Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent biopic of the Christian rock band MercyMe. 

Despite the prevalence of both musical biopics and sequels in modern cinema, a sequel to a musical biopic is rare. That is what makes I Can Only Imagine 2 work so well. It tells the story of what happens after where most musical biopics stop and about how everything doesn't necessary work out perfectly after your dreams come truly. With this theme the sequel takes a more serious and sometimes even melancholy tone. All the while though in true Christian movie fashion, this film tells how God is by your side through the tough parts of life and that even in your darkest days you can find hope. That the story is not afraid to go to darker and more serious places makes this message all the more effective. One may accuse this story of sermonizing at times, but the sermons fit the story and the characters. They are also quite well written (especially when dealing with the story behind the classic hymn, It is Well).

This movie also benefits greatly from an excellent cast. John Michael Finley is still great as the band's lead singer Bart. Trace Adkins is again fantastic as the band's manager. Sammy Dell is an excellent addition as Bart's teenage son holding his own with the rest of the great cast. However it is Milo Ventimiglia as the band's opening act, Tim Timmons who truly steals the show. He is simply wonderful here bringing a real heart to the film as well as some of the movie's most effective comedic moments. (On a sidenote it is strange how we actually hear more Tim Timmons music than MercyMe music in this film).

My main complaint with this movie however is that the focus is so much on Bart, his teenage son and Tim that we don't really get to know or spend time with any of the other characters. These characters are mostly just kind of there without us really having any connection to them. The sole exception is the band's manager yet that is more because of Trace Adkins' performance and a few pretty funny lines he is given than any actual character development. 

Despite these flaws though this is a very emotionally effective biopic. 

  

   

Movie Review: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A real treat for Elvis fans. 

This movie begins with a clip of Elvis stating that his story had never been told from his point of view. This film however is completely from Elvis' point of view. It consists of interview clips, concert footage and behind the scenes clips. Every second is full of pure bliss for Elvis fans. The musical performances are simply wonderful. The song selection itself is fantastic ranging from many of Elvis' biggest hits to covers of the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Three Dog Night to gospel standards. Not only this but the performances show Elvis at his best. His voice sounds truly wonderful and his stage presence is incredible making him just as much a joy to watch as he is to listen to. Putting this film in IMAX helps give us the feeling of being at a rock concert. The interview footage mostly features Elvis talking about what goes through his mind as he puts on a show giving us a greater emotional connection to the performances and the work that goes into being such a master showman. I can picture someone who has previously not been an Elvis fan become a fan after watching this film, which is the ultimate achievement for a movie like this.  

Yet it is not just the quality of the induvial parts but also the rarity of them that makes this special. Many of these clips are not familiar to even the most dedicated Elvis fans. This alone makes this an essential watch for any fan who feels they have seen all there is to see of Elvis. That the new footage is so good is just a bonus. 

One can complain about how safe this movie plays it, not ever really delving into Elvis' flaws. However, when a movie is this much of a joy to watch that is hardly a problem. 

I don't know if this will go down in film history along such great rock and roll movies as A Hard Day's Night (1964), The Last Waltz (1978) or Stop Making Sense (1984) but I wouldn't be surprised if it does. 

Movie Trailer: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

Movie Review: Song Sung Blue

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A surprisingly excellent tearjerker. 

With all the musical biopics coming out these days, this film attempts to do something quite different. Rather than tell the story of a famous musician, this film tells the story of a real-life husband-wife Neil Daimond cover band. 

Let's start off by stating that the music in this movie is fantastic. The husband multiple times states that he is tired of people asking him to play Sweet Caroline because there is so much more to his Neil's music than that one song (something I found out through his appearance in the ultimate rock and roll movie The Last Waltz (1978)). Neil Diamond's music is definitely better than some give it credit for. That is definitely heard here as this movie reminds you (or makes you realize) just how rich Neil Diamond's music catalogue can be. Not only are there so many great songs heard here but they are performed very well. With a background in musical theater, Hugh Jackman has a truly great singing voice and he does a wonderful job performing all these classic songs. Equally as great is Kate Hudson, who proves here she also has a really good singing voice. 

