The Essential Church

Documentaries are in our midst in order to teach us about a certain topic whether it be about sports, religion, politics, entertainment, universities, diseases--the list is endless. When the Covid 19 virus hit our country back in 2020, there was so much we didn't know or realize about it. Many died and suffered in the process, but through the years that ensued, we came to learn more about it. But was this enough for a society to have to be caught up in lockdowns, quarantines and the incredible fear that followed?

When governments use Covid emergency act edicts to restrict the gathering and worship of the Church, three pastors, John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and James Coates facing the risk of imprisonment, unlimited fines, and their own Churches splitting apart take a courageous stand and re-open in the face of a world that has chosen to comply. "The Essential Church" is a feature-length documentary that explores the struggle between Church and government throughout history. This story takes us to multiple countries and uncovers those who have sacrificed their lives for what they believe in. Journey with them as they rediscover why the Church is essential and how they prove that  their stand remains true from a scientific, legal, and most importantly Biblical perspective. 

Others interviewed are Scott B. Atlas, M.D., Voddie Baucham, Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Gary Brady, Erin Coates, Jenna Ellis, Leighton Grey, Chris Hamilton, Ian Hamilton, Darrell B. Harrison, Paul M. Jonna, Charles S. LiMandri, Tim Stephens, Spencer Revely and Carl Hargrove.

This was brilliantly and exhaustively researched by writer and director Shannon Halliday. Her ability to be able to shoot and edit by Cinematographer, Nathan Bonsell and Zachary Weintraub respectively was amazing and surely was gripping and compelling. While this is the only project she has been involved with, this was treated with such clarity and the exhaustive research was simply captivating. If this is her first tackle at a documentary, I can't wait to see what she will do with her next one...and there will be a next. This was a 2 hour and 6 minute running time and felt like it was only an hour and a half. Some of the information in this I already realized, however there were aspects that were surprising that were exposed in this that was an eye-opener. Such as religious persecution has been going on as far back as 1637 when, in Scotland, the Church of Scotland persecuted, even to the point of death, those that wouldn't recant their faith in Jesus Christ and held King Charles as the King of all. So much, as we know at this point, of the lockdowns were derived from the government's over reach or power over the people. If it was about Covid and spreading the infection, why were places like big box stores, liquor and cannabis stores considered essential, but churches were not? As it has turned out, it has been considered conclusive that the lockdowns were a total failure, but how many people's lives were destroyed in the wake? As this film says nearing the end of it, "who has the right to tell me how to live out my faith"? As back in the 1600's when our society was corrupt, today as our society becomes increasingly corrupt, we will see more and more suppression from our government and any other entity that has this kind of power and control over its people. 

This is a film that every human being needs to see. If more people become informed out there  with how grossly inaccurate our government was during the pandemic, the more likely that hopefully, HOPEFULLY this will not happen again. Can we not learn from history? Time will tell. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: PG-13                                        126mins.

Haunted Mansion

There are many reasons why Disney Studios are not performing financially well--the list is endless, however their inability to produce original work is certainly one of them. To make a profit, they have no qualms in reproducing one of their many films--animated to live-action, reboots, sequels, you get the hint. So, now we have yet another film based on their 'ride' at Disneyland called "Haunted Mansion". Hey, it worked for "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Not being from the New Orleans area, a single mom, Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) hires a tour guide, Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), a psychic, Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), a priest, Father Kent (Owen Wilson) and an historian, Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito) to exorcise her newly purchased mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts. It turns out that one of the elite people back in the day who killed many, ended up haunting the mansion. This ghost, Alistair Crump (Jared Leto) needs one more death to complete the 1000 ghosts within the mansion by the next full moon--which is in four days. These ghosts, once reaching the magic number 1000, won't be able to go to their respective place of rest if that 1000 count is met. So, can a tour guide, psychic, priest and historian conquer Crump so as to have order back in the mansion?

Others to round out the cast are Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota, Chase Dillon as Travis, Gabbie's son, J.R. Adduci as William Gracey, Charity Jordan as Alyssa, Creek Wilson as Mariner ghost, Ben Bladon as Hatchet ghost, Lindsay Lamb as The Bride, Fedor Steer as Ezra, Mike Benitez as Gus and Terence Rosemore as Phineas. 

