Ignore the lesser reviews–one of the most compelling films I have ever enjoyed
September 17, 2007
Paul Giamatti
This movie is truly extraordinary, and the principal actor, who also starred in Big Fat Liar (Full Screen Edition) combines brilliant acting with a very capably trained hawk to provide one of the most satisfying 90 minutes of “tuning out” that I have enjoyed in some time.
Sure, this movie has every corney bit from the special child to the sexed up teen-ager to the idiot father that ran, but it kept my complete interest throughout. The hawk, and the man, came of age together, the man found love, and the hawk soared.
So many good reviews, just adding my perspecitve and recommendaitions
September 9, 2007
Liam Neeson
Of the hundreds of DVD's that I own, this is the only one that has a deep moral legitimacy and a deep moral message. There are many other DVDs about good people like Gandhi, good efforts like Peace One Day, about herorism and so on, but this one DVD is my most treasured and the one that I watch at least twice a year.
Military Honor and Cultural Understanding in Face of Political Treachery
September 7, 2007
Gene Hackman
This is one of the movies I turn to when I am in dispair over the nakedly amoral and utterly treasonous behavior of Dick Cheney. Gene Hackman excels in this movie made very early in his career, as an honorable Foreign Legion officer whose men respect him, an officer given what today we would recognize as an illegal order, to go into Morocco and steal antiquities.
The end result is that the mission unites the Arab tribes, something no Arab leader could every have done on their own. I am reminded of how the lies and misbehavior of the Cheney-Bush Administration have united the Islamic tribes while emboldening transnational criminal gangs and indigenous poor who now see that the global class war, corruption, dictators that we love (42 out of 44 anyway), are all imperial, evil, and not at all worthy of public support.
Not a Chick Flick, But Rather a Heart & Soul Movie
September 2, 2007
Robert Carlyle
There are some really excellent substantive reviews for this film, and the only thing I take issue with is the use of “chick flick.” There are movies about dancing, there are movies about soul, and there are movies about soul with dancing.
I found this moview to be completely engrossing, admirable in all respects, and uplifting without being a tear-jerker. A righteous way to pass a quite portion of the evening.
Above Average with a Good Point, Generally Low Rent
August 27, 2007
Carol Alt
I watched this movie tonight, and I must admit, I started it expecting to hate it, and instead found the patience to watch it to the end.
It's a B movie at best, with limited script, acting cast, set sophistication. Certainly worthwhile as a source of reflections, but I'd like to see a much more skilled cinematography community spreading the Christian message.
By the by, Revelation is not in the index, and the Gospel of St. Thomas continues to be community-oriented interpretation of God on Earth in community.
One of the Great Musical DVDs, a Metaphor for Life as Well
August 26, 2007
Joaquin Phoenix
This is one of the really great musical DVDs; I list others below but because of Amazon's limitations, I can only list ten.
This is NOT a complex biographical DVD. This DVD captures the essence of love within music. It is a glorious story of a man who married well but whose wife did not “compute” music, and of the love that grew “on the road” between Johnny Cash and his eventual bride (who got him off drugs and helped him “walk the line”).
The underlying theme, of going from uncotrolled use of drugs to a straight existence within reality powered by love, is uplifting.
If you like both music and romance, this DVD is a “must have.” Below I list a few others.
I sometimes tire of non-fiction (reality) and escape into DVDs, but many of them are either reality or a sembalnce of reality that merits respect. This is such a film.
I would also add a note of caution to those who would demean this film as “corny.” NOT right. This film was ahead of its time. In this film, the moderate Islamists (represented by Sean Connery) are upset with foreign presence (Western Europe), and the USA with its bully Theodore and its aggressive Marines, are in the wrong until the Marines are led back on track by the female American protagonist (Candice Bergen) and free the Lion of Islam to fight again.
TAKEAWAY: Americans can be, are, morally wrong (as are all immoral predatory nations), and moderate Islamists are, in their own place that we have invaded, morally correct. Our God is NOT, as LtGen Jerry Boykin, one of my top five greatest generals ever (out of 75 or so I have known, most never more than a Colonel with a facelift) greater than theirs. Our God is CO-Equal to theirs, and the sooner we put Dick Cheney and Henry Kissinger behind bars, the sooner we eliminate our 750 bases overseas, the sooner the world can restore balance. Legitimacy and morality are the two strategic pillars that America has abondoned its in prostitution to Saudi oil and 42 of 44 dictators, and we can never be America the Beautiful, America the Good, unless we right ourselves.
As a patriotic estranges Republican I will say this clearly: America and Israel are the scourges of the world, followed by Saudi Aribia. We have sown the dragon's teeth, and I weep for what we have become: virtual colonialists, unilateralist military confusing might with right, and a cheating culture that ignores the class war led by our predatory immoral Wall Street band of merry thieves laundering drug money and covering up the complicity of Dick Cheney and Rudy Gulliani in the murder of most who died on 9-11 from controlled demolitions (NYC) or a missile (the Pentagon).
Where, or where, is the American Eagle that we need so desperately? See the image I have posted above to understand where we need to go if our children, if all children, are to have a future.
Ignore the lesser reviews–one of the most compelling films I have ever enjoyed
