On the surface, this is nothing more than another comic book movie. But if you pull back that surface you will find something more. There is something deeper. Joss Whedon returns to write and direct this second movie based on…
Exploring the human condition in ‘Ex Machina’
Using the concept of artificial intelligence, Ex Machina speaks to the question of whether a robot can be human. Yet, beyond the robotic character there are questions about humans and how they relate to each other and how those relationships…
What is truth? ‘Merchants of Doubt’ grapples with the question
When Jesus encounters Pilate, John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus declares he came into the world to testify to the truth. Pilate replies, “What is truth?” Merchants of Doubt poses this question to us. On the surface it may look…
‘American Sniper’ focuses on a hero. But whose?
American Sniper is a polarizing movie. If you have paid attention to the stories in the media you can see all manner of opinions about whether it is good or bad. Those opinions generally fall along the lines of the…
‘Selma’ reveals a Martin Luther King who struggled with both the system and himself
There are few movies that should be required viewing. Most movies are merely candy we consume quickly and forget. But there comes a time when a movie rises above those confectionary tomes and becomes something much more. Selma is such…
‘Unbroken’ is expansive and timely as the nation debates torture
Laura Hillenbrand published the life story of Louie Zamperini in November of 2010. It has remained on the best sellers list since its publication. People have fallen in love with the story of resilience and redemption of a juvenile delinquent…
In latest Exodus film, God’s a petulant boy, while Moses and Ramses play macho head games
Ridley Scott directs great movies. He won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2000 for Gladiator, and his films Alien and Blade Runner are science fiction classics. Scott has a way of offering grand spectacles on the screen and telling…
In ‘Whiplash,’ a stark reminder: Teachers have power to abuse
Teachers live in duality with their students. The students either love or hate the teacher, depending on how the teacher is perceived. Some of that is well earned. Teachers have the power to make or break students. They can be…
‘The Theory of Everything’ offers unflinching view of marriage
Relationships are hard. Forces at work within them bring stress and strain, making it difficult for relationships to work and last. Add that stress and strain to an incurable disease and you have the formula for the docudrama, The Theory…