Apasianados

Rating: Matinee

Synopsis: A lonely woman's quest for a baby changes her and others lives forever.

Spiritual Significance: I really enjoyed this 2002 Argentine romantic melodrama.  It is filled with a rich assortment of themes worthy of discussion.  It deals with motherhood, friendship, relationships between men and women, children, finding one's calling, etc.  The cinematography is beautiful, the casting is appropriate, it moves well.  

What moved me most however was how what ended up happening didn't have to happen at all. To fill in the gaps...the premise of the story is that a woman wishes to have a baby and asks her best friend for permission to use her boyfriend as a donor.  And it ends with the boyfriend leaving his girlfriend for her friend who is having his baby.  It is an interesting premise and the movie works well. However what struck me was the boyfriend leaving had as much to do with his girlfriend as with the friend.  The girlfriend in her jealousy drove him away and in a very direct way made him want to be with the other.  And she didn't have to.  She could have been a true friend and allow herself and her boyfriend to enjoy the pregnancy of the other, help her and support her. Because she didn't and blamed him for caring he left.  And from that perspective it is a very sad story because he was in love with his girlfriend and would have married her and become a wonderful father for her daughter.  So while the lessons in this film are plenty my central one was this - love the people for who they are and don't get jealous for it only pushes your loved ones away. 

Race to Witch Mountain

Rating: Rental

Synopsis: Kid aliens and the Rock are trying to save Earth from destruction.

Spiritual Significance: Hard to say....I am sorry but just couldn't resist.  There are of course themes in this Disney reboot of the original (which I haven't seen.)  It deals with trying to set one's life straight, making tough choices to do what's right, not judging the book by its cover, etc.  I went to this movie because I wanted to go with my 14 year old niece and this was the only film that got any decent reviews (she had already seen the Watchmen.)  And it is an enjoyable movie which I will describe as Chevet to "Transformers" Camaro.  Parents shouldn't have trouble sitting through it and teens may like it.  It is clean, teaches a few lessons, and let's the family go on its way.  

The one thing that I found odd however was the directing and editing.  Specifically, Sarah's character played by AnnaSophia Robb and Jack's character played by Dwayne Johnson seemed to have a very "unnatural" chemistry.  I would say that there is more romantic chemistry between the two of them than Dwayne's romantic interest Carla Gugino.  And seeing a 40 year old man with a 15 year old girl (alien or not) is a bit strange.  Now, psychologists reading this may say I am just projecting and I do admit when Anna grows up she will be a beautiful woman.   However, the father-daughter feelings they were going for could have been easily mistaken for something of a different sort.  That is why directing/editing is surprising because they should have picked up on that.    

Henry Poole Is Here

Rating: Rental

Synopsis: A man who has weeks to live chooses to meet his end in solitude near his childhood home. He finds, instead, people that force him to look within and seek a different path.

Spiritual Significance: The energetic pace of this film to me seemed similar to "Lost In Translation." It was slow by design and mimicked the main character's feelings. One had to really stay in the movie to enjoy it but the rewards were there for anyone who persevered.

In spiritual terms this film deals with death and loosing loved ones, God and miracles, hope and coping, relationships, divorce, and child raising. There is plenty to dive into. What interested me as a father was Millie - the 7 year old girl living next to Henry. The pain that child was going through dealing with loosing her father to divorce was heartbreaking. It should remind everyone how difficult divorces are for children and how careful adults need to be. For that alone this movie deserves to be seen. This side story is not its primary purpose but is one that touched me the most.

Last Chance Harvey

Rating:  Matinee

Synopsis:  A man whose life is in decline crosses paths with a woman who takes comfort in her loneliness.  In each other they find their last chance for love.

Spiritual Significance:  I think what I enjoyed most about this film is the way it was shot.  If this movie was a painting, then it was done with a soft brush.  Instead of in-your-face dialog it focused on the subtleties of the character's faces and a look in their eyes.  It didn't follow the "rules of the trade" by making Dustin Hoffman appear taller and specifically focused on realism by throwing Emma Thompson on high heels into the frame right next to a shorter older actor. This film was going for truth in all its wonder by letting us peek into the lives of two ordinary people who are trying hard to find meaning in their hectic existence.  

In spiritual terms this movies deals with issues of marriage, divorce, loneliness, love, career choice, and caring for loved ones.  There are, as usual, many avenues one could take.  However, I was most touched by a father daughter relationship.  Harvey is dealing with emotion of loosing his daughter's love.  He doesn't remember how it happened but it did and once he had a chance to take a breath from work he felt the void tremendously.  Looking at both of them was painful for in their eyes you could see the sorrow and regret.  Harvey's fear felt true and having a daughter myself just made me want to never experience it.  I rushed home to find my precious one still awake and happily soaked her in.  Thank you Last Chance Harvey.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Rating:  Worth Full Price

Synopsis:  A man goes through life backwards, having been born in an old man's body and getting younger with age.  Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett give inspiring performances as two lovers trying to find the right time in their lives to be together.

Spiritual Significance:  There is a wonderful bouquet of colorful story lines in this melancholy drama. This film is drenched in human experience as it surrounds its main characters with people from all walks of life dealing with existential issues.  They are each profound and tug at your heart in their own ways by touching upon love, children, aging, parenting, consequences of actions and reasons for living.  There are others, many many others...

While this film's main artery is time and the extrodenarily touching story of Ben and Daisy, I have found the smaller side stories engaging.  For instance, a drunken tugboat captain that takes Benjamin under his wing is truly fascinating.  He wants to be an artist but is forbidden by his father and told to get on the tugboat.  So he does but keeps true to his heart by expressing his art through tattoos.  He loves the permanence of them and the fact that his father cannot take this away from him.  I also cared deeply for the woman Ben falls in love with who as a young girl tries to swim across the English channel and gives up regretting it for many years.  Only much later in life she finally does it fulfilling her desires.  The story of Ben's adopted mother is breathtaking as a black woman unable to have children risks loosing the man she loves to take care of a baby no one wants.  And finally the story of a blind clock maker that looses a son to war. The way he grieves is by making a clock that goes backwards to do what he can to bring his child back to life.  

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a masterful tale full of visual and emotional imagery that will leave you thinking for days.  I highly recommend this film for the way it inspires you to live your life and treat every moment with wonder.