Question: What happens when a newborn baby ends up in the care of a lawless, gun-toting gangster?
Answer: Depends on the gangster.
Tsotsi, an R-rated film about gangsters in Johannesburg, probably isn’t the kind of thing you’d usually put on your must-see list. But Christian film critics want discerning viewers to take a look, finding the film highly deserving of its Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It may well become one of your favorite films of 2006.
You’ll need a strong stomach; these hoodlums are reckless, foul-mouthed, and willing to shed blood in their quest to rule these dangerous streets. But Gavin Hood’s big screen adaptation of Athol Fugard’s novel is primarily a story of redemption, the kind that stirs compassion in viewers’ hearts, reminding us that sometimes God can reach even the most prodigal of his children.
Hood’s film follows a young gang leader through six days of crime, fear, and moral struggle. Stealing a woman’s car without checking the back seat, Tsotsi (the name is slang for “gangster”) ends up with far more than he’d planned—namely, the woman’s infant son. Tsotsi debates whether to dump the child or to return him to his parents. But the cops are on his trail, combing the vast, chaotic Johannesburg townships for clues, and he’s forced to hide the baby in his apartment, keeping the screaming, hungry, frightened baby concealed from his partners in crime.
Make no mistake—this is no childcare caper a la Raising Arizona or Three Men and a Baby. This is a hard-hitting story about the tug-of-war between one young man’s sinful nature and the still, small voice of conscience that whispers in his ear.
Some may view its story of a baby melting a murderous heart to be sentimental or formulaic—and they’re not entirely wrong. But Hood gives the simple storyline a compelling urgency, as though it is a lament not just for this character but for the countless “feral” youth of South Africa, and for families devastated by AIDS. His film has surprisingly jagged edges that get their hooks into you and pull you in; and his storytelling convinces you with a level of detail that speaks of first-hand experience with the people, their environment, and the economic crisis that divides them.
With so many Christians calling for stories of redemption, it’s important that we acknowledge such a work when it arrives. Tsotsi is a vision of darkness and trouble, but out of its shadows beams a beacon of hope, like so many of Scripture’s own redemption stories. In fact, that light shines even brighter because of the authenticity in Hood’s depictions of darkness. This is the kind of film where the characters don’t talk about what God is doing, but those with eyes to see will glimpse him working in hearts and minds.
My full rave review for Tsotsi is at Looking Closer.
Need more convincing? Rave No. 2 comes from Steven Greydanus (Decent Films). “The theme of the jaded or tough figure humanized by contact with an innocent is a familiar one, and mawkishness and bathos loom at every turn. Yet Hood navigates the film through this mine field with sure instincts and consummate skill. He doesn’t tell, but shows; his characters never become too lucid or articulate, avoiding the danger of didacticism or moralizing.”
Rave No. 3: Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) praises “the superbly nuanced performances” and says, “The dreary setting (brown tones predominate), the sordid action and the periodic acts of violence will not be to every taste, but if you stick with it, [Tsotsi] ultimately becomes an incredibly moving experience and the finale—with its haunting underscoring—is sure to bring a lump to the throat.”
Rave No. 4: Darrel Manson (Hollywood Jesus) says, “Tsotsi is a powerful depiction of the power of sharing our lives with others.”
Rave No. 5: Maryann Koopman (Relevant) says, “This is undoubtedly one of the year’s most powerful examples of just how valuable foreign films are to American society, telling stories we don’t hear and showing lives we don’t see. Tsotsi not only offers perspectives from a world away, it also brings issues to light that are relevant to human beings the world over.”
Mainstream critics are impressed as well.
Madea: Domestic abuse comedy?
Apparently there are more pages in that Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Madea’s Family Reunion brings back writer/director Tyler Perry in the role of the obese black woman who punishes anyone who gets in her way. It follows a couple of plot threads: Madea’s endeavors to give guidance to a young troublemaker (Keke Palmer), and the domestic abuse suffered by another woman (Rochelle Aytes) at the hands of her fiancé (Blair Underwood). Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson show up later as the film narrows to deliver an exhortation to live responsibly and conscientiously.
But do these disparate elements hold together well?
LaTonya Taylor (Christianity Today Movies) says the film “follows multiple storylines, using dramatic peaks and valleys and abrupt, 0-to-60-in-10 emotional speeds before culminating in two climactic moments—one related to the plot, and the other (in fact, the titular moment) deeply powerful but only incidentally related. As a result, it feels like it’s been transferred to the big screen rather than adapted for it. It picks up and drops storylines in ways that detract from its storytelling potential.”
But she concludes, “Perry’s plays—and his films—reach an audience many in Hollywood weren’t aware existed. He tells stories of dreamy black heroines who find their voices, features attractive and attentive Prince Charmings, highlights the beloved matriarchs who care for their families and solve problems with gentle wisdom and peace (or, in Madea’s case, wisecracking wisdom and a piece), and hilarity that includes cultural in-jokes while walking that line between merely bawdy and truly blue. Some characters are Christians whose faith has transformed their lives in normal but significant ways. Although his work isn’t high art and is occasionally problematic, he’s telling stories that aren’t often told, and he has created his own niche by tapping an untapped market. It’s a start. And for that, this black woman can’t be too mad at him.”
Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) calls it “a curious—and compelling—film. Even though it’s been marketed as a comedy (and it does have many comedic scenes), at its core it’s a sober movie about serious issues. Domestic violence. Sexual abuse. Family dysfunction. Wealth and poverty. God’s redemptive work. These aren’t the kinds of subjects I’m used to seeing in a comedy. Hence my use of the word curious.”
He goes on to congratulate Perry “for creating strong characters whose lives rest on bedrock principles of morality, discipline and, in Vanessa’s and Frankie’s cases, faith. Unlike so many depictions of Christians in recent years, Madea presents the pair as three-dimensional people whose love for God shapes their decisions.” But then he wonders why the director had to include “the more salacious and gratuitous content in the film.”
David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it’s “a heartfelt and agreeable affirmation of faith, family and forgiveness — highlighted by emotional speeches by Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou (in cameos) about black dignity — that’s easy to applaud, despite its message-heavy sentiment and intermittent vulgarities.”
Chris Utley (Hollywood Jesus) raves, calling it “hilarious, romantic, intense and deeply profound … Like a good plate of soul food, the film sticks to your ribs as you leave the theatre with a huge smile on your face! I can’t wait to see it again!”
Mainstream critics aren’t very comfortable with Madea.
Running Scared should scare you away
If you prefer morality tales that sensationalize immorality, well, Running Scared may be the movie for you. Hopefully, you’re too discerning to be drawn in.
Wayne Kramer’s film is about a mobster (Paul Walker) who collects the guns that have been used in criminal activity—guns he’s supposed to destroy in order to protect his mob associates. Then, his son gets hold of one of them and—well, you can probably guess where this is going. What you can’t guess, however, is just how far Kramer will enthusiastically go to entertain audiences with the violence that ensues.
Peter T. Chattaway, who writes reviews for Christianity Today Movies, blogged at FilmChat: “If we bracket off all those low-budget slasher flicks that seem to be all the rage these days, Running Scared just might be the sickest mainstream movie since Sin City. … True, it does not aspire to quite the same kind of visual creativity, but it has a few tricks of its own up its sleeve … and it has a similarly trashy flair for sex, violence, and a few truly creepy things besides. But whereas Sin City had the courage of its fatalistic convictions, Running Scared is even harder to justify, precisely because it tries to put a bogus silver lining on its dark, grim cloud.”
Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) calls it a “hyperkinetic, ugly film. … Even if the movie wasn’t a cinematic mess of over-directing, unanswered questions and nonsensical plot twists, it’s a pointless celebration of the worst kinds of excess and vice.”
Lyon dismisses the director’s claims that the film is a moral tale. “However gritty, this film is no honest exploration of the consequences of crime, child abuse or drug use. In the director’s own words, ‘It’s a ride, and it shouldn’t be taken too seriously.’ If that’s true, then the endless violence, child abuse and drug use are all meant as entertainment, right?”
David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it’s “long, loud, loathsome and ultimately ludicrous.”
Mainstream critics aren’t running scared—they’re ranting, disgusted.
Be frugal, skip Doogal
The previews for Doogal are boasting that it’s coming to you from the same studio that made Hoodwinked. But that doesn’t mean it was made by the same smart folks who made Hoodwinked. And that will be clear to anyone who sees it.
Based on a small-screen British cartoon that’s become popular with all ages, Doogal is a movie that is far more ambitious—and unfortunately, far less enjoyable—than the television phenomenon. The movie is about a wicked sorcerer (Jon Stewart) who tries to gather magical stones that he can use to imprison earth in an everlasting winter. Maybe he learned that trick from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but he’s no White Witch, and the heroes—led by a candy-loving dog—are nothing compared to the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.
Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) says the tale is “uninspired,” but it has “a commendable message about ‘friendship being the best weapon,’ and given the dearth of kid-friendly films, parents should find little offensive here. But no matter how indulgent, adults and even their toddlers may sense a tired retread of many other superior films like Wizard of Oz and Polar Express.”
Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) says, “At times this visually enticing project nails its 10-and-under target audience with silly humor and simple lessons. For the rest of the hour-and-a-half it offers groan-inducing plays on words, nonstop asides (including highly out-of-place CSI, Matrix and Dr. Phil references), a case study in derivation, some really tepid voiceover work and a mega-dose of magic.”
Mainstream critics are having trouble sitting and staying for this one.
More reviews of recent releases
The Second Chance: Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says, “What the film lacks in cinematic style—and it does suffer from a TV-film feeling and mentality—it makes up for in earnestness, although, at times, the film is a little too earnest for its own good.”
He concludes, “The hostilities and invective on display in The Second Chance set it apart from other films developed within, and marketed to the Christian subculture, but that’s both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that it shows Christians, warts and all, without demonizing them for their weakness and, at times, hypocrisy. But a curse in that the film’s anger, particularly as it manifests in the character of a church pastor, is unpleasant to watch and hear. Nevertheless, there’s a truth in the depiction, and the call to a sympathetic understanding of the different struggles within the larger church community override most of the bumps along the way.”
Freedomland: Andrew Coffin (World) says, “Freedomland wants to be many things—too many things. It’s part thriller, part murder mystery, part racial drama, part psychological study, and part media exposé . The pieces don’t fit together well. … But for all of the problems with Freedomland, much of it is oddly compelling. This is thanks largely to the persuasive work done by Mr. Jackson and Ms. Moore … and to some unexpected spiritual depth.”
The World’s Fastest Indian: Andrew Coffin (World) says, “Indian does not have a lot of conflict or intense drama. For a movie about speed, some might complain that it is too slow. But the story is a pleasant ride in good company, like driving with your grandfather. And then your grandfather passes 200 mph.”
Darrel Manson (Hollywood Jesus) focuses on the main character: “Burt is something of a holy fool—one who, in the pursuit of their god, acts in ways that seem strange and foolish. In many ways, he is an innocent. He has no guile. What you see is what you get and what he sees is what he accepts. … The World’s Fastest Indian is a nicely done feel good movie … .”
Eight Below: “Eight Below is a fun film that will appeal to a wide range of demographics (although it’s too intense for young kids),” says Andrew Coffin (World). “And those particularly fond of canines may find themselves surreptitiously sniffling and wiping away a stray tear at the film’s final reunion.”
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