Me Before You is predictable, but will still make you cry

Movie Title:       Me Before You

  

Grade:   B

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 50 minutes

In a Nutshell:    Adapted by Jojo Moyes from her popular 2012 novel of the same name, this predictable RomCom (romantic comedy) will still make you cry.

Uplifting theme: 

•  “Live boldly.  Push yourself.” – William Traynor
• “Live well.  Just live.” – William Traynor
• “There really isn’t much that can’t be solved by a cup of tea.” – Louisa
• “You can’t change how people are.” – Bernard Clark

“Then what can you do?” – Louisa

“Love them.” – Bernard Clark

• Start working on your Bucket List today.  You never know how much time you have left on this earth.
• “You need to widen your horizons, Clark.  You only get one life to live.” – William
• You love whom you serve.

Things I liked:

• Emilia Clarke is charming as Louisa Clark.  Her quirky fashion sense had the audience full of girls and women giggling every time she donned a new outfit with fuzzy sweater, brightly-colored shoes, and crazy tights.  Her boyfriend, Patrick, tells her she looks like a leprechaun drag queen. I don’t watch the porn-filled Game of Thrones TV show, but fans will almost not recognize Emilia Clarke in this Chick Flick.
• Sam Clafflin plays the handsome, rich William Traynor.  Who wouldn’t fall in love with that irresistible combination?  We’ve seen him before as Finnick in The Hunger Games.
• Louisa’s sister’s name is Treena.  I spell mine “Trina”.  Still, we’re almost related.
• Filming was done mostly at Pembroke Castle in Wales.  I saw some of the coolest castles in Wales last summer when I traveled through the UK.  Beautiful landscapes and scenery are layered in the movie.
• Louisa is a real woman, nothing fake or phony about her.  I laughed out loud when she was running and holding her chest, explaining that she had worn the wrong bra.  Been there.  Men will never understand the woes of womanhood.
• Louisa is embarrassed to wear her mother’s black & white checkered jacket to her job interview because it was from the 1980’s.  I actually liked it!  Of course, I was a teenager in the 80’s, so I guess that makes sense.  Ha ha
• It’s really fun to see Matthew Lewis all grown up.  Most of us know him as the shy, insecure Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films.  In this movie, he plays a self-centered runner who is super fit and trim, yet a bit insensitive.
• Louisa & William’s first kiss was extremely slow and delicate.  Kind of refreshing from some of the attack-mode kisses we usually see on the Big Screen lately.
• As a movie critic, I loved the discussion Louisa and William had about movies with subtitles.  Sure, it's a lot of work in the beginning, but a great foreign film will sweep you away to a far away land and envelope you in the story so much that you won't even remember you're reading.  One of the best foreign films I ever saw was "Life is Beautiful."  At the very end of the movie, you actually hear Americans speaking English.  I was so engrossed in the movie that the English actually startled me and broke the trance.  I HIGHLY recommend that movie!

Things I didn’t like:

• If you have estrogen, you’re probably going to cry.
• It’s pretty predictable.

Funny lines:

•  “You know, Sharon…you can stick your premier badge right up your relaxed dining area.” – Louisa
• “A wind concerto?” – William

“I’ve been assured it doesn’t involve farting.” - Louisa

• “You’ll think I’m insane!” – Louisa

“That ship has sailed, Clark.” – William
*  "Every time I say something, he looks at me like I'm stupid." - Louisa
    "You are stupid." - Treena
    "Yeah, but he doesn't know that." - Louisa

Did you notice?

• Louisa’s headboard matches her quilted bedspread.
• Fans of British comedy will get a kick out of seeing beloved comedienne Joanna Lumley who plays William’s drunk godmother at a wedding.  Joanna was often seen playing a drunk character in her smash hit “Absolutely Fabulous.”
• William’s old girlfriend says “You know, you can only help somebody who wants to be helped.”   Do you think that’s true?  Not necessarily true?
•  

Romantic lines:

•  All the women in the audience swooned when William said “You know, Clark, you are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the mornings.”
• “I don’t want to go in yet.  I just want to be a man who’s been to a concert with a girl in a red dress.” – William
• “I have become a whole new person because of you.” - Louisa

Tips for parents:   

• Pre-marital sex.  Discussion about positions during sex.
• There is a lot of discussion about assisted suicide, which is a very complicated, sensitive subject.
• William was in a motorcycle accident that left him as a quadriplegic. You may want to talk to kids about what exactly that means.
• Some profanity.
• There is a discussion about “Wellies”, which is a British word for rain boots.