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are this film's not so secret ingredient. They are truly wonderful in this movie. They are extremely charismatic when on stage but also very human and vulnerable when off stage. They make every scene in this movie work because you believe and care about them every time they are on screen. Beyond this the story for the most part is quite well written. The first part of this movie plays a traditional biopic, while the second part morphs into a melodramatic tearjerker. Both parts work quite well. The first part is genuinely uplifting and makes you feel like cheering. The emotional notes in the second part all work quite well and many will tear up while watching this. Even during this second part though, the film never became too depressing as there were quite a few genuinely funny and uplifting moments in there as well.   

The movie does have a few problems though. I am not familiar with the true-life story but there were a few moments that were too Hollywood-like. These moments relied too much on convivences that they come off as too implausible for a supposedly true story. I also felt some of the side characters should have been better developed, especially the male lead's birth daughter, who I felt I never got to know the way I am supposed to. 

I came into this movie, not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking it.    

Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

While this may not be the comedic masterpiece that the first film was, it is still often really funny. 

After having been separated for years Britian's loudest rock band gets back together for a reunion tour and once again this tour is documented by filmmaker Marty DiBergi (played by director Rob Reiner). The first movie is a true comedic masterpiece that is still just as funny over 40 years later. This sequel may not reach those heights, but it is wildly entertaining. Not every joke lands (a running gag about a ghost tour and a long fart joke simply don't work) but the gags that are funny are truly hilarious. I laughed out loud many times watching this movie. Like many of the gags from the original these walk the "fine line between clever and stupid." Once again much of the dialogue is improvised by the actors who play the three main members of the band (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer). They are just as quick and funny here as they were in their younger days providing some truly hilarious moments. The story also does a great job of parodying aging rock stars and current musical climate. It may not feel as fresh in this department as the first, but there is some very clever satire hidden under the dumb jokes. Adding to this film's fun is Valerie Franco as the band's new drummer. While she may not have as many hilarious moments as the main three members, she brings a fun delightful energy to her role that works perfectly here. Cameos by music legends Paul McCartney and Elton John also provide some truly hilarious moments. 

However, this movie can lean too heavily on nostalgia. There are too many jokes that are not really funny themselves but rather are there to remind the audience of some great moments from the first movie. The band even performs some of their old songs in near full without enough of a twist to make them fresh (luckily Stonehenge does have a bit of a twist that makes it a comedic highlight). Still the very few new songs are not as funny or clever as the original songs

Even if it doesn't reach the height of the original, this comedy still contains plenty of really funny moments.   

Movie Review: Becoming Led Zeppelin

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A really fun documentary about the early years of the famous rock band. 

The main reason to see this movie is the various concert clips from the band's early days. It is rare to see footage of the band this early in their career, making this a real treasure for rock and roll fans. It is also simply wonderful to see such a great band in their prime. There is never a bad time to listen to Led Zeppelin and their musical performances here are rock and roll music at its best. I am so glad this film got released in IMAX as this helped give us the feeling that we truly traveled back in time to experience a Led Zeppelin concert. For those of us who were born too late to experience Led Zeppelin (in their original lineup) in concert, this is the closest we will ever come and for that I am grateful this movie exists. This movie also benefits from being able to hear the story from the band members. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones all appear onscreen to discuss the early years of the band. There is even archival audio from John Bonham (who passed in 1980) talking about his years with the band. This allows us to feel like we are experiencing these years of discovery with them. 

What keeps this from being as great of a documentary as it should have been is that it is not especially informative. Those who are familiar with the band will not learn much from this film. Even newcomers will only learn the basics of the history of this band. 

Though this film could have been much more informative, the concert footage and presence of the original band members make this a sheer delight for rock and roll fans. 

