideal man in order to bring meaning to her life. Fairytales are variations on The Gospel.
In BRAVE, the princess's primary rebellion is that she doesn't need a prince to rescue her. She is fully capable of rescuing herself, thank you very much. She is sufficient in and of herself. Because we misunderstand The Real Point in the first place, our liberated society demands that we throw off the "woman without man is dependent and helpless" storyline and embrace the "woman is strong and independent and man is entirely superfluous" one in its place. Problem is, that mindset reflects a deeper worldview that also throws off mankind's inability to rescue itself from death. Who needs a saviour? WE GOT THIS!
Secondarily, we see the princess is unwilling to lay aside her own wishes for the good of the kingdom and in order to fulfill her responsibilities. Sacrifice her own desires for the sake of The Kingdom? That would be weakness! REAL strength lies in standing up to those who would require her to go against her own heart.
Lastly, we have the all-too-common personification of manhood in three fools: a pompous ass, a blubbering idiot, and a childish coward. Who would want a "prince" like that anyway? NO ONE. If I were Merida, I would resist too. But the movie fails to set these false princes over against the glory of a True Prince who is humble, strong, courageous, and willing to sacrifice himself to rescue the bride and restore the kingdom.
I feel like I've drained all fun and enjoyment from what some would declare is simply a piece of lighthearted entertainment, but what can I say? I was disappointed. I'd be interested to hear from you if you had a different take on it.
When I decided to rent The Grace Card, I was determined to lay aside my preconceived bias against "overtly Christian" movies, which nearly always lack depth and artistry. Unfortunately, this movie only reinforced that bias.
My primary objection to this and other recent "Christian" films (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc.), is the false, happy-clappy assertion that as soon as anyone trusts Christ, everything works out right.
In The Grace Card, "all things work together for good" means that the Christian wife always says the right thing with the right inflection, body language and motive, while her Christian husband always responds with humility and a gracious spirit. Their Christian children are perpetually cheerful and obedient. Knowing Christ = the absence of sin, trouble, conflict, and hardship.
In the opposite corner, we have the UN-Christian family whose eldest son dies an untimely death, whose only other son ends up near-death as a result of his rebellious lifestyle, and whose abusive, loveless marriage is shattering. However, as soon as the father calls on Jesus, his son is rescued from the brink of death and their very broken, estranged relationship is instantly healed. He and his wife suddenly and miraculously love each other. His lifelong, racist attitude is reversed so dramatically that we find him and his family sitting, as the lone white occupants, worshipping comfortably on the front row of an all-black church where...drumroll, please...the criminal responsible for his first son's death, seeks him out and asks for forgiveness which he...of course... symbolically grants by handing him a "Grace Card" with this inscription:
“I promise to pray for you every day, ask
your forgiveness, grant you the same, and be your friend always.”
That may all sound really sweet and lovely...the way things ought to be. But it portrays an emotional, sappy, shallow Christianity that I find embarrassing. Trusting in Christ becomes a magic talisman that dissipates trials.
Now...the movie wasn't entirely without merit, and I assume the film's writers, producers, actors, sponsors, etc., had faithful intentions and truly desired to forward the cause of grace and its power to radically change lives. But I am a firm believer in the marriage of content with form and, quite frankly, Christians need to master the art form of narrative, script writing, and cinematography if they're going to gain respect and a voice.
For now, if you'd like to experience an artful story of grace, I recommend Get Low with Robert Duvall. It isn't exciting or sensational, but it is wonderfully comic at times...charming...warm-hearted. You won't be spoon-fed a message, nor will you hear a pedantic presentation of The Gospel. In fact, forgiveness and grace come slowly, subtly, and late for Duvall's character, but its arrival carries a power and beauty which affects a quiet, but thoroughgoing, transformation of The Guilty One. The gospel of grace and redemption shines beautifully through this story.
There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace.
Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries.
Nature only wants to please itself. Gets others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them...to have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it, and love is smiling through all things.
They taught us that none who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.
I will be true to You. Whatever comes.
Thus begins Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, in which he artistically - through magnificent images and cinematography - yet very overtly - through the voices of his characters - asks some of life's most difficult questions. Where is God...that One whose majesty, glory, and power are revealed in His creative works? Why doesn't He intervene when tragedy befalls the faithful? Is He there? Does He know? Who are we to Him? Why does He hurt us?