This was fairly well directed by Justin Simien ("Dear White People" '14, "Bad Hair" '20) plus TV, shorts and a music video. Unfortunately, the staging in this was a bit stiff and the scenes became, after a point , a bit disjointed. This filmmaker doesn't have a plethora of experience, even with the TV work, but there were areas that definitely kept me interested. The element of realizing more about Ben's life and how it intertwined with his stint at the mansion was interesting, but overall, a more seasoned director would've helped. It was executed fairly well by writer Katie Dippold ("The Heat" '13, "Ghostbusters" '16, "Snatched" '17) plus TV, based on Disneyland's "Haunted Mansion" 'ride'. I've never been to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, but I suspect that the lead characters in this film are not part of the 'ride' at Disneyland. Assuming this is true, at least the characters are original, whereas the mansion obviously is not. I can certainly understand why the writer chose New Orleans to house the mansion, since that city is kind of creepy anyway, but the story did have a tendency to become choppy and disjointed as the script unfolded. The best part of the film was congregating the different characters to be a part of this 'exorcism'--the development and process they went through to become a team at the mansion if you will, was intriguing. Was it a total wash? Absolutely not. It was a hoot, but about all one could expect considering it was based on a 'ride'. The characters were fun, and it was quite the roller coaster ride. And while the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and DNEG (Double Negative) were aplenty, they certainly made it fun to see on the large screen.

If you enjoyed the ride at Disneyland, you will undoubtedly like this rendition of that. However, if you never went on the ride, as I hadn't, it is, and can be fun, adventurous and a feast for the eyes given the plethora of visuals and special effects makeup galore. It's the quintessential popcorn flick. Have fun. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                   Rated: PG-13                                      123mins.

Barbie

Hollywood has produced a plethora of shallow, 2-dimensional, fluffy romantic comedies for decades whereas they have become stale, predictable and unoriginal. I have only seen a few that I would refer to anyone to see. But then here comes "Barbie" with all its glitz, plastic and fluffiness and what one thought they might receive, they definitely did not. 

To live in Barbieland is to be a perfect being in a perfect place, Well, unless you have a full-on existential crisis, or you're a Ken, that  could all turn around. Out of the blue, Barbie (Margot Robbie) starts dwelling on death. and other such things, and while others including Ken (Ryan Gosling) attempt to console her, she eventually seeks the help of another older Barbie (Kate MxKinnon) that surmises that Barbie's 'owner' in the 'Real World" is going through rough periods in her life and that Barbie needs to go there to seek out this owner and find out what's going on with her. Meanwile, Mattel's CEO (Will Ferrell) finds out that Barbie is in his world, and with others including his assistant, Aaron Dinkins (Connor Swindells) presses forward to capture her to get her, to quote the CEO, "back in a box". 

Others to round out the cast are America Ferrara as Gloria, Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, Gloria's daughter, Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler, Michael Cena as Allan, Issa Rae as Barbie, Simu Liu as Ken, Scott Evans as Ken, John Cena as Ken, Emerald Fennell as Midge and Helen Mirren as the narrator. 

This was creatively and sequenced amazingly well by director Greta Gerwig ("Hannah Takes the Stairs" '07, "Nights and Weekends" '08, "Lady Bird" '17, "Little Women" '19) plus a music video. Greta Gerwig has acted in a number of films which is where she came in contact with her co-writer of this film, Noah Baumbach. Then, the obvious next step to this creative artist would be in the writing realm where she has written a fair amount of good work--this film included. Sure, she directed a film in 2008, however, she got her biggest break when she directed the amazing "Lady Bird" in 2017. She continues to impress, not only critics, but audiences as well. This was also written with such originality by Gerwig ("Hannah Takes the Stairs" '07, "Nights and Weekends" '08, "Northern Comfort" '10, "The Dish & the Spoon" (additional material) '11, "Frances Ha' '12, "Mistress America" '15, "Lady Bird" '17, "Little Women" '19) plus TV and shorts, and Noah Baumbach ("Kicking and Screaming" '95,"Mr. Jealousy" '97, "Highball" '97, "Thirty" (TV movie) 2000, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" '04, "The Squid and the Whale" '05, "Margot at the Wedding" '07, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" '09, "Greenberg" '10, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" '12, "Frances Ha" '12, "The Corrections" (TV movie) '12, "While We're Young" '14, "Mistress America" '15, "The Meyerowitz Stories" '17, "Marriage Story" '19, "White Noise" '22) plus a short. With these two consummate writers, it didn't really surprise me that the screenplay would've been written any other way than well thought out and cohesive. It truly turns, what could've been a silly, fluffy, predictable romcom and turned it on its head. Sure, the story starts off with the 'wonderful, sensational' every day life that we all could've seen coming only to set up how each scene was to play out. Then, Barbie 'contracts' her existential crisis, and all hell breaks loose. Suffice it to say, one could write a sociological thesis on how this screenplay progressed throughout the film. It ultimately went deeper as the story unfolded. Both Robbie and Gosling gave stunning performances as the duo and as did America Ferrara as the mom in this. But the true star here is Gerwig herself. Her ability to, not only convey her ideas directing wise, but writing as well, were second to none. I smell Oscar nods on this.

