We had a great weekend of movie watching last week. A rare ‘dud-free’ experience.
The first was a movie with a troubling and depressive title, God Grew Tired of Us. It is yet another movie spawned by the ongoing genocide in southern Sudan. But this one focuses not on Sudan itself, but on the experiences of three young Sudanese men, driven as boys from their homeland, who after years in an Kenyan refugee camp, the only world they really knew, were received into the United States. To hear their perceptions of US culture and to watch their introduction to this strange way of life is poignant and fascinating. What is humbling is the sense of family ties and of generosity these men demonstrate. We think the world owes us so much; they work with great diligence to give what they can to those they hardly know. Quite a story.
Secondly we watched Whisper of the Heart, a G-rated animated Japanese romance. Is that enough to attract you? It was written by the Japanese animated master Hayao Miyazaki (writer and director of Oscar winner Spirited Away). Barb thought it was a little slow, though I didn’t. I found the story to be arresting, the characters intriguing and believable (teenagers in Japan and the US must not be that much different), and the hand-drawn animation absolutely stunning. It is worth watching.
Finally, we watched the recent release Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day with Frances McDormand (a favorite of mine) and Amy Adams (a favorite of everyone). There is a lot of innuendo in this film, but nothing really offensive. It is a quick moving, well written story which kept us engaged dramatically and with laughter for its entire 90 minutes. It was a satisfying bit of fun.
Technorati Tags: Movies
MagistraCarminae
Did you know that you have regular readers in Bloomington, IN? Ben has decided you have very similar movie tastes…which worries me slightly…:-)Chris
Randy Greenwald
That ought to worry you! The world is falling under the spell of Hollywood. The end is coming! The sky is falling! Actually, how can you go wrong with these three movies? Each so well done in its own right.Next up to post comments on: Into the Wild, reference to which might find its way into the comments I will make at an upcoming wedding at which I will be officiating…. Doom is on the horizon.