Malick's motives, belief statements, and artistry have been both acclaimed and ridiculed, and a variety of interpretations have been assigned to the film's deeper meaning. It seems to me that the majority of these interpretations have minimized, if not entirely ignored, the film's opening statements, which colored my interpretation of everything that followed, as I suspect they were intended to. The initial screenshot highlights this text from Job 38:
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
This is crucial to understanding the film. The dichotomy of belief and experience is the thread of continuity throughout. The God who laid the very foundations of this unbelievably magnificent earth appears to stand idly by while the crowns of his creation suffer loss and grief. A sermon from Job holds a prominent place in the movie and creates a crisis of faith - again juxtaposing man's beliefs about God with his finite perspective and experience. One of the central characters, the eldest of three adolescent sons, cries out poignantly to God, "You let a boy die. You let anything happen. Why should I be good if You aren't?"
The movie succeeds in portraying the soul's inner, often unspoken, struggle to reconcile faith and experience. The characters' experiences aren't always negative either. We see astonishing expressions of love and grace...mostly astonishing because Malick makes them stand out as extraordinary even though they come in and through the very ordinary means of daily life. Simple daily interactions have the power to transform lives. For example, in keeping with Proverbs, we see through the contrast of the mother and father's words to their sons that "a soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therin is a wound to the spirit." This is only one of several allusions to the Tree of Life. More on that in another post...hopefully.
The breathtaking visuals (if you have the patience to endure long sequences of images coupled by a complete absence of traditional plot and character development), and the sparse, yet powerful, words, are joined to a dynamic soundtrack which sheds significant light on each scene's symbolism. (Let me warn you here that the CD titled as the soundtrack, contains a score composed for, but rarely used in, the actual movie. Here is a comprehensive listing of what you actually heard...or will hear.)
I will go so far as to suggest that the scattering of pieces from The Requiem are not only fitting and telling, but may well regulate the overarching structure of the film. At the very least, there is a correlative movement from judgement and pleas for mercy to an everlasting day of light, rest and communion.
I'll leave it at that for now, recognizing that the artistic, poetic, theological, musical, philosophical, familial, as well as other themes remain largely unaddressed. After a single viewing, I am entirely inadequate to effectively address all of those layers! I hope to say more after multiple viewings as well as input from others.
I do encourage you to watch it, and as you do, keep in mind during the creation scene (which has been hailed as a glorious testament to Darwinism) that the lyrics playing in the background are from The Requeim's Lacrimosa:
"Mournful that day when from the ashes shall rise guilty man to be judged. Lord, have mercy on him. Gentle Jesus, grant him eternal rest."
To learn more about the film's content from a decent review that is helpful without being very theological or too philosophical, go here. This will give you an idea of the film's story, which I have completely ignored in this post.
Then...let me know what you think of the film, please! And feel free to completely dismantle my interpretation!
Even though it has taken me more than 2 years to watch this movie, I was able to do so without anyone revealing its big "secret."
SPOILER ALERT:If you haven't seen it, but intend to, you may not want to read this post.
Initially, I viewed Tim's final act as noble, but on further contemplation I recognize its utter futility. Guilt and a driving need for redemption drove him to inflict upon himself "an eye for an eye" as a means of self-atonement.
Yes, he lays down his life for the life of others, but only because he cannot find peace and redemption any other way. However virtuous it appears on the surface, his is a desperate choice made apart from the Grace of The Gospel. A tragedy in the truest sense.
Very good story. Very well acted. Well worth my time.
I saw Inception last night for the first time. One young man, who mistakenly believes I am working with a full deck, told me I would be blogging about it for 2 weeks. Well, if I understood it, maybe I would. I feel certain there is much that could be said, but in order for me to say it, at least 2 more viewings and months of processing will be required!
I will say this: I am baffled by the mind that creates this kind of story. Crazy. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a Joe vs. the Volcano movie where everyone but me seems to "GET" all the deeper meanings. No matter how many times I watch that movie, I just don't see what these theologically minded, geeky men see. I've tried.
