Famed Christian writer, recording artist, and actor Pat Boone thinks Brokeback Mountain has killed the genre of the Western. "One of our country's finest exports for 75 years, the dramatic story where lonely heroes fight desperate but victorious battles, where the good guys always win and the desperadoes get what they deserve, has been dealt a possibly fatal wound." He says he saw his friend Denzel Washington "cringe" when he announced that Brokeback won the Golden Globe for Best Film.

Boone can stop worrying. Brokeback hasn't broken anything.

Despite the hype, which characterizes Ang Lee's "gay cowboy movie" as a celebration and affirmation of homosexuality, the story is something altogether different. The two gay characters, Jack and Ennis, live frustrating and unfulfilled lives, mainly due to their own rash decisions and devastating lies. One rushes the other into drunken sex, which sparks an obsession that later disrupts the traditional American families—read: marriages and children—that they have developed.

Their preoccupation with meeting for sexual rendezvous makes liars and cheaters out of both of them, and wreaks havoc on their families. Defenders of the film blame a repressive society, and clearly the hatred and bigotry of others make a bad situation worse. But it's obvious that Jack and Ennis bear a great deal of responsibility for their distressing predicament. There are so many varieties of sin at work in Brokeback Mountain that discerning viewers will come away feeling broken-hearted for everyone—the lonely and tormented men, the deceived and betrayed wives, and the children who lack honest fathers.

But there are other reasons that Boone should quit worrying about the state of the Western. Dramas about gay people haven't killed the drama; romantic comedies about gay people haven't ruined the romantic comedy. And if Boone looked around at the other films playing alongside Brokeback Mountain in theaters, he'd find another internationally acclaimed film full of big hats, dusty horses, loaded guns, and love of the heterosexual kind. Not only that, it's a great film that pays tribute to the rugged Westerns of the past, and to the great Christian storyteller Flannery O'Connor.

Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, is indeed about two guys in cowboy hats who are close friends. When the younger gentleman, a Mexican alien named Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cesar Cedillo), is shot, the other—an aging, irascible fellow named Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones)—determines to find the shooter and deliver some good old-fashioned justice.

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The justice, well, he'll have to take care of that on his own. The killer turns out to be Mike Horton (Barry Pepper), a jittery and violent new member of the Texas Border Patrol, who just arrived in the area with his young wife Lou Ann (January Jones). The local police would rather just bury the corpse and forget about the whole thing, reprimanding Horton with some strong words. But that's not enough for Perkins. So he nabs Horton and drags him down to Mexico with plans to teach him a lesson.

What follows is as hot and dusty as it is rough and bloody. The farther Pete goes in punishing Mike, the more viewers will wonder if he's entirely sane. After all, there's a third passenger on this journey—Estrada's corpse. And Perkins may find that these two fellow travelers are too much to handle.

Jones proves to be a remarkable director, drawing memorable performances from Pepper, Jones, and co-stars Melissa Leo and Dwight Yoakam. Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams) develops all of his characters into convincing and unpredictable human beings. And together they weave hard-as-nails, Peckinpah-style violence together with a wicked sense of humor, some rewarding insights into human nature, and imagery that radiates desert heat. While Jones's unflinching portrayal of violence and sexual misbehavior makes this a film for discerning viewers only, it also deserves praise as one of the first significant works of cinematic art released in 2006.

My full review is at Looking Closer, and other Christian critics are praising Jones' work as well.

"Jones' direction is astonishingly assured, and so is his performance. This is the performance fans have always hoped he'd turn in," raves Josh Hurst (Christianity Today Movies). He continues, "Like [Flannery] O'Connor, Jones includes moments of sudden, startling violence. As with O'Connor, these brutalities are anything but random. O'Connor believed that man's depravity renders him almost deaf to the truth, and that sometimes the only way for revelation to occur is for the truth to be broadcast through a megaphone. Jones must feel similarly—in this film violence is often the forerunner of an epiphany, and God's providence works in strange and mysterious ways."

He concludes that the film "is a spiritual exploration so profound and complex that it's impossible to take it all in with one viewing … a film that can only truly be seen through the eyes of faith, with one foot on Earth and the other in the Kingdom. Flannery O'Connor wouldn't have had it any other way."

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David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "Without being pedantic or overly sentimental, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is an affecting study of loneliness and the human need for connection that ends on a quietly moral—even redemptive—note, as death ultimately serves to illuminate life."