Movie Review: A Complete Unknown

 

Note: If you have no familiarity with Bob Dylan, this review may contain spoilers but if you have a basic understanding of Bob's career there is nothing in this review that you don't already know. 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

One of the best musical biopics in years. 

Director and co-writer James Mangold (who also directed the Johnny Cash Biopic, Walk the Line (2005)) based this film off the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald (essential reading for anyone interested in 1960's music). Like that book this movie doesn't focus on telling the story of Dylan's life but rather looking at Bob and his music through the lens of the culture and music of the 1960's. Through this film we get an immersive view of the 1960's folk scene and the culture that helped shape it. Because of this we understand just why Bob Dylan going electric was considered such an insult to this community. This makes the climactic scene of him performing rock and roll at a folk festival much more effective than it would have been in a film that focuses solely on Bob's life. At the same time this film helps us not only understand why the crowd was angry at him but also why Bob felt the need to go in this direction feeling tied down by the restrictions of what many consider traditional folk music. The movie also helps paint how rock and roll was always just as much a part of who Bob Dylan was, just as much as folk music was. This movie shows Bob as a person who is driven by his music to the extent of all else in his life. While we do see the true musical genius he was and is here, the movie is also not afraid to sometimes bluntly show moments that paint Bob in a less than sympathetic light. This is especially true of the scenes with Joan Baez, many of which can make him seem completely unlikable. Yet the movie is also a film that truly loves and respects its subject even while showing his biggest flaws. Because of this the scenes that show him being rather selfish, don't make him unlikable but rather make him just feel more human and real to us. At the same time Mangold refuses to delve much into Bob's actual past. In one scene he tells his girlfriend that people make up their past. Most of the times we hear anything about Bob before heading to New York, he is blatantly and obviously lying. This also helps paint a picture of who this movie shows Bob as being. Here we see a man who constantly reinventing himself to be who he wants to be at any such moment. To such a person, the past is often something to be tossed aside. 

The performances in this movie are truly fantastic. There are many moments when you forget that you are watching Timothée Chalamet instead of the real Bob Dylan (even for someone who is a massive Dylan fan like me). This is more than just a simple impression but instead the actor truly becoming the character. Chalamet is an incredibly talented and versatile actor, yet this may be one of his best movie roles. While he is the one who will be getting much of the praise for this film the hole cast is wonderful. Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo (a character based off of Bob's real-life girlfriend at the time, Suze Rotolo) are all simply fantastic here. All throughout the movie we forget that we are watching actors and feel like we are watching real footage of these people. 

While as a Dylan fan, I may be more than a little biased, I love the music here. This film features many songs played almost in their entirety. I love listening to any of these songs at any time and I loved hearing them here, especially as the actors and actresses are all great musical performers as well. The use of long excerpts of these songs also helps this film capture how Dylan often let the music speak for itself. 

With all the standard and forgettable musical biopics in recent years, this movie stands out as something truly great.   

Movie Trailer: A Complete Unknown

Summer Concert Series: Oasis: Supersonic (2016)

 

Note: This film has been placed back in theaters briefly. Though I missed the movie when it first came out, I was able to be introduced to this documentary on the big screen, which is the best way to see it.

An excellent documentary about one of the most iconic rock bands of the 1990's. 