Anyway...I titled the post "Leonardo" because after watching Inception, I was mentally reviewing his body of work. I'm not sure Inception required any depth of talent or character...the plot was the driving force not the acting (IMHO). Don't misunderstand. I'm not implying that the acting was sub-par or anything, just that it wasn't the reason behind the movie's success.
I suggest to you that DiCaprio's finest work remains his very first successful role - as Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He was incredibly young and he represented his character perfectly! If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It is a character-driven story (do not read that as "chick-flick!) which portrays moments of real depravity, but shines in its moments of love and redemption. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
I am going to break with recent tradition and forego today's Wordsmith post. I'm kinda partial to the tradition, so this is not a permanent abandonment.
A couple years ago, I gave an endorsement for the film, Bella, and its star, Eduardo Verastegui. The stories of both the film and the actor are compelling. May I suggest you pursue both?! (The links I provided previously have expired, but you can Google his name and find loads of information.)
In the meantime, I was introduced last night to this short film, The Butterfly Circus, which also stars Verastegui and whose story beautifully conveys the power of The Gospel (thanks, Alicia!). It's 20 minutes long, but I'm pretty sure you won't regret watching it.
Seeing this, prompted me to investigate what the actor is doing these days. Seems he's the real deal...only accepting acting jobs that don't conflict with his beliefs, and doing good works in Darfur and Haiti, among other places. I don't know about you, but I find it particularly uplifting to find someone in the public eye who chooses to boldly swim against the tide.
Wit, a beautifully profound movie produced by HBO, is based on the play of the same name, written by Margaret Edson.
Vivian Bearing, played brilliantly by Emma Thompson, is an intelligent and demanding professor of literature who is diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic ovarian cancer. As Vivian says, "There is no Stage 5." The story chronicles her journey through the most advanced and aggressive treatments and the changes brought about in her soul as her suffering advances and death approaches.
This is one of the most touching movies I have ever seen. Have a tissue or two handy...even if you're a tough guy. It raises ethical questions about the way professionals within the medical community handle the issues of research and experimentation, but without becoming overly preachy, and it allows the transformation of Miss Bearing's soul to remain front and center...as it should.
Enough said. If my little blurb doesn't entice you, then watch this snippet and see if you don't want to see the rest:
For an excellent and detailed review, visit Culturazzi.
A witty and inspiring story of 2 women, looking for purpose in their lives, who diligently and tirelessly pursue their passions with little hope of gaining recognition. Along the way, their husbands, who stand to benefit nothing personally or monetarily, recognize, encourage, and nurture the development of their wives' talents, even to the point of sacrifice.
Beautiful and profound. I count Julie & Julia a must see.
Though the title might lead you to believe otherwise, this post is actually not about ME. But thanks...it was a nice thought.
The boys, Riesa, and I ventured out to see Prince Caspian yesterday afternoon. And, trust me, when anyone over 30 heads to Ronnie's 20 on a Friday, it qualifies as a "venture" (i.e. a risky or dangerous undertaking). As is usually the case with movies "based" on books, PC was less than satisfying. It was even less true to the book than the first Narnia movie and took greater liberties than I had expected with Mr. Gresham at the helm.
The scenery was stunning, the battles intense, and the creatures realistic, but they focused too heavily on these features and the story suffered as a result. The complusion to add to and even distort the original storyline leads me to believe the script writers must not fully appreciate the beauty and brilliance of Lewis' narrative.
Lewis' gentle cadence and rather-unadorned appeals to the imagination arouse in me a childlike delight and sense of wonder, while his artful weaving of Biblical symbolism, imagery, and theology bring to mind beautiful and profound truths. These qualities combine in a unique way in Lewis. Beatrix Potter writes with a similar gentle cadence, A.A. Milne evokes the childlike delight, Tolkien weaves the imagery, but none of these - for me anyway - incorporate them all to the effect that Lewis does.
When the cadence and profound simplicity are removed, as they are in the movie, the story only marginally resembles the original. The imitation is good, but the original is a masterpiece.
I have been re-watching a number of Tom Hanks films recently. Castaway....Terminal....Ladykillers....Joe vs. the Volcano. What an amazing and diverse body of work this man has created!
At the end of Castaway, Hank's character deals with re-entry into society after his five year isolation. His inability to recapture that which was lost through his absence (primarily a fiance) weighs heavily on him. He recalls a moment on the island when he had given up and engaged in a failed attempt to take his own life:
I couldn't even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over nothing.
