Possible Divine or Dreadful Moments in Summer 2011

I don't care what the calendar says.  My summer starts the first weekend in May.

It's that weekend that the cineplex starts to make sense again.  January is a dreadful month--probably the worst of the year--for new releases... but no one notices because the Oscar films of December are usually still carrying over.  February usually is adequate but March and April are filled with posers--films that promise much and offer little.

But May?  Things start to happen again.

Now, I realize that 'promise much, offer little' can apply immensely more through the summer blockbuster season.  And, really, a lot of the summer films feel like they've had their plot written on the back of a cocktail napkin.  (Come on, Hollywood.  Just because it's hot out, it doesn't mean we get dumber...)

Nevertheless, things feel bigger this time of year, in a good way.  And people flock to the box office whether its good or not.  (In fact, really this is the time of year that studios hope to make back their losses on smaller films the rest of the year.)  

So, with all of this in mind, I thought it might be interesting to drop five films that are on my radar over the summer season (which, incidentally, generally extends from the 1st weekend of May to the 2nd weekend in August).  Obviously, I'm looking for different criteria than how much it will make and I offer no guarantees on content, rating or even whether these will be good.  Still, as I sort through the summer schedule, there are a few titles that stand out as having interesting theological discussion within them.  (There are others but I thought I'd stick with a short list.)

If we're all going to the theatre anyways, we should be sure to engage what God has for us during these experiences.

So, anyways, on with the list (in order of release):

Thor

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman

May 6th, 2011

Hmmmmm... the story of a god who is sent by his father to live amongst the human race as one of them while serving as their protector against the dark forces of evil?  

Without knowing whether or not this film will even be entertaining, it certainly screams of the Incarnation from the very premise.  The superhero movie is a unique genre and has become a staple of the summer film season.  The quality ranges from the embarassingly awful (Daredevil; Ghost Rider) to the superb (The Dark Knight; X2: X-men United) and as a result, it's easy to tire of them.  (In fact, with no less than FOUR comic titles this summer--X-Men: First Class; Green Lantern; Captain America: The First Avenger in addition to this one--we're certainly saturated with them as moviegoers.)  Nevertheless, when done well, the superhero film genre has become more than just a popcorn flick and can be a powerful place to grapple with larger spiritual issues of faith, responsibility and self-sacrifice.  This could be an interesting look at incarnational living from a spiritual perspective.  

Although you've probably seen it--the promotional campaign has been far from subtle--the trailer is here.

Everything Must Go

Will Ferrell

May 6th, 2011

Ferrell is an interesting actor.  

Although he's known for his brash, loud humour, he has been known to switch gears to the drama.  Films like Stranger than Fiction and the little known Winter Passing show that he can effectively dial it down to portray the everyman.  Everything Must Go looks like it might have some interesting discussions as to what makes up humanity when everything is stripped away.  I'm not expecting an Oscar nomination by any stretch but I am curious as to what this particular dramatic turn by Ferrell has to offer in terms of discussion.

Tree of Life

Brad Pitt, Sean Penn 

May 27th, 2011?

Okay, no joke.  Watch the trailer.  You see if you can tell me what this movie's about... lol

In all seriousness, the story of this film is somewhat interesting.  Directed by Terrence Malick, this film has been delayed at least a year in distribution.  Why?  Because Malick decided it wasn't good enough.  Release dates have been set and still nothing.  However, it looks like the film will FINALLY be let out to open Cannes later next month.

Not much is known about this particular film but the description online is that it is a dramatic search for the truths of life by examining the family unit and creation itself.  This comment from the official description is particularly interesting to me, "Framing this story is that of adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeking to discover amid the changing scenes of time that which does not change: the eternal scheme of which we are a part. When he sees all that has gone into our world's preparation, each thing appears a miracle precious, incomparable."  Malick's work is always interesting (the guy's only directed 5 features in 40 years and yet everyone wants to work with him) so this could be a fascinating exploration of the nature of humanity, the world and the expression of our creative God within it.

Super 8

Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler

June 10th, 2011

I have to admit that J.J. Abrams gets a lot of geek love from me.  He's been firmly on my radar since Alias and, since that time, he has demonstrated his ability to produce, direct, and write both great action pieces and heartfelt stories.  This particular project is a really fascinating one to me.  His goal has been to create a film reminiscent of the old Amblin movies of the 80s such as E.T. and Goonies.  These films were always about more than simple sci-fi and were often associated with the term 'coming of age' film.  If the trailer is any indication, it appears that he's achieving that goal.  (I'm sure that the fact that Spielberg is producing helps as well...)  While clearly about the release of a captive alien of some type, the trailer also seems to indicate that the story will grapple with issues of family and, yes, 'coming of age'.

Make no mistake, this film has 'sleeper hit' marked all over it.  Most people I've talked to don't know about it yet--which is a little surprising given the high profile names attached--but I guess there's some logic to that.  After all, the title doesn't contain a bankable franchise or a sequel number.

Nevertheless, for some reason, I'm also confident in the quality.  Abrams' films always seem to bring depth to their subject matter that connects with issues related to the larger world and our role in it.

You can watch the trailer here.

The Debt

Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington

August 31st, 2011

This film is one of those rare occasions when I've actually seen a film before it's released.  

Interestingly, this film got it's North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance to one of the screenings.  It's a fascinating, well-acted film that explores some complex issues.  For our purposes, I would suggest that some of the key issues to be examined regard the generational pain of guilt and the messiness of love.  (Yes, Eric.  That's for you.  lol)  You can see the trailer here.

Personally, the release date on this film bothers me.  This was a film that was to be released on December 31st of last year, at the height of Oscar season.  Yet, probably due to distribution/licensing issues, it's been pushed to the Labor Day weekend--historically the worst weekend of the year for box office.  Such a move is surprising to me.  It is possible that the distributer just don't have confidence in it. More likely, however, I would suggest that they're trying to score a boosted box office (ala Clooney's The American last year) by floating it as an action movie--which it isn't.  It may help the box office but never helps the film long term.  Films released at this time are quickly forgotten.  Don't forget it.  It's worth a view.

Others that may be worth noting (with links to trailers):  I Am (documentary by Tom Shadyac); Cowboys and Aliens (Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford); Friends with Benefits (Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis); Crazy, Stupid, Love (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling); Rise of the Planet of the Apes (James Franco)