The Letters honors Mother Teresa's humble service

Movie Title:    The Letters

Grade:  B-

Rating:  1 hour, 54 minutes

In a Nutshell:    This inspiring bio drama is narrated by a priest whose task it was to research and petition for the canonization of Mother Teresa in the Catholic Church.  While she still has not received full sainthood status, her “missionaries of charity” have grown from just a handful to thousands today.  The movie features her humble journey from nun to a world icon of hope and service.  The title refers to letters she wrote to the leadership of the Catholic Church, expressing her private worries and admission of loneliness during her struggles.

Unfortunately, the movie spends a lot of time on the red tape involved in the Church’s various decisions that affected Mother Teresa’s ministry, but it was still fascinating to learn more about her life’s work.  It made me want to be a better person.  It was interesting to learn that she felt so abandoned by God while surrounded by people who were blessed by her God-like service and love.

Uplifting theme: 

• "A little bit of God's love...that's all we can do." - Mother Teresa
• “It’s not my work.  It’s God’s work.  I’m just a pencil in God’s hand.” – Mother Teresa     (Oh, that we could all be as effective in God’s hand as she was.)
• St. Francis of Assisi is attributed to writing this prayer, which inspired Mother Teresa, as well as many others still today: “Lord, make me a channel of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.  Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.”

Things I liked:

• Juliet Stevenson did a great job honoring Mother Teresa.  I have always liked her body of work.  Mother Teresa was from Albania, so Juliet tried to do her best eastern European accent. 
• I thought the contrast between Mother Teresa’s sweet, peaceful spirit of humility and that of Mother General’s jealous attitude was interesting.
• It was sweet to hear the vow the nuns took to care for the hungry, naked, homeless and crippled.  Their desire to serve the lowest in India’s society was very touching and humbling.
• For just a brief moment, you get to see a bird’s eye view of 1949 New York City, which is pretty cool-looking.
• It was nice to see Rutger Hauer, who usually plays a bad guy in movies, as a thoughtful priest in this film.
• Did you know Max von Sydow has won tons of acting awards from various countries?  He added a distinguished air the film.
• I really love the movie poster.  

Things I didn’t like:

• Even though Mother Terea wasn’t supposed to be that old in the movie, Juliet Stevenson slouched over a lot, making her look oddly older.
• The film jumps forward and back, which can be a little confusing at times and make the story feel a bit disjointed.
• Isn’t it ironic that the Hindus, who abandoned their temple, threw rocks at it because Mother Teresa was inside helping people not of their faith?  They said it was sacred to them, yet what she was doing inside was truly divine. 
• Terrible actors, but authentic extras.
• The film shows Mother Teresa receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, but doesn’t mention the other awards she received over the years.
• The music tried to be inspiring, but sometimes its sweeping dramatic score didn’t quite match what was being shown on the screen.
• It could have been epic, but it is very simple...just like Mother Teresa.

Interesting lines:

• “She possesses depths of holiness far deeper than any of us imagined.” – Priest  
• “We pray.  We trust in God.  God will give us an answer.” – Mother Teresa
• "The greatest suffering is to feel unloved, unwanted, alone." - Mother Teresa

Tips for parents:   

• Whenever your kids complain about having to sweep as a chore, have them watch the scenes where the nuns sweep the floor with a few twigs wrapped together!
• Sobering images of death and suffering.
• Parents may need to explain to their children about the caste system in India.

NEW UPDATE (as of 12/19/15)

Pope Francis on Thursdayapproved a decree recognizing a second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa, paving the way for the Roman Catholic nun to be made a saint next year. The miracle involved the alleged healing of a man who was suffering from multiple brain tumors, according to Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Catholic bishops conference. Mother Teresa died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was beatified, which is the first step toward sainthood, in 2003. The second miracle is required for canonization. The paper reports that the pope would likely hold a canonization ceremony for the Nobel Peace laureate in early September. A Vatican spokesman said he had no information about the report.

Highway to Dhampus is lovely, inspiring and heart-breaking at the same time

Movie:    Highway to Dhampus

Rating:    PG

Grade:   A-

In a Nutshell:   This is not a fast-moving action flick, but a very sophisticated, simple journey of the soul.  It’s lovely and inspiring and heart-breaking all at the same time.

Written and directed by Utah filmmaker Rick McFarland, this indie film recently won several “Best Film” awards including the Madrid International Film Festival, the SoHo International Film Festival and the Heartland Film Festival.

When I asked Director Rick McFarland what inspired him to write this film, he told me "The characters and messages in the film are all based off of qualities that I want to have or wish I didn't, and experiences that I've had in my life--but I did't want to tell the story of me or my life. I wanted to transpose these things that were personal into a story that was more allegorical and less literal, more romantic and less pedestrian than my life could show. Living well, loving, giving, being kind and changing--all things I wish I knew how to do better."