This movie takes a wonderful approach to the rock and roll documentary. Rather than having your typical narrator, this film has all of the offscreen talking done by the band, those they toured with and family members. The film also completely revolves around the first few years of the band, from their start to the height of their popularity. Both of these make this movie something truly special. Listening to the band tell us the story themselves is a wonderful idea. It helps make this film feel like something more up close and personal than the average rock-doc. As we watch this movie, we get to feel like we get to truly know who these people are. It also gives the film a real sense of honesty as none of their flaws are hidden from us. Their egos, the arguments between the two brothers at the front of the band and their tempers are all on full display here. Yet at the same time, this is far from a fully negative portrait of thew group. We also see that they are a band that truly appreciates their fans and goes out of their way to make sure that their audience gets the best they can give them. As such this becomes a complex portrait of not only major rock stars but also real human beings. At the same time, their music is often front and center. Listening to their music here, it is very easy to understand why they become so popular, it is truly wonderful. It is shown to its best effect here and this film is truly a treat for the ears. This movie uses many rarely seen (well before the film was released) live footage of the band in concert. These are true gems and help give one the idea of just what incredible shows this band put on at the height of their powers. I always feel that the best compliment that a music documentary can be given is that someone who is unfamiliar with the band, would become a fan after watching. With this delightful rock-doc, I can fully see this happening. 

 Mat Whitecross, this movie's director, has had a career that has revolved around rock and roll. His career began with an art film entitled 9 Songs (2004); a movie whose story revolves around nine different rock songs heard throughout. He also directed the Ian Duray biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010) and the rock-docs Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2006) and Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018) as well as the Coldplay concert film, Live in São Paulo (2018). Away from movies, he has also directed music videos for Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Take That and The Rolling Stones.

Oasis: Supersonic is a wonderful treat for all rock and roll fans. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Movies With Michael

 

Motion Picture Daily, 1941

Happy Thanksgiving my friends. While I may not eat Turkey (I am vegetarian), I still have always liked Thanksgiving. It is a wonderful time to reflect on all the blessings we have in life and to let those we love, know how thankful we are for them. 

Of course, when it comes to Thanksgiving scenes from the movies nothing tops Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925). 




 

Another Thanksgiving movie treat is of course Bing Crosby singing I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For in Holiday Inn (1942). 

While I may not eat turkey, The Three Stooges certainly know all about turkey dinners.

The concert film, The Last Waltz (1978) can be considered a Thanksgiving movie as the concert takes place on Thanksgiving Day and the film ends with a big Thanksgiving dinner for the whole audience. 

Of course no Thanksgiving is complete without Thanksgiving cartoons. 

Motion Picture Herald, 1936

Now for some music appropriate for the holiday. 

I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving my friends. 

Summer Concert Series: Stop Making Sense (1984)

 

Note: I normally don't do Summer Concert Series posts outside of summer. However, since this film has been rereleased to movie theaters recently and I just saw it there earlier today, I felt it was the right time to make this post.  

Stop Making Sense has been referred to as one of the best concert films ever made. When you watch the movie, it is very easy to understand why.

Few concert films have ever so perfectly captured a band at their artistic peak. I feel that one of the best ways to determine if a concert film is a great movie is if you can picture someone who has never heard of the band or singer before, leaving as a fan. This is perfectly the case when it comes to Stop Making Sense. The Talking Heads have never sounded better than they do here. In fact, the movie versions of some of the songs here sound even better than the studio recordings. Even if you aren't normally a rock and roll fan, it is hard to find your foot moving to the sound of the music. The Talking Heads not only sound great here, but they are a lot of fun to watch. When you watch David Byrne's boundless energy on stage, Tina Weymouth's wonderful stage presence (especially when she takes over lead vocals on Genius of Love) or the sheer amount of fun backing singers (Lynn Mabry, Ednah Holt) are having it is hard not to be caught up in the pure energy.

The movie also has a wonderful start as David Byrne is alone on stage with his acoustic guitar (and a portable cassette player) playing and singing Psycho Killer. The next song (Heaven) finds Tina Weymouth joining him on stage. With the next few songs more and more members of The Talking Heads will join them on stage, with various equipment being hauled out as the musicians are playing to accommodate. By the film's sixth song (the top 10 hit, Burning Down the House) the whole band is on stage. This is not only excellent showmanship, but it also makes this movie feel more cinematic because like a good fictional film, it keeps building upon itself with each new scene (or song). 