That's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew somehow I had to stay alive, though there was no reason to hope and all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing.
Then one day that logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in and brought me a sail. And now....here I am. I'm back. And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly, but I'm so grateful she was with me on that island.
And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring...
I went to Blockbuster last night looking for a couple of old flicks which have been recommended to me but I've never seen. They were unavailable, so I reached for an old favorite, Meet Joe Black, then chanced upon an obscure New Release - 2 copies only - called once. (yes, I know its uncapitalized...)
At least I thought it was obscure...as in unheard-of-by-anyone-but-myself. I was going to introduce the world to this completely original and beautiful movie...alas, in reading Annie Barlow's blog today, I found that both she and Jandy had already discovered this gem and already blogged about it...long ago, in Jandy's case. Well, well, well. Usurped again. Someday I'll get used to it, I suppose. In the meantime, I shall declare my opinion anyway (whad'ya mean you're not surprised?).
The music in this film is written and performed by its "stars" who of all things - imagine this - are musicians and not actors! And it shows. In a good way, that is. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova write, play, sing, perform and act flawlessly together. Visually, the film resembles a documentary, and possesses a certain raw quality which lends it credibility. Annie B. is spot on to call it "sweet and real"...now if we can only increase her appreciation for music that is "slow and thoughtful." :-) The permanently endearing aspect of the movie, for me, was the characters' retention of honor. A rare find in any cinematic era, I'd say.
To get a taste of Glen and Marketa's musical style, check out this video. (No, I still can't imbed YouTube videos...I thought I had learned how, but I just tried and the site says they are currently undergoing maintenance. Just my luck.) After you rent and watch the movie, do a web search on Glen or Marketa and learn more about them...I wouldn't do it beforehand. I'm glad I knew nothing when I first saw it, but their real-life stories are fascinating.
Every now and then, my husband and I get a chance to go see a movie together. It is rare for all necessary forces to come together...the man is in town, I am not in the middle of a project, the children are caught up on homework and can take care of themselves for the evening. Now, it is EXTREMELY rare to have all this fall in place AND for there to be a movie we both want to see.
When this happens, we are elated at the alignment of the stars and rush headlong into the theater....often without "due diligence." And all too often, we regret it. Such was the case Sunday evening.
We both wanted to see Beowulf....he, because it would be action-packed.....I, because it is a glorious piece of literature. Ahhh....a rare meeting of brute force, intellect, poetry and honor.
Well, LET ME TELL YOU, in addition to being very poorly executed - shoddy acting combined with odd, jerky, King-Kongish-like animation - every shred of glory and honor was stripped from this story and replaced with crude humor and debauchery. I never imagined such thorough deconstruction possible. We should've done our homework.
We didn't make it all the way through...we didn't even make it halfway through. Don't waste your time and money.
Do yourself a favor: Get a copy of the Irish poet, Seamus Heaney's translation and read it! (that's Sheemus Heeney) Or better yet...get the audio CD of him reading his own translation. You'll see what I mean. It's beautiful.
Here is the opening paragraph:
"So, the Spear-Danes in days gone by
And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.
We have heard of those princes heroic campaigns:
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes.
This terror of the hall troops had come far.
A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on
As his powers waxed and his worth was proved.
In the end, each clan on the outlying coasts beyond the whale-road
Had to yield to him and begin to pay tribute.
That was one good king."
That was from memory (one benefit of teaching...is learning!), so don't compare the line breaks to the book...they may not be right. But DO read Heaney's version. It's the best. Period.
I am not a movie critic. I don't know about the "art" of movies. I know nothing of filming techniques. I only know what I like and what I don't.
I liked Bella.
I thought the story was beautiful and moving without being pedantic. I thought it effectively communicated the truth that an unsolicited act of kindness can impact a person's future...that taking the time to pay attention to those with whom we daily have contact, but easily overlook, really does matter...that not every love story is a romance...
All I know is: having once been a Nina, I wish I had had a Jose.
Postscript: Two good links were sent to me today regarding this film...this information is all new to me, and intriguing. Here is a review by Christianity Today. And this one has a video of the leading actor commenting on his purpose in the film industry, as well as other helpful info.