As the trailer succinctly puts, "if you love Barbie, this is the movie for you, if you hate Barbie, this is the movie for you", is definitely true. I was never a big Barbie fan--I am a male and didn't grow up with it. My sister had a Barbie, so I'm sure she will want to see this. But I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this because of its freshness, originality and unpredictableness. You be the judge.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                             114mins.

Oppenheimer

Films that are based on biographical, historical facts are often fraught with being heavy-laden in order to accomplish its impact and story. "The Finest Hour", "Inherit the Wind", "Judgment at Nuremberg", "Schinder's List" all come to mind when it comes to telling these, often, horrendous stories. So, when "Oppenheimer" was being advertised, I knew that, not only would it be monumentous, but also heavy-laden as well.

During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. (Matt Damon) appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists, including Dr. Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett), Edward Teller (Benny Safdie), Hans Bethe (Gustaf Skarsgard), William Borden (David Dastmalchian) and others, spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history. Unfortunately, as Oppenheimer was a Communist sympathizer, there were several key people, mostly in the political realm that were attempting to railroad him and his being privy to such a top-secret entity. 

Others to round out the cast are Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Robert's wife, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Michael Angarano as Robert Serber, Jason Clark as Roger Robb, Alden Ehrenreich as Senate Aide, Kurt Koehler as Thomas Morgan, Rami Malek as David Hill, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush, Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer, Robert's brother and Tom Conti as Albert Einstein.

This was brilliantly directed  with clear delineation by Christopher Nolan ("Following" '98, "Memento" 2000, "Insomnia" '02, "Batman Begins" '05, "The Prestige" '06, "The Dark Knight" '08, "Inception" '10, "The Dark Knight Rises" '12, "Interstellar" '14, "Dunkirk" '17, "Tenet" '20) plus shorts and a video. Considering the length of time this filmmaker has been in the director's chair, he hasn't produced a plethora of films, but all of them have been well crafted films knowing what it takes to encourage his actors to dig deep in finding that character they will be attempting to convince the audience that who they see is that character and not just an actor. He truly gives his actors an incredible amount of autonomy so as to make the character development much more real. It was also incredibly well penned by writer Christopher Nolan (See above resume plus "Man of Steel" (story) '13) plus shorts and videos, based on the book by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. I must say that the use of black and white film and color was interesting and unique in that the color basically represented a story be told at the Senate hearing, and once it came back to the hearing, it was then edited as a black and white format. It was sequenced, paced and staged with perfection by an incredibly seasoned, consummate pro as Nolan clearly is. His casting, especially that of Murphy, Downey Jr., Hartnett and Blunt were amazingly effective. Nolan has mentioned in the past that he would like to direct and write a remake of his film "Memento" 2000 and I hope he eventually does, because it has such an intriguing plot and happens to be one of my favorite film of his. This was shot in Super 70 Panavision and IMAX, and apparently only plays in certain theaters across the country. So if you can catch this in one of those places, I would highly recommend it. 

If you are a fan of Nolan's work, like I am, this is quintessential Nolan, therefore you will love it. It has it all: great directing, writing, acting, photography, action and suspense all rolled up in one explosive movie--pun intended.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                                Rated: R                                             180mins.

