Lion will break your heart and then warm it

Movie Title:    Lion

Grade:  A-

Rating:   PG-13

In a Nutshell:  Adapted from the book A Long Way Home: A Memoir , this inspiring true story will break your heart and then warm it.  

Most people missed this film when it came to theaters (including me), but now that it has received 6 Academy Award nominations, everyone is talking about it (including me)!

Uplifting theme: 

• What incredibly selfless love people give when they adopt children, especially the street children from poor countries.  Over 80,000 children go missing in India each year.  You can learn more about the movement that has started because of this movie at www.lionmovie.com
• Determination, love, courage, home, family, blood, bonds, heritage, adoption

Things I liked:

• Beautiful cinematography.  Greig Fraser (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Zero Dark Thirty) uses a child’s perspective to film surrounding areas and provide a sense of wonder.
• Three cheers for Google Earth!
• The love of Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham) for their adopted children was so sweet.  I got teary eyed almost every time Sue was with her sons.
• You don’t learn the touching reason why the movie is called Lion until the very end of the movie.
• Dev Patel plays the grown-up Saroo with the absolutely adorable Sunny Pawar playing the young Saroo.
• What makes the movie even more powerful is knowing that it’s a true story.  You get to see real footage of when Sue meets Saroo’s biological mother just three years ago in 2014.
• As an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College, I thought it was fascinating that it was food that suddenly brought memories back to Saroo about his childhood.
• I enjoyed learning more about India and its culture. We also get to visit Australia in the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• SPOILER:  It made me so sad that no one would help Saroo in the train station.  Poor thing.  I just wanted to hug him tightly and give him something to eat.
• The beginning and end were really great, but it starts to drag in the middle when Saroo grows up and gets depressed and mopey before taking action.
• Some of the editing was choppy.
• When you first see Nicole Kidman in that wig, you think, “What the heck?”, but then, when you see the real Sue at the end of the movie, you think, “Oh, Ok.”

Interesting lines:

• “You weren’t just adopting us, but our past as well.” – Saroo
• ‘I really hope she’s there.  She needs to see how beautiful you are.” – Sue 

Tips for parents: 

• There are subtitles in the first half of the movie and again in the end.
• Pre-marital relations.
• Your children will see some extreme poverty and, hopefully, be grateful for what they have.

@trinaboice 

Newest Ben-Hur movie is half the length of Charlton Heston's Oscar-winning film

Movie Title: Ben Hur

  

Grade:   B-

Rating:  PG-13, 124 minutes

In a Nutshell:   I grew up watching the 1959 Oscar-winning original every Easter when it would play on TV.  

As a Christian, I’m always grateful to see religious-based movies hit the Big Screen.  However, as a Christian, I’m often disappointed.  

While the Charlton Heston adaptation earned 11 Academy Awards, this 6^th version will be mostly forgotten.   Watch the original instead.

Uplifting theme: 

• Redemption.
• Revenge vs. forgiveness
• Mercy vs. justice
• Fear vs. faith
• Kindness vs. brutality

Things I liked:

• This was filmed at the same site in Rome as the 1959 movie.
• Some of the sets were actually very good.
• The Roman ship battle scene was very impressive.  You’ll want to take a deep breath when it’s over.
• The chariot race towards the end was brutal, action-packed, and pretty exciting.
• Cheers to married couple Roma Downey and Mark Burnett who keep trying to bring family-friendly, inspiring movies to Christian audiences.  In fact, this adaptation shows more scenes with Jesus than any other version of Ben-Hur.
• Jack Huston sells us on his character's development.

Things I didn’t like:

• It doesn’t seem to have the same heart and soul as the Charlton Heston version. 
• The first half of the movie was a bit of a snore fest.
• Choppy editing.
• There is a lot of very obvious foreshadowing.
• This remake doesn’t really add anything new or even offer a different perspective to give audiences a reason to watch it.
• A lot of CGI, although it was done well.
• I always feel so sad for the horses in these sandal and sword movies.
• I wanted to cry and really feel something, but the few touching scenes were too rushed.
• Yeow!  Yeow!  Yeow!  Yeow!  (chariot race)
• This remake is half the length of Charlton Heston’s famous film that lasted almost four hours.  Granted, four hours is really too long for a movie (the popcorn only lasts 20 minutes).  I guess you could call this version “efficient.”  
• This movie will give you a headache if you see it in 3D.  2D is perfectly fine and enough.
• When you see Morgan Freeman playing the old sage, you know this movie isn’t going to be offering anything new.  I mean, how many times have we seen him play that role already?  Don’t get me wrong.  I do love him.  But wait, Morgan Freeman in dreadlocks?  That's new.