Andrew Coffin (World) calls the movie "a remarkable extension of O'Connor's grand Southern gothic tradition. Substituting rural Texas for O'Connor's South, [the filmmakers] have created a modern-day Western so hard and brutal as to earn comparison to the cold-blooded Westerns of Sam Peckinpah. Yet the story also illustrates the 'action of grace' in unlikely characters and unlikely places, bearing more than a superficial ancestral connection to O'Connor's faith-infused stories."

But he concludes that the "extremity" of Jones' film "goes beyond what even O'Connor's gothic would require," and that "the film's biggest weakness is Mr. Jones' willingness to push those elements too far. [His] excesses distract from a film that is otherwise extraordinary for its concern with guilt, judgment, and redemption."

Mainstream critics are also celebrating Jones's first endeavor behind the camera.

16 Blocks: Action and redemption

In 16 Blocks, Bruce Willis is a burned-out cop who accepts a simple assignment—transport a prisoner from Point A to Point B—and discovers that this will be the toughest job of his career. Mos Def plays the crook, who happens to know something valuable to a court case, and whose life is in jeopardy while he's out in the open. When the cop realizes that his colleagues want to kill this man so they can protect the reputation of some crooked officers, he springs into action in order to make sure justice is done.

At first glance, it appears to be just a run-of-the-mill action thriller. And Richard Donner's recent films haven't been cause for celebration. But in his better days, Donner provided us with compelling entertainment like Superman, Lethal Weapon, and Ladyhawke.

Is 16 Blocks just another action movie? Or is it a return to Donner's strengths?

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says, "The story has been cobbled together from familiar elements; however, it does manage to arrange these elements in ways that are occasionally surprising, and in ways that accord quite nicely with Christian ideas about sin, repentance and redemption. … 16 Blocks affirms that goodness is something that even bad men can, and should, aspire to."

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Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) says it's the best of the recent films about "dirty cops." He praises "the winning teamwork of stars Bruce Willis and Mos Def. In their accomplished hands, 16 Blocks … still remains wildly far-fetched, but if you're willing to suspend disbelief, it's surprisingly diverting."

Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) calls it "a surprisingly intelligent film that, unlike most of its genre contemporaries—especially the standard Willis project—relies more on situational intensity than fast-paced action and loud explosions." He is surprised by the theme of redemption, but says the film is tainted by "just enough garbage to make it difficult (or impossible) for discerning moviegoers to get from point A to point B."

Willis is winning some admiring reviews in the mainstream press.

A mermaid from sugar water—Aquamarine

"Sweet." That's the word that Christian film critics are using for the new romantic comedy Aquamarine. But some of them also observe that this sentimental movie about teens who discover a mermaid hits a few sour notes as well.

Todd Hertz (Christianity Today Movies) calls it "a sweet and relatable story about friendship, sacrifice and love. And while it's definitely made for girls between 10 and 14 … its message and charm won't be lost on many viewers. Neither will its humor—there are many authentically laugh-out-loud scenes. Older teens may say they'd rather be caught dead than seen at this film, but most will walk away pleased and with much to relate to (even if they won't admit it)." He points out a few flaws, but concludes that "the message that loving yourself and those around you is more important than romance … is indeed the film's final victory."

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says it's a "sweet movie for tweens" that "skillfully addresses the pain of separation, the hurt of divorce, the extreme emotions of a first crush, the sting of jealousy, and the joy of healthy friendships." She hopes that it will "show Hollywood decision-makers that cute, pre-teen movies without the lewd sex, violence, nudity, or language can actually draw the big crowds and hold their attention."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it's a "sweet modern-day fable about friendship told with a delightful mix of fantasy, comedy and romance … Apart from some skimpy bikinis and rude language … the film is commendably wholesome fun."

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Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) calls it "a sentimental story about three girls' growing friendship. But their boy-crazy ways and rapt attention to CosmoGIRL!'s shallow advice model a conflicting brand of superficiality." He's also bothered by the fact that the mermaid's shapely form is "technically covered, but just barely. For a film aimed at such a young audience, Aquamarine had me wondering why its creators couldn't have given its 17-year-old star a bit more clothing."

While most reviews are guardedly positive, the mermaid has not heard many mainstream critics singing its praises.

Night Watch: To Watch, or Not to Watch?

Russia's popular special-effects-fueled fantasy adventure Night Watch has arrived, and critics are either applauding its over-the-top action or condemning its derivative storyline. Christian film critics offer some measured praise to director Timur Bekmambetov's visions of horror and mayhem, but they find something suspicious about the storytellers' portrayal of good versus evil.

What's the problem?

"A consistent lack of clarity is the biggest thing working against the imaginative, gritty and frantic Night Watch," says Todd Hertz (Christianity Today Movies). "Because of the movie's complexity, the intended message is lost. The film could be meant to question our ideas of who is good and who is evil. It may just be an epic following popular story archetypes (like Arthurian legend). Or it could even have connections to the Russian-U.S. Cold War. However, by not applying any real moral value to what makes Light different than Dark, the film implies there is no real value to either—and they are in fact inherently equal."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "escapist entertainment which allegorically explores questions of good and evil and the nature of free will. … From a Catholic perspective, however, the film's dualistic worldview of good and evil—competing but coequal—is incompatible with the foundational Christian truth of God's supreme goodness and sovereignty."

DiCerto concludes by criticizing the gore and the jumbled plot, but points out that "the seemingly downbeat ending … propels viewers toward part two with the hope that light will ultimately triumph over darkness. During the climax, Anton must face his past sins in a confrontation suffused with pro-life undertones. A surprisingly moral message amid such mayhem."

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Night Watch has divided mainstream critics—some find it just another shallow and chaotic fantasy flick along the lines of Underworld, while others find it a cheap but enjoyable thrill ride.

Ultraviolet is ultra-violent

Underworld's Kate Beckinsale isn't the only actress making a box office success out of imitating The Matrix. Now Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) has a frenetic, futuristic action-adventure full of familiar digital tricks and ludicrous science fiction twists. Ultraviolet looks like this month's flash-in-the-pan for sci-fi fans.

Christian film critics are shaking their heads over the film's excess and emptiness.

Tom Neven (Plugged In) calls it "ultrasilly and ultraderivative … ultraviolent, [and] ultraavoidable."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "Though slickly executed with admitted comic-book visual flair, the high-octane chase sequences and Matrix-style martial-arts set pieces are as tedious as they are over-the-top. It's one long, violent video game, which though light on actual gore, is far too intense for its PG-13 rating."

More than one critic notes that the filmmakers seem obsessed with telling audiences that Christianity is the ultimate evil in the world, and the shape of the cross is employed like a swastika throughout.

Michael Karounos (Christian Spotlight) writes, "Ultraviolet is the worst movie I have ever seen. One of my students, whose eclectic tastes include films by political hatchet men Quentin Tarantino and Lars Von Trier, also said it was the worst movie that he had ever seen. To complete the inter-generational critique, an anonymous 15-year-old posted a comment on the IMDb website swearing that it's the worst movie that he had ever seen, too."

Mainstream critics agree, giving it some of the year's worst reviews.

Might wanna skip this Block Party

Director Michel Gondry's last film—Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—topped the 2004 Critics' Choice list at Christianity Today Movies. What does this imaginative, groundbreaking director do next? He films a documentary about a live-comedy/live-music event hosted by Comedy Central's ever-popular comedian Dave Chappelle.

At this writing, only one Christian film critic has turned in a review of Dave Chappelle's Block Party.

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) calls it "an education in the diverse (positive and negative) sides of both Dave Chappelle and the rap culture. … The guy is funny, genuine and really hard not to like. That's especially true in this film when he's mixing generously with residents in his Ohio hometown and in Brooklyn, people with whom he laughs easily and treats with copious respect."

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But the news isn't all good. "On the other hand, Chappelle also takes great glee in pushing controversial racial and political buttons, crafting crass scatological humor and swearing like a defiant middle schooler looking for street cred."

Mainstream critics have joined the cheering partygoers.

More reviews of recent releases

The New World: John Murphy (Godspy) examines the films of Terrence Malick, including his latest. "For Malick, humanity's destruction/disruption of nature is an expression of our fallen state, our spiritual poverty. His films are a lament for a lost world of innocence and for subsequent disunity with the physical world. This is a pre-Christian, Old Testament view of the world—we have not been redeemed. We've been expelled from the Garden, cut-off from the presence of God in nature. Each film is Genesis retold: a paradise lost, a fall from grace, man divided against himself."

Tsotsi: Chris Monroe (Christian Spotlight) says, "Tsotsi is a tough but touching tale of one man's transformation from a hardened criminal to a caring individual. … Reason and understanding for why this man leads such a harmful lifestyle comes to light and eventually leads us to a beautiful, yet somewhat ambiguous ending."

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