Film Review: The List

It's films like "The List" that makes me wonder if whatever openness Hollywood had to faith-based films after the monster success of "The Passion of the Christ" is rapidly fading away. This scattered, Bible-based Christian thriller continues the pattern of lukewarm "faith-based" films that end up going straight-to-DVD and further the stereotype that Christians can't make good films because they can't present their message effectively or in a way that feels honest.

In "The List," a whiny, money-hungry lawyer in South Carolina learns his father has died and is left a safety deposit box with information about a secret society that dates back to the Civil War. Believing that his inheritance lies with the secret society, the lawyer, Renny, joins the group and learns of its history. During the Civil War, a group of men created a secret entity called the Conventry List of South Carolina to protect their fortunes. Their names -- as well as those of each family's chosen male descendant since then -- are signed along with a blood fingerprint pact in a book. For nearly 150 years, The List's accumulated wealth has stretched into the hundreds of millions.

After his father dies, Renny is invited to a meeting of The List and meets the beautiful Jo Johnston, who is mistakenly invited when its members think she is a man named "Joe" (her father also recently died). Since the group is all-male, Jo is not eligible to receive her father's value in The List (a family can lose its fortune if it runs out of male heirs). While Jo backs away, she is concerned for Renny, who plays along in order to have a chance at his inheritance.

This all sounds kinda interesting until we learn that the book on which the list is contained also has a supernatural element. We're not quite sure about this power other than we're supposed to just accept that it's evil and it can hurt not only the List members but also those that they care about. It could be a metaphor for whatever vice a person has, possibly one that has traveled through family generations. At this point, an antidote to that evil is introduced. Along the way, we see the love interest between Renny and Jo, the "angels" that start to appear in Renny's life and several unanswered plot questions. The film is relatively clean, language- and violence-wise, so families with older children can watch it. I would just like them to comment here on just what the heck actually went on in the film.

I have to admit that I am bothered by some of the Christian films that are arriving at the Herald office (i.e. lately, it's "The Ultimate Gift," "Saving Sarah Cain" and "Facing the Giants.") While they are all watchable with good lead actors and you appreciate the positive messages of prayer and faith, they also have a cookie-cutter feel that will convince few outside of the choir. These films tend to involve a self-absorbed protagonist who doesn't see God but is thrust into a situation where they undergo "tests" that eventually bring them to their knees. The lead women tend to be beautiful young blondes. The storylines try to draw in a secular audience by teasing it as, for example, a romantic comedy or a sports action flick or a thriller before predictably veering off the tracks in an effort to make sure it drives home its message of faith. Are these films not grabbing the public's attention because it can't handle the faith message, or is it something else?

I tend to think it's the latter. While the intentions of faith-based filmmakers are noble -- there's nothing wrong with promoting the power of prayer and the benefits of reading Scripture and living a God-centered life -- I have yet to see one of these films that can show the spiritual struggle honestly. They seem to lack theological depth.

One interesting bit with "The List," there's an alternate ending with Renny and Jo among the deleted scenes that would have given the film a slightly different, more interesting context. It's worth checking out if you rent it.

Film Review: "Anthony: Warrior of God"

Film review is something our blog will hopefully have more of, so the Herald staff will try to ocassionally share thoughts on current theatrical and DVD releases, including some lesser-known Catholic-related titles that are sent to the Herald for review from time to time. Such is the case with "Anthony: Warrior of God," which I'll try to briefly review below.

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As the DVD's behind-the-scenes featurette points out, practically every Catholic Church around the world has a statue of St. Anthony of Padua. His intercession is often sought when something (or someone) is lost, but outside of that, the Franciscan friar's life is relatively unknown to many Christians. “Anthony: Warrior of God” tries to address some of the it, although the film’s simple scan of Anthony’s years as a friar leaves much for devotees of the popular saint to research.

Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195 and, after becoming a Franciscan friar, spent much of his time serving in Italy. He was an impassioned preacher and challenger of heresies, so effective that the church declared him a “doctor” of the faith in 1946. When his body was exhumed three decades after his death in 1231, it was found decayed except for the tongue, a confirmation to many followers of the truth behind what St. Anthony spoke.

While the film suffers generally from a made-for-TV feel both script and acting-wise, the cinematography is well-done. Popular Spanish actor Jordi Molla is an exception as St. Anthony, effectively presenting him as a man with a strong faith, a burning for justice and a deep compassion for the poor.

While the filmmakers’ reverence to its subject is highly visible, “Anthony” comes across as a bit cluttered in its storytelling. It suffers from poor transitioning of events, as one seems to go into the next without much context despite an overarching narrative by one of the main characters. At times, dramatic elements seem to be added for storytelling effect, such as a friendship Anthony strikes up with a man named Folco, a former thief who was sent by his master to find Anthony and locate treasure from a shipwreck that Anthony survived off the coast of Italy. Oddly, Anthony and famous mathematician Fibonnaci (Leonardo of Pisa) survive the shipwreck, leading to a subplot where Folco’s boss searches for “new math” from Fibonacci that will change the Western world and somehow make the boss rich. Along the way, Anthony challenges Folco to search for the inner treasure that God offers, which spurs Folco’s slow transformation from a man of the world to a man of God.

The film shows St. Anthony as an agent of political change, too, as his impassioned preaching of the Gospel pricks the consciences of usurers, money lenders whose exorbitant interests on debts kept many families poor with no hope of escaping destitution.

While “Anthony: Warrior of God” should not be considered the definitive film on the much-beloved saint (although it's the only one I know of), hopefully it will spur viewers to search out more information about his life and courageous witness to the Gospel.

(There are a few scenes with mild violence from the userers, and a scene where a father hangs himself out of despair from usery. Suitable for adults and mature youth. Not yet rated by the USCCB.)

DVD Talk: Gone Baby Gone

CNS photo from Miramax.

I didn't catch "Gone Baby Gone" in the theaters... it was one of those movies that intrigued me -- in part because it was Ben Affleck's directorial debut and because the cast was quite impressive with Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and Casey Affleck -- but not enough to get me into the theater. I just wasn't up for a crime drama about child abduction. Now that it is on DVD, I added it to my Netflix queue and I'm glad I did. It is an exceptional film.

With the film's rough language and main subject of child abduction will not make it for everyone, those who can tolerate these elements will be rewarded with a fascinating study of what makes for right and wrong, and the consequences that decisions have.

Without giving away any real spoilers, the movie opens with a little girl already abducted and the tough Boston neighborhood up in arms. The film's star, Casey Affleck, plays private investigator Patrick Kenzie, who has eked out a living primarily finding stolen items. His life changes, however, when relatives of the abducted child see his ad in the paper and ask for the help of he and his partner to find the child. He is reluctant at first but needs the job and accepts. The rest of the movie takes several intelligent twists and turns as Affleck's character learns that the child's abduction is just part of a larger web into which he is getting entangled.

Because this is Boston, Patrick is Catholic and there is a presence of Catholicism sporadically throughout the movie (pleasantly surprising, no priest abuse wisecracks are made). While increasing awareness of the tragedy of child abudction is a central part of this movie, Ben Affleck interestingly hones in on the moral dilemmas Patrick faces as he stumbles deeper and deeper into the truth of what is going on. At several points, his Catholic upbringing -- it could be labeled "Catholic guilt" -- kicks in and he struggles with decisions that seem right but do not sit well in him. His faith tells him that sometimes a truly right decision will bring pain, even when another character mocks it. I kept waiting for the hammer to fall and for the Church to ultimately be dismissed. But while it took some shots from some key characters, Catholicism was portrayed for the most part with respect (Patrick does cohabitate with his female investigative partner, so it's not perfect).

With each step Patrick takes, adversaries try to dull his conscience, leading to a climactic moral dilemma that has sparked a lot of debate on film blogs (is the decision made the right one or a selfish one?). The film made me think of the notion of "Catholic guilt" and the savage portrayal Catholics often get in entertainment avenues because of it. Catholicism is usually equated with repression, if you believe most of the movies, songs and books where the artists "deal" with their Catholic upbringing. But I firmly believe that Catholic guilt is a good thing. It is good to have our consciences pricked in a way that makes us second guess whether something that society says is right may not be quite right... where the ends may not always justify the means. Growing up, I can honestly say that Catholic guilt may have made me seem like a wimp and nerd to friends at times for decisions I made not to do certain things, but looking back Catholic guilt saved me a lot of heartache. And if I did do something wrong, Catholic guilt ultimately led me back to the sacrament of confession -- a true gift of the church and whose renewal I believe will lead to a renewal of Catholicism in general around the world. In the end, "Catholic guilt" is really God's love trying to reach us... saying "you don't have to do this"... trying to remind us of the larger picture of life and the consequences we may have to deal with. There are times when you have a hard time explaining why something is wrong, but in your heart you know it and, though it may be unpopular in the crowd, you try to find the strength and moral conviction to stick with your decision. As the flawed hero of this film, Casey Affleck does an excellent job portraying this kind of person.

There is a lot of rough language and some instances involving drug dealing in the film and, as I said earlier, this film may be hard to watch for some. But for those who do watch it, it is moving and -- despite the heartbreaking subject matter -- rewarding. It shows the world is not a perfect place, but there is still a moral order to the universe.

If anyone has seen this film and wishes to discuss it in the comment box, I'm game. A similar film that reminds us that our decisions can have huge, unforeseen consquences if we choose wrong is "Atonement."