The Miracle Club

I simply love to be able to see smaller, even more independent films during the summer film season, considering most of what's thrown our way is the big-budget, high adrenaline type of film or an animated flick. So when I saw the trailer of "The Miracle Club", and subsequently read more about it, the more I came to realize that this would be a nice refresher from the aforementioned. The cast alone is enough to woo any film buff into the multiplex.

Set in 1967, this is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily Fox (Maggie Smith), Eileen Dunne (Kathy Bates) and Dolly Hennessey (Agnes O'Casey) of Ballygar, a hard knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie Ohearn (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother's funeral dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a skeptical traveler, joining in place of her mother who was to originally to make the trek. The glamour and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only distancing traits. Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. Their shared traumas can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship.

Others to round out the cast are Mark O' Halloran as Father Dermot Byrne, Mark McKenna as George Hennessey, Dolly's husband, Niall Buggy as Tommy Fox, Lily's husband, Stephen Rea as Frank Dunne, Eileen's husband, Hazel Doupe as Cathy, Lesley Conroy as Sister Alice, Shauna Higgins as Ruth and Janet Grene as Nun at talent show. 

This was heartwarmingly directed by Thaddeus O' Sullivan ("On a Raving Stone Mounted" '78, "December Bride" '90, "Seasxape" (TV movie) '94, "Noting Personal" '95, "Witness to the Mob" (TV movie) '98, "Ordinary Decent Criminal" 2000, "The Heart of Me" '02, "Stella Days" '11, "Citizen Lane" '18) plus TV and shorts. The way this filmmaker was able to traverse his way to encourage his actors to have the ability to change from humorous to melancholy was phenomenal. Of course, when the cast is filled with such talent, it is easier, however, it still takes some fine directing to pull this off. Even though he is seasoned, this is still a difficult approach and O' Sullivan pulled it off in spades. It was equally well written by Jimmy Smallhorne, Timothy Prager and Joshua D. Maurer, based on a story by Smallhorne. Certainly both Prager and Smallhorne had the lion's share of the experience, however, I'm sure that Maurer's input was pivotal and helpful. And, other than a couple of small places of inconsistencies, this story was sequenced well, tight, concise and moved right along. Usually when there is more than two writers on any given film, the premise has the propensity to become bogged down with confusion and choppiness, but these writers were able to communicate with each other to the point of penning a thought provoking script that moves its audience emotionally, spiritually , psychologically while causing one to think about their own lives. Surely, the main reason I went to see this was for the star power--com'on, Smith, Bates and Linney? Wow! What a pleasure to observe such fine, seasoned acting. But, after watching this, I left with a whole lot more than I realized. Not only was the supporting cast a joy, especially Angus O' Casey as Dolly, but these characters certainly needed a miracle, but they found a miracle that they weren't even looking for. 

If you like these actors or even inspirational type films, you'll love this film. It has it all: love, fear, humor, desperation, redemption and reconciliation all rolled up in this 90 minute gem, Just the fact that such a small, independent film can make just as powerful an impact as a film five times more costly to make speaks volumes to me. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: PG-13                                          90mins.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Since the beginning of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise which started in 1996, we have seen more plots with twists and turns to fill more storylnes than the seven films involved here. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" is the seventh incarnation of the franchise and is, by the very title, the first of a two-parter. There have been so many installments, that I thought I might become bored with it. Wow, was I wrong!

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, including Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and an outsider, Grace (Hayley Atwell), embark on their most dangerous mission yet: to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces, namely Gabriel (Esai Morales), from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission--not even the lives of those he cares about most. 

Others to round out the cast are Vanessa Kirby as Ilana, the White Widow, Pom Klementieff as Paris, Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham as Briggs, Greg Tarzan Davis as Degas, Frederick Schmidt as Zola, Mariela Garriga as Marie, Cary Elwes as Denlinger, Charles Parnell as NPO and Mark Gatiss as NSA.

