'Jersey Boys'

As shown in the June 25, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

In order to best review this film I must share a true story of my encounter while in California to be in a friend's wedding: 

One night in a dark corner of a piano bar in Carmel-by-the-sea, a rugged old man enjoys an evening meal with his lady friend.  They sit at a corner table with their backs to the local crowd in the small room.  Outside the glass window is a meadow graced by a cool breeze where sheep graze under the moonlight. The sound of crashing ocean waves is faint in the distance. The lighting inside the restaurant causes the windows to reflect a group of friends, my wife and I included, who herd inside to take over the live singing; however, the glass does not reveal the faces of the two recluses in the dark corner.

"Can you believe he's right here?" one friend asks after we greet each other.  Without hesitation both my wife and I knew who to guess.  Before our arrival, friends hinted we might see the owner of the Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant.  The recluse, as it turns out, was one of the most iconic figures of the silver screen, Mr. Clint Eastwood.

This encounter seems appropriate to share because I was about to see his new film "Jersey Boys" and this particular setting informed how I watched the movie.  The film is based on a musical, which is based upon a book, which is based on a true story.  I was unprepared to view this film because I did not see the Tony Award winning musical nor having read the book. What was in the forefront of my mind while watching the film was I just saw the person who made this film and I wondered why he directed a film like this.

The movie is structured similar to the jukebox Broadway musical, which is narrated as a first-person documentary from each member of The Four Seasons during their rise and fall before Americans knew of the The Beatles.  The four-part story begins with Spring and ends with Winter, but I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't read about the musical before I watched the movie.  From beginning to end and especially during the credits that follow, the movie seems to be lacking as if the Broadways musical is necessary to watch to get the full picture.  Several of the original Broadway performers from 2005 are in the film, including John Lloyd Young, who portrays the incredible range of Frankie Valli.

I imagine Eastwood himself finds deep connection with what it means to be from New Jersey in this film.  Born and raised in California from a working class family, Eastwood's demeanor that night displayed a sense of respect for his roots and private-life. He was quiet, reserved and slipped quietly out the back door when finished, but not before friends of ours were turned down with the raise of a hand as they tentatively went up to shake his hand. 

"Jersey Boys" falls short for the same reason why it also succeeds.  It offers a reflection to what it's like to bear the consequences of our actions and those around us.  I don't think Clint cared to measure up to the expectations of his audience.  It's as if the film was his own reflection.

'Edge of Tomorrow'; 'The Fault in our Stars'

As shown in the June 11, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

This science-fiction film reminded me of a cross between “Groundhog Day” (1993), “Inception” (2010) and “Starship Troopers” (1997).  Set in the near-distant future, an asteroid has crashed onto Earth and a spider-like alien life-form has begun inhabiting the soil of the crash site in western Europe, seeking dominion over the human race.   An international task-force has assembled in England to engage a major offensive on the beaches of France as a last-chance stand.  What happens next is history, well almost.  This is not a spoiler alert: the alien species, called Mimics, end up obliterating the humans that day on the beach, except for the fact one of its alpha creatures spills its alien blood on a dead Tom Cruise, whose character is Major William Cage.  This blood transfer has now granted Cage the ability to live the same day over and over again every time he dies.  The movie feels like watching someone play a video game and they have an unlimited amount of lives to figure out how to beat a seemingly impossible level.  And to be honest, it is fun to watch.  The character development and the story itself unfolds the more we see Cage repeat each day.  During this single day, Cage lives, dies and repeats countless times and gets to know a character named Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who in a previous battle with the Mimics also experienced Cage’s gift and curse.  I hope the Casting Director realized this, but Time itself comes to the forefront as the major character in this film.  Unfortunately Time only works well with Cruise and Blunt’s characters.  The audience meets other characters in this story but it’s as if they are not affected by the new created pathways of Major Cage and thus are not capable of new actions themselves. The cleverness of this adapted story is its invitation to be grateful for the real-life warriors whom have spilt human blood for our sake.  Not only was this film released on the anniversary of D-Day and visually and thematically alludes to its horror, but one scene depicts a group of old war veterans naming cowardice where they see it.  Being courageous and living in the present moment go hand-in-hand.

Shakespeare was wrong.  At least that’s the suggested claim in the title of film adapted from Josh Green’s 2012 fiction novel.  The title references Act 1 Scene 2 of “Julius Caesar” where Cassius says to Brutus: The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars But in ourselves, that we are underlings. The movie, set in present day Indiana, is about two teenagers, one dying of cancer and the other in remission, who meet at a support group, fall in love and wrestle with the beauty and cruelty of their affliction. Seventeen-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, whose thyroid cancer has spread to her lungs, is convincingly portrayed by twenty-two-year-old actress Shailene Woodley.  She meets eighteen-year-old Augustus Waters, a basketball star whose osteosarcoma led to the amