"Blinded by the Light". Star Viveik Kalra and the entire cast create indelible characters which you can't help but be drawn to. Clever filmmaking adds just a teensy dash of magical realism to echo the idea that this is sorta-kinda a musical ... but not. It is actually a massive homage to Bruce Springsteen. Massive. I've never been a huge fan of his but the film, about Pakistani teens in England in the 1980s, gave me a decent insight as to his popularity. While I didn't become a convert, I got it. My only complaint was a wrap-up which was a tad too neat. Long-standing family issues seemed to be overcome with a smile and a hug and I just don't feel life works that way. Also, the focus on Springsteen sometimes blurred over the actions and desires of Kalra's character, leaving one wondering what his future held. That being said, very worthy for an airplane ride.
"Paper Towns". I broke a cardinal rule here and watched this without having read the book. I did, however, read "Looking for Alaska" and couldn't help but think the enormously popular John Green was a bit of a one-trick pony. Both stories are about sexually/socially mature teen girls who upend the life of a quiet boy and then disappear. "Paper Towns" is less bleak than "Looking for Alaska" and the film says something about the value of taking life by the horns. The story also excels where Green excels -- at being realistic. The end is not what you would expect but it isn't made into something fanciful, either. Solid tale with good acting (and writing, of course).
"Overcomer". This one was a surprise. In the spirit of old-time flights, there was only one feed for the whole plane, kind of a "watch it or read" situation. One of the flight crew apparently picked it. The tale of a high school basketball coach forced to take on the track and field team of one, a girl with asthma, is a cloak for Christian messaging. Having never really watched a Christian film before, it was both better and worse than expected. Acting, writing, production quality -- all were pretty good. I didn't mind the messaging to the young runner that she was loved and important. These are things we should be saying to every kid, regardless of religion. For the most part the heavy-handedness was avoided as the lead character was struggling with his own faith, a message I could relate to. That ended in the last chunk of the film when the Christian messaging took over the storyline and the "morals of the story" were, IMHO, somewhat mixed. On one hand, there was the idea that you accept Jesus into your heart with no expectation of reward, that the love between you and the divine is enough. On the other hand, there is the message that those who are Christians will naturally beat the competition and "win" in all things. I found this to be a bit of conflict. If you want me buying into this, I need to believe that faith is the reward in and off itself, regardless of payoff.
"Diciembres". This mostly Spanish language film is gut-wrenching, telling the story of the U.S. invasion of Panama through multiple voices. Something which went nearly unreported in the American press, and was twisted by a massive propaganda machine when it was reported on, left most of the people in this country thinking it was just a "simple police action." It was anything but. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Panamanian nationals, civilians, were killed by the U.S. military, who "disappeared" the bodies so that no record was made of the slaughter. In one of our many ill-advised coup attempts in a foreign country, our soldiers went in and carpet-bombed an entire neighborhood, marching through the area and shooting everyone in their path, including locals who wanted the U.S. out. The film is told during the events of the invasion and ten years later. It is a story of healing and struggle. Emotional wounds run deep for La Mujer and her son (characters are named for archetypes, showing them as symbolic of the people of Panama as a whole.) Estranged from the mother-in-law they live across from, each of the three seem entrenched in anger and sadness. Not a story for the queasy, the film opens with a brutal attack and the loss of a beloved pet. Narrated by "El Hombre" there is a sense of what was lost, and the vacuum he created with his death. It's a smart, pointed, powerful film and should be required for any student skimming through 20th Century history. We need to take responsibility for our actions as a country. Films like this are important as they call us out to the human toll of U.S. imperialism.
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