This is the first indie feature film shot entirely in Nepal by a foreign director and crew.  It opens October 9^th in select theaters.  Check this web site to find out if it’s going to be playing in your neighborhood:  http://www.highwaytodhampus.com 

Uplifting Theme:

·         “It’s not really an effort to make a change in the big picture.” – Elizabeth James (played by Rachel Hurd-Wood)

·         We don’t serve to change the world.  We serve to change ourselves. - (me....Trina Boice...quick, somebody quote me!)

·         Namaste means please, thank you, and welcome. What a touching concept.
-    Love, kindness, charity, doing what's right

Things I liked:

·         The music in the film features a Bansuri flute.  It's a wooden flute that is a very typical native instrument in Nepal.  I asked McFarland about it and he said "We tried to also weave a very well known Nepali melody into the music--a folk tune called Himalayan Trekking Song." 
-    Laxmi is such a sweet character.  The lovely Suesha Rana plays her beautifully.  Her stirring reaction at the end of the movie brought me to tears.
-        I love learning other languages and so I noticed the term “Babu” mentioned several times. When I asked about it,  McFarland explained it as: "Babu is a term of endearment--it simply means "boy," but with the warmest familial connotations. I repeated it in the script a bunch between Laxmi and Prabhujee, in an effort to familiarize the viewer with the word. The hope was that as we heard Mahendra call Ajit babu in the third act, that we would get a subtle sense of the father-son relationship that they have." 

-  I loved seeing the bustling street scenes, landscapes from the plane,  and charming people of Nepal.

·         I liked how Colt (Gunner Wright) started up a friendship with Ajit (Raj Ballav Koirala) immediately.  Their relationship deepens and you get to experience growth in everyone in the movie in this true character study.

·         Elizabeth looked ridiculous in her fur coat sitting next to the poor orphans.  The contrast between how she physically looked in the beginning and end revealed her inner transformation as well.  She even lightens her hair to illustrate her illumination.

·         There are quite a few music montages with songs that range from instrumental to more modern ballads on the guitar.  They carry the feeling of the movie, although they also seem like lazy writing when there are so many of them.

·         I really loved how McFarland chose to finish the story.  It was powerful, simple, and understated, just like the entire movie.

·         Prabhujee is adorable.  He is played by Sayush Gurung Bajracharya.

·         Reincarnation is a common belief in Nepal.  I thought it was poignant when Ajit looked up and saw the bird flying in the sky over a cremation site.

·         The cinematography is beautiful.  I would have loved to see even more.

Things I didn’t like:

·         The subtitles flash so quickly that you don’t have time to read AND spend time really observing the faces of the characters as they speak.  Don't worry.  The entire film is not in a foreign language.

·         The air really is dirty there in the big city.  Ick.

·         Colt’s personality seems so uneven. One moment he’s playing tenderly with the children and the next moment he’s bad-mouthing them.  His unkind outburst to Elizabeth when she was reading a book to the orphans was odd coming from a guy who seemed so sensitive and easy-going earlier.  He crushes her spirit again in the car on the way to the airport after their second trip to Nepal.  I suppose it's meant to be ironic that he's criticizing her for being shallow when he is also.

·         There are a few strange edits and cuts that are distracting.
-     The movie needed more MONKEYS!
-     It's a bit slow-moving.

Funny lines:  

·         “Look at the mountain.  It’s ‘namaste-ing” to the whole world.  So, when you Namaste back to the mountain, it bestows you with peace, progress, and prosperity.” – AJ

“I’m the first one to do that, right?” = Colt

“Actually, I just made that up.” – AJ

·         “I bought this stuff.  I don’t even know what it is.” – Elizabeth

·         “I’ve heard that the girls like scars.” – Mahendra Sharma (played by Deshbhakra Khanal)

“Yeah, I’m really dreamy.” - Ajit

Things to look for:

·         The beginning of the movie starts with a poem: “As the little heart leaf of the bettle tree, grows my love for you.   Day and night.  Day and night.  Ebbing and swelling like the Marshyangdi it flows and flows.“   Marshyangdi is a mountain river in Nepal.  It's the perfect imagery to illustrate how two people in the movie come together, as that particular river starts from a confluence of two rivers.

Tips for Parents:

·         There is a scene where Elizabeth is taken to a sacred temple where people burn bodies of their loved ones who have died.  While Westerners are often frightened by such an image,  to those in Nepal, it is an honorable ceremony that demonstrates respect.
-   Young children may be a bit bored watching the story.
-    No profanity or sexual innuendos.  This is a family-friendly film.

·     After you see the movie, you and your family will want to do more to help others who are suffering in the world.  FiftyFilms and Highway to Dhampus have partnered with Mind the Gap Worldwide to help raise money to send to Nepal.  You can learn more at www.mindthegapworldwide.com