The recent winner of the Toronto Film Festival, Bella, was played in our commons last week, introduced by the director and star, Eduardo Verastegui. It's one of the best movies I've seen this year; great acting, directing, music etc., but was really surprising was the movie's emphatically pro-life theme. Apparently, Verastegui was a mexican superstar before he had a radical conversion and decided to found his own film company where he could make genuinely Catholic movies. However, there's narry a trace of religion in the movie, and not even a hint of the condescention or mushy warm feelings so typical in "religious" movies. There are no tirades against abortion, nor condemnation. What's driven home so forcefully is the pain that results from taking life, no matter what stage it's at. The pregnant woman is portrayed with real compassion, with an understanding that her choices are terrible, and that she wants to have a child when she'll be able to raise it.
This is the sort of movie we need more of: character driven works of art that contain real truth, not sentimental, preachy flicks about Why Abortion is Bad.
**** (out of 4)
Release Date: August 14th - GO SEE IT.
For Trailers and more info go Here.
Also: Chicago Sun-Times article.
Thursday
Bella
The recent winner of the Toronto Film Festival, Bella, was played in our commons last week, introduced by the director and star, Eduardo Verastegui. It's one of the best movies I've seen this year; great acting, directing, music etc., but was really surprising was the movie's emphatically pro-life theme. Apparently, Verastegui was a mexican superstar before he had a radical conversion and decided to found his own film company where he could make genuinely Catholic movies. However, there's narry a trace of religion in the movie, and not even a hint of the condescention or mushy warm feelings so typical in "religious" movies. There are no tirades against abortion, nor condemnation. What's driven home so forcefully is the pain that results from taking life, no matter what stage it's at. The pregnant woman is portrayed with real compassion, with an understanding that her choices are terrible, and that she wants to have a child when she'll be able to raise it.
This is the sort of movie we need more of: character driven works of art that contain real truth, not sentimental, preachy flicks about Why Abortion is Bad.
**** (out of 4)
Release Date: August 14th - GO SEE IT.
For Trailers and more info go Here.
Also: Chicago Sun-Times article.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I'm in shock! What is this strange providence...every time i decide to not post, BEN of all people posts. It's amazing.
I enjoyed the film. I thought it was very well made, if a bit "unfocused" in the middle sections - something that will probably be tightened up in the non-Toronto version.
But I was very, very impressed by the filmmakers themselves. Aside from the personal courage they must have, I think they're dead-on when it comes to the role Christians should play in Hollywood.
Good people are not enough. Good art is needed.
Post a Comment