Though one may think that directing a concert film is an easy job, where all the director has to do is point a camera at the performers, it is well worth noting that the best concert films are by great directors (think of Martin Scorsese with The Last Waltz (1978) or D. A. Pennebaker with Monterey Pop (1968)). This movie has a very acclaimed director at the helm, Jonathan Demme. This is the filmmaker that caused no less than Paul Thomas Anderson to say his three favorite filmmakers were "Jonathan Demme, Jonathan Demme and Jonathan Demme." Some of this great director's films include Swing Shift (1984), Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Philadelphia (1993). His other concert films include Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) and Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016). His direction in Stop Making Sense is perfect. This is not one of those static concert films where the camera remains static. Instead, this is a very cinematic concert film. Yet the camera never moves simply to have the camera move. Instead, it feels like just as natural part of the concert as the music itself. There are times when the camera follows the performers making us feel like we are on stage with them. There are other times when the camera can stay still in beautiful shots that capture the whole stage (these moments need to be seen on a movie screen to be fully appreciated). However, the music always seems to determine what the camera does. Because of this it enhances the performance instead of distracting from it. It adds to the pure energy and fun of the movie. 

This is one of those movies that can be equally appreciated as cinematic art and as entertainment. This may be a concert film, but it is something that many aspiring filmmakers could learn from studying and those who look at cinema as a great art form can be amazed by. At the same time, it can simply be enjoyed by those who simply want to hear good music. A must see.   

Frankie and Johnny (1966)

Frankie and Johnny is a pretty middle of the road Elvis vehicle. This is neither one of his strongest films or one of his weakest. If this movie was to serve as anyone's introduction to Elvis, it would not make them a fan, the way a film like King Creole (1958) would, yet Elvis fans (like myself) will have fun watching it.

Though this movie did make money, Elvis was certainly less relevant at this time than he had been before. Rock and roll had moved from the type that Elvis helped popularize to the more experimental music Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were making. That is what makes this film so odd, it seemed to be trying to make Elvis less even less relevant to mid-60's audiences. This is a turn of the century musical of the type that populated movie theatres over 20 years earlier and Elvis was singing songs from that era rather than rock and roll. Young rock and roll fans must have found this movie date. d even in 1966.

Yet none of that means it was not an enjoyable film. Frankie and Johnny had an excellent supporting cast. Harry Morgan is one of the better Elvis sidekicks and provides some good laughs here. Sue An Langdon often steals the show with a great comic performance. She puts all her energy into this part and makes many jokes that are only decent, quite funny with her fantastic delivery. To be honest the comic relief is one of the best parts of this film. Elvis gives a typically good performance here. He is hardly given a part that allows him to show his acting chops, but he still does quite well with what he is given. Of course, his singing voice is as good as ever. I love Elvis' performance of Hard Luck, this is the bluesy side of Elvis at its best. Beginner's Luck and Please Don't Stop Loving Me are typically lovely Elvis love ballads and who cannot love hearing Elvis' voice on one of these songs.

On the other hand the story is typical Elvis fare that we are already very familiar with. It is told well but there is little to make it stand out among many similar movies. Along with the musical highlights, there are also some lackluster song choices. I don't think any of us really wanted the king of rock and roll to perform a song like Petunia the Gardener's Daughter. This song was not a fun type of cheesy that came in Elvis' early years, but rather an embarrassing type of cheesy that is simply not fun to watch or listen to at all. This is as bad of a song as ever appeared in an Elvis film.

All in all this is an enjoyable movie for fans but non-fans should start with one of Elvis' films from the 1950's.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Review: Dreamin' Wild

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A top-notch musical biopic.

With musical biopics being a dime a dozen right now, one of these movies has to be something very special to stand out. Luckily this film is just that. Director and co-writer Bill Pohlad (who brought us the Brain Wilson biopic, Love and Mercy (2014)) gives us not only a well-made biopic but also a heartfelt and moving character study. Rather than this movie revolving around an artist who has reached an almost iconic status, this is a film about two brothers who most people haven't heard of, The Emerson Brothers. This film tells the true story of how as teenagers these brothers made an album together called Dreamin' Wild. Nothing happened with the record after that and it simply faded into obscurity with no one noticing. However 30 years later, a record collector finds this album and falls in love with it. Due to this he helps the album get the attention he feels it deserves. This leads the two brothers to reunite and play together after years of not being a major part of each other's lives. The story itself is fascinating and one that truly stands out among the many musical biopics that are very similar to each other. However the execution is often times just as good as the story. The character study is enhanced by contrasting on what makes the two brothers so different from each other. Donnie (Casey Affleck) has spent all his time since he was a teenager trying to truly make it in the music world with little to no success. Because of this he has become much more jaded and skeptical than he was as a teenager (Noah Jupe). When this comes up, he views it as his last opportunity to be successful. Joe (Walton Goggins) enjoyed playing with his brother, but music has never been a serious dream for him. So for him, he views this not as his last opportunity but rather as a fun experience allowing him to play with his brother once more. This difference causes tension between the brothers, and this is handled wonderfully. This is because no matter what one of them may say or do, we can always see the love between them. This brings a real warmth to this movie that feels completely natural. This warmth can be felt even in the film's saddest moments, and it makes the movie a pure delight to watch. How much we connect with Donnie is also achieved through Bill Pohlad's great direction. Though filmmaking techniques including distorting the sound and image as well as cutting to Donnie's younger self, Pohlad tells you all you need to know about where Donnie is emotionally. As Donnie Casey Affleck gives a truly wonderful performance that hits every emotional beat perfectly. He is not the only one who is great in this film as there is a truly wonderful supporting cast that includes Zooey Deschanel, Chris Messina, Jack Dylan Grazer and Beau Bridges. 

Also important for a movie about musicians the music here is simply wonderful. After watching this film it is easy to understand what those who discovered the Emerson Brothers heard in their music. It is simply wonderful. Adding to this is wonderful songs by other artists that are included on this soundtrack including The Band's great cover of Bob Dylan's When I Paint my Masterpiece. 

This is simply a must see. 

Movie Review: Little Richard: I Am Everything

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful documentary on rock and roll icon, Little Richard. 

What I try to bring to reviewing any music documentary is to ask myself if I hadn't heard of the musician or band going into the movie, would I leave the theatre a fan of their music. While I have long loved the music of Little Richard, if that wasn't the case I would still have left this movie a fan. The most obvious reason for this is hearing the music itself. The songs featured in this film are truly fantastic. While one may argue that they are obvious song choices, they are still a joy to listen to. There is a reason these songs were such major hits and I definitely enjoyed listening to them here. The clips of him performing these songs live are also wonderful and you can easily see what a great live performer he was. This movie also does a great job of putting Little Richard's music into context of both the time period and Richard's career as a whole. This gives those who may take much of his great music for granted, a greater understanding of the importance of what he did and how revolutionary it was. While his music still remains good listening today, this adds a whole new level to one's appreciation of it.

Also while this movie may be in many ways an overview of the artist's career, it is also a wonderful look at just who the man was. Little Richard was a complicated man and one who was seemingly full of contradictions. He was a Christian, who spent much of his time spreading the word of God, but he also was a party animal who took part in wild orgies. He took what many people said about him in stride as if he didn't care what anyone said about him, but he also was very upset at not receiving the public recognition he deserved. This movie addresses these contradictions head on. As you watch this film you begin to understand more and more why he was the way he was. This look into who Little Richard was is made much more authentic due to the use of many interviews Little Richard did at many parts in his career. Because of this we often get to hear who Little Richard was from the mouth of Little Richard himself. There are even some very clever scenes where we see back to back ways that he contradicted himself in various interviews. This works especially well because there place in the movie helps us understand just why he gave contradictory answers. This creates a more complex and more fascinating look at the man himself. 