Interesting lines:

• “What should I do?” – Judah Ben-Hur  (Jack Huston)

“You’ve done enough.  Now pray!” – Naomi (Ayelet Zurer)

• “Love your enemies.” – Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro)

“That’s progressive.” – Judah

“It’s the truth.” – Jesus

• “We don’t kill all Romans.” – girl in tent

“Well, that’s not very comforting to the dead ones.” – Judah

• “You confuse peace with freedom.” – man in tent
• “You should have stayed away.” – Messala (Toby Kebbell)

“You should have killed me.” – Judah Ben-Hur  (Jack Huston)

“I will.” – Messala

  

Tips for parents:   

• Fighting, blood, suffering, drowning, trampling.  In other words, LOTS of violent sequences.
• Some kids just don't like older movies, so this newest version of Ben-Hur will be a nice introduction to this loosely-based Bible story for them.

Black or White addresses racism on both sides

Movie: Black or White

PG-13, 2 hours 1 minute

Grade: B

In a Nutshell:  Inspired by true events, Academy Award winner Kevin Costner produced this heartbreaking and heart warming film that attempts to cross black and white barriers to understanding and accepting one another.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Unfortunately, race is still an issue in this country.  Kevin Costner plays a hard-drinking and newly widowed grandfather, trying to raise his mixed race granddaughter.  Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer plays Rowena Spencer (Grandma WeeWee).   Rowena says “But you don’t want her down here, do you Elliott…here with the black folks…?”  Elliott brushes her off and says “Don’t start with that.  What is it with you? Why do you always have to go there?” She spits back “What is it with you that you don’t want to admit that there’s a ‘there’ there?”

Things I liked:

·         There are some funny moments like when Kevin Costner tries to brush his granddaughter’s black hair.  Frazzled, he asks “This is every day?”  There are also a lot of funny/awkward moments, like when Grandma WeeWeePee tries to kiss Kevin Costner or give him "some love" with a hug.

·         The evolving relationship between Elliott Anderson and his granddaughter, Heloise, is very sweet.  It’s cute how they tap their heart with their fingers when they say goodbye to each other.

·         The math tutor (“Johnny Quest sidekick”)  played by Mpho Koaho is adorable.  I love how he has written papers on so many different subjects and is always there to support Elliott.

·         Jillian Estel (Eloise) does a great job and is adorable.

Things I didn’t like:

·         I don’t care what color you are…if you’re doing drugs, I don’t want you around my kids.  It bugged me that Rowena and her brother sued Elliott, claiming he didn’t want Eloise around her biological father because he was black, as if his drug use, prison time, and dangerous lifestyle had nothing to do with it.

·         Some of the characters in the story are ridiculously stereotyped on both sides.
          

Funny lines:

·         “I’m no good at math; I’m a lawyer.  Do you know what we’re good at?” - Elliott

“What?” – Heloise

“Nothing…….it’s a little joke.” – Elliott
  “Duvan, tell me the truth. What planet are you really from?  OK? I’m not going to report you.  I just would like to know.” - Elliott

Interesting lines:

·         “She’s not black.  Alright, she’s half black. She’s also half white.  What does that have to do with anything anyway?  That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.” – Elliott

·         “I don’t watch much television.  I’m afraid for me it is not a nourishing form of entertainment.” – Duvan

          

Tips for Parents:

·         Language, including the “N” word and 1 F-bomb, drinking, drug use, and a couple of fights.
*    Custody battles often cause emotional hurt for both parents and children.  Because of the complicated nature of race and custody, this film would be boring and inappropriate for young children.