This was intensely and delineated with grit by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" '15, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" '18). Certainly since the last two installments of the franchise grossed a ton of profit, and were directed also by McQuarrie, it was the obvious choice to have him helm this installment as well. With these ingredients, this will, no doubt, pull in the bucks. The chemistry between this filmmaker and Cruise is amazing, or I believe they would've made three films together. And of course, by the title, there will be the conclusion of this installment come 2024. His pacing and timing was incredible, so much so, that I didn't feel like I was sitting in the theater seat for the better part of 3 hours. It was also well sequenced and penned by Christopher McQuarrie ("Public Access" '93, "The Usual Suspects" '95, "The Underworld" (TV movie) '97, "The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Valkyrie" '08, "The Tourist" '10, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Jack and the Giant Slayer" '13, "Edge of Tomorrow" '14, "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" '15, "The Mummy" '17, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" '18, "Tom Gun: Maverick" '22) plus TV, and Erik Jendresen ("Deadlocked" (TV movie) 2000, "Crazy as Hell" '02, "Otis" '08, "The Big Bang" '10, "Killing Lincoln" (TV movie) '13, "Ithaca" '15) plus TV and a video, based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller. This was written with a tight. cohesive, well thought out script, and considering its lengthy running time, it refused to become mired down with inconsistencies or choppiness. It definitely makes me wonder why Cruise is so believable as Ethan Hunt. First of all, Cruise is a talented actor if given the right role, and secondly, he, like his character counterpart, are both pretty much rogues, which can make the character come alive that much more. Cruise even performed a fair amount of his own stunts including the one he pulls riding over the cliff. The visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were both stunning as they were effective. 

If you like this franchise, or are a purist, and only care for reruns of the TV show, you'll still love this. It has it all: action, adrenaline, explosions, adventure and even humor all rolled up in a totally escapism film so as to please all. It's a great popcorn film, especially in this day and age of the world in such a disarray. Enjoy this gem--I sure did!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                           Rated: PG-13                                          163mins.

Sound of Freedom

We've all seen films based on a true story, however, "Sound of Freedom" has got to down in history as being one of the most, if not the most sobering films I have ever seen. It truly tackles a subject that has been swept under the carpet seemingly forever: child sex trafficking. This addresses it head on leaving no stone unturned which is an effective way of getting society's attention.

Based on the incredible true story, this film shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a small boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent, Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) learns the boy's sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he ultimately quits his job and journeys deep with the help of a local, Vampiro (Bill Camp) into the Colombian jungle, putting their lives on the line to save this young girl from a fate worse than death. 

Others to round out the cast are Mira Sorvino as Katherine Ballard, Tim's wife, Kurt Fuller as Frost, Tim's boss, Jose Zuniga as Roberto, Scott Haze as Chris, Eduardo Verastegui as Paul, Gerardo Taracena as El Alacran, Gary Basaraba as Earl Buchanan, Manny Perez as Fuego, Javier Godino as Jorge, Gustavo Sanchez Parra as El Calacas and Yessica Borroto as Katy Gisselle.

This was rivetingly directed by Alejandro Monteverde ("Bella" '06, "Little Boy" '15) plus shorts. This filmmaker obviously put his heart and soul into this movie considering all the detail of this story contents that were used. The pacing and staging was spot on--it exceeded a two hour running time, and one couldn't even detect it. Not having a plethora of experience, he will, undoubtedly receive more work considering the intensity and pathos this brought to the screen. It was equally well written by Rod Barr ("Is That You? (story) '14) and Alejandro Monteverde ("Bella" '06, "Little Boy" '15) plus shorts. Not only was this film incredibly penned well-with a tight script, was cohesive, sequenced well, but it was apparent that everyone connected to this production was a true believer in the story and shedding light as to expose the darkness that has, and still does, permeate the globe. And, Caviezel was simply amazing in his role as Ballard rescuing 100's of children from the clutches of these evil men and women involved in this child sex trafficking business. As the end credits were rolling, Caviezel gives a couple of minute talk of how devastating this horrific epidemic has become, and the more we know as a people by watching this film, the more we can make 'noise' in seeing that this has to come to an end. As he put it succinctly, "God's children are not for sale". 

This is a very sobering, but important film, and one that all adults certainly must see. Sometimes, it takes something so intense and descript to wake people up to the horrors that is happening to our children. Angel Studios released the film, and as part of the end credits, their website which is angel.com/freedom was on the screen to receive more information. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                         Rated: PG-13                                          131mins.