Movie Review!

I haven't blogged about a movie in a while. Guess I haven't see any new worthwhile ones lately. Not since Oscar season anyways. I know I blogged about Doubt and Young at Heart, which I know are both on DVD now (and if haven't seen, should go see!).

Last night, the roomies and I saw The Soloist with Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. It is about a writer for the LA Times, Steve Lopez (Downey Jr) who finds Foxx's character, Nathanial Ayers Jr., playing the violin (I know the picture shows him playing the cello, that comes later. I do know my stringed instruments :)- homeless- in a park close to the newspaper office. Lopez is struck by Ayers' talent, and does some research on him for a story. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say Lopez becomes very involved in Ayers' life and the rest of the movie is about that.

Living in DC, we encounter the homeless alot too, but I've never seen anything like the representation of LA's Skid Row. It is overwhelming and tragic to see that this level of homelessness exists in this country. So I really appreciated the movie's representation of reality, it seemed. It was not exploitive- which some "issue" movies can turn a serious issue into something light and cozy and fluffy. I think the way they presented homelessness was very real, but I've never been to LA.

That was only one of the reasons I really liked the movie. There are so many more! Not only was it not gratuitous in any way with violence or sex (proving you CAN have a good movie without it!) but the music that Ayers' plays and is in love with -Beethoven, Bach, Mozart in particular- is a character in the film as well. They really let music play a role and will have entire scenes of just a piece playing Ayers' head. I appreciated that they let the Classics play and didn't cheat them or cut them short. They really allowed the music to have life in the film which I think made Ayers' character and story all more powerful.

And it is just incredibly acted. I knew Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx were good actors- they've played intense roles before. But they are SO good and just natural in this. They really make you think they ARE Lopez and Ayers.

It is all based on a true story, which makes the story, to me even more amazing. Definitely check it out- if not in the theater on DVD. But I would recommend the theater since music does play such a big role, you can feel like you are right there with them at a concert :)

Hope this movie inspires you as it did me. I have had some limited experience with poverty and homelessness, so it is subject matter that I feel passionate about. And I can say, when you are dealing with poverty and homelessness, you ask yourself- like Lopez's character- what can I do? How involved should I be? We always want to do more. I know when I was in Guatemala that was the case, but after spending a couple months there I saw, there is only so much we can do. I think Lopez encounters these questions and I could relate to them.

Plus studying Classical music for almost 20 years, I could really appreciate the music's role in this. It made me want to work on a concerto again! I hope you enjoy it too!

Peace,
Julia

Young at Heart

So I decided to take a break from the biblical commentary and share a little with you some of my other favorite things- movies and music! And this film, Young@Heart combines both of them. Plus one of my secret loves...old people :)

There are so many movies that are great out right now, but Young@Heart is one I've been wanting to see for a while. It came out in 07 I think. I knew this film was coming out while I was in the convent, but never got to see it. I just rented it today.

Best. Movie. Ever. Well, that's dramatic, but it's definitely a good one!

A documentary about old people and rock music? Sweet old men singing David Bowie, Talking Heads and Coldplay?! Melts my heart! This is my kind of heart warming, feel-good movie that I think you all will love too. You can rent it- it's on dvd. Do it!

Trust in Hope

I got up this morning and quickly texted some friends who I knew were going down to the Mall today to witness the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Friends and family also texted me to see if I was braving it out there with the masses. I wasn't, but was excited for my friends who were there and excited to be even within a few miles from the events (but kind of glad I had chosen to watch it from the warmth of my own home!)

After watching the events this morning on CNN, I felt a sense of unity among Americans for the first time in a while. But then as soon as I looked at my facebook account, I saw people saying this or that about Bush, Obama; hope, change; the past, the future....and got discouraged that we were less united than I thought. Many people still have doubt and fear, rather than hope. But we can't expect one event to unite us in hope, I suppose, so I'll get to that in a minute.

I had decided I had vegged out on our sofa long enough for one morning and needed some kind of activity to get me out of the house. There are so many good movies out right now in time for the Oscars, so I took advantage of the time I had off (did I mention I had the day off today? Our office was closed since we knew the traffic would be crazy!) and decided to see the movie (ironically) "Doubt".

First, my overall thoughts on the movie- I really enjoyed it. I thought the script (it's based on a play) was incredible and the characters were really well developed. It's exceptionally acted and I all around liked it. It does not put the Church in any kind of 'light'-good or bad- but really is just about, well, the concept of our doubt as humans. And having had my experience of living in a convent, I can say firsthand that religious are not exempt from such feelings!

The movie begins with Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character's reflecting on the concept of doubt in front of a congregation at Mass. He reflects that when we are uncertain of something, we react in some way. And sometimes that leads us to do things that are sinful. The movie continues to pose questions on certainity versus fear and on our humanity.

After the film I went to take my time in prayer (since I'd spent the morning on the couch!). I reflected on all my events of the day: the witness of an Inauguration that sparked many emotions for many people, and this movie.

Hope and Doubt seemed to be my buzz words for the day. Some people doubt, for instance, the hope that our new president has seemed to represent. Regardless of your political beliefs, we need to hope! But not to put our hope in a person, but rather, the Lord. Hope is so much easier (in the long run!) than doubt! To doubt takes so much energy, as the movie seems to state.

But of course, we are human, and we do doubt. But God does not ask us to trust in our humanity. We are asked in our divinity which comes to us through Him and His Son.

I went to St. Paul (of course!) to find what my main man has to say about hope. Here is what I found:

"...we even boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Romans 5:3)

I love this definition of hope- that hope is the love of God has been poured out into our hearts. This is what we should trust in.

And not only that, but that we should boast in our afflictions! Boast?! In our sufferings?! Our faults?! This statement can give us a personal hope as well - that the Lord does not want us to dwell on failings, but to use sufferings to persevere which produces strength, and ultimately hope.

I hope this all made sense :) I was just really struck today by what fear and doubt can do to people versus hope and trusting in the Lord's love. I'll end by quoting a different St. Paul passage that drives home this last point:

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:39

And that, my friends, is real hope!

We are united today in HOPE in the Lord!

Peace,
Julia