This is simply put a wonderful documentary that I recomend equally to long time fans and new comers. 

Movie Review: Southern Gospel

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A

A wonderful Christian film. 

What makes this film so great is that it does not simplify anything nor does it play itself strictly to a Christian audience. It wasn't too long ago that Christian films treated their messages with incredible simplicity and preached strictly to the choir. However movies like this give me hope that Christian films are truly maturing to a point where they can tackle heavy subjects (without ever talking down to its audience) and appeal an audience more diverse than who you would normally think of going to a Christian film. This movie does that wonderfully. In many ways this film is a biopic and a redemption story. It tells the story of a preacher's son, who after a tragic accident leads a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. After finding this life empty and a near death experience, he goes back not only to his faith but to his boyhood dream of being a pastor like his dad. What is fascinating is that while most movies (even most secular ones) would focus on the emptiness of his life of sex, drugs and rock and roll, this movie instead focuses on the rocky road he goes down after giving his life back to the Lord. This that only makes this film unique for not going down the obvious route but it also makes for a movie that looks at difficult topics that most similar films would ignore. One of the big questions raised in this movie is what effect it has on our salvation and sanctification when we give our lives to the Lord but still give into our sins at times of weakness. This film does not give this question an easy answer but instead treats this complicated topic with all the complexity it deserves. The movie also doesn't lie to us and say that things will become easier after becoming a Christian. In fact the opposite happens to our main character. Though he now has a purpose in life and there is no longer the emptiness there was before, his life if anything has only gotten more difficult after he turns his life back to God. In fact this leads to scenes that are so dark and heartbreaking that they are simply hard to watch.  Yet beneath all this there is a lesson about finding hope in even our darkest moments and this message simply would be nowhere near as effective if we didn't see the darkest moments in all their bleakness. This movie also has an important message about forgiveness and again it displays this in a real and powerful way. We ourselves as the audience have a hard time forgiving some characters ourselves at times and because of this we have to learn about forgiveness just as much as our main characters. This movie never makes forgiveness look easy but does not fail to show why it is so important. 

Yet despite all this and the film having to do with a pastor, it never feels forced or preachy. Instead the message comes naturally from the story and characters. The story and the characters are also truly wonderfully. This is a film that will pull at your heartstrings and there were scenes that made me even tear up a little. Much of this is due to how wonderful our main characters are. These characters are easy to relate to and care about. They are also quite flawed individuals but this never gets in the way of us caring about them. In fact if anything it just makes them more real to us. However even the film's supporting characters and antagonists are deeper and more complex than first meets the eye. In fact some of these characters go through character arcs of their own that are often just as effective as those by our main characters. All this works heavily because of a truly great cast. There is not one weak actor or miscast actor in this film. This movie also benefits from truly great songs. These songs include some country, some gospel and some rock and roll. All of which I could easily see myself listening to even if they were not part of this movie. 

This is a truly great movie and shows a true maturity in Christian films that I hope to see continue. 

Movie Review: Moonage Daydream

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful and very unique documentary on David Bowie.

This film does not feel like your average music documentary at all. Instead of having friends and fans talk about David or having a narrator tell his story, this film uses decades old interviews with him. So the only people we hear talk about David Bowie are him and the people who interviewed him. Because of this the movie is Bowie's take on Bowie. This works incredibly well because David was a very intelligent man and had thought provoking takes on every part of his career. You see a man who at first is looking for meaning in this world but is not sure what the meaning is. He feels a strong spiritual connection to something but cannot tell what it is. This movie explores his journey to find out what it is. This is a fascinating and quite different look at this musical great that we seldom see and it even brings new meaning to many of his songs and the stages of his career. Other than these interviews the main focus of the film is his music. We get many of his classic songs here. They are as wonderful as ever and I can picture someone who has never heard of David Bowie quickly becoming a fan after watching this movie. As for me these song sequences only gave me an even greater respect for David Bowie as an artist. If you see this movie in a theater, I highly recommend you see it in IMAX. The great sound system used on these great songs makes for a wonderful experience. Yet despite anything I said, this is not simply an auditory movie where you could close your eyes and watch. This is a wonderful cinematic experience. Director Brett Morgan turns this documentary into a visual treat. He combines live performances from David Bowie, with clips from various classic films (as well as films David Bowie was in), music videos, personal clips of Bowie and much more to create the feeling of one large scale music video mixed with great avant-garde filmmaking. Yet somehow this never becomes overwhelming or gets tiring. Any who wishes to study how to use montage to good effect should definitely watch this movie. What truly makes this film special though is that all these elements work together and never distract from one another.

A wonderful movie and a must watch whether you are a David Bowie fan or not. 

Movie Review: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful documentary on Leonard Cohen and what has become his best known song. 

I absolutely love Leonard Cohen's music (I am listening to it as I write this review) and the man himself, so naturally this film had a huge attraction to me. It did not let me down in any way. This movie kept me glued to my seat through the whole runtime. While this movie can only tell so much in less than two hours, it still gives a wealth of information, and more than that one can tell the passion the filmmakers have for the subject matter. The clips of Leonard Cohen performing and being interviewed are priceless for those of us who love this wonderful artist. While we may already know much of the information given in the interviews to hear these words from Leonard's mouth make these scenes still incredibly engaging. The live performances make you remember just how much of a blessing this man and his music were. Like many documentaries this film also has new interviews. These interviews are with those who knew and worked with him as well as those who were inspired by him both directly and indirectly. Again even if you know the information stated here, these interviews are still engaging and valuable to any Leonard Cohen fan. 

Yet as you can guess by the name of this movie, much of the focus is on his most famous song, Hallelujah. It not only covers Leonard's version of this song, but the many covers of the song, ranging from Jeff Buckley to Alexandra Burke to Eric Church. Even Vicky Jenson, the co-director of Shrek talked about its use in that film. While I still greatly prefer Leonard's version to these covers, I found this section also very interesting and I admit this is part of the film where I learned the most. I was not as familiar with these covers as I am with Leonard's version and found much of this very fascinating.

The only problem I had with this film is that the part of the documentary that is about Leonard Cohen's life and the part that is about the legacy of Hallelujah outside of Leonard's version, can get in the way of each other and this can become distracting. 

This is an excellent documentary that I highly recommend to both long time Leonard Cohen fans and newcomers.  

Movie Review: Inu-oh

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderfully unique anime feature film.

Those of you who are familiar with Masaaki Yuasa's previous movies (The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (2017), Lu Over the Wall (2017), Ride Your Wave (2019)) know they will be in for a visual treat watching this film. This movie does not let down in this department at all. This film is simply lovely to look at. Every moment is dripping in pure visual delight. This is especially true of the musical numbers. Visually these scenes are as large scale and elaborate as anything Busby Berkley ever did. The numbers also take pure advantage of the fact that this is animation and in animation you can do anything. There is such a wealth of creative ideas in these scenes that give this movie a truly unique and wonderful feel. Speaking of the musical numbers the music is excellent. While normally I am not the biggest fan of modern music being used in period films, I feel it works exceptionally well here. In the fairytale atmosphere of this movie, this music doesn't feel out of place. Plus how many characters state they never heard anything like it before, helps make this feel like it belongs in the movie. The songs are also simply a lot of fun and I could see a lot of people being fans of these songs even if they weren't used in a movie. Yet this film is not simply a matter of style over substance. The film also benefits from a very smart script by Akiko Nogi (who has written for live action movies and TV shows, but for whom this is his animation debut). This script gives an intelligent look at how parts of our history disappear and get forgotten. 

This is a must see for all anime fans. 

Video Link: Elvis Presley - Let Yourself Go (from Speedway (1968))

Video Link: Elvis Presley - Dixieland Rock (From King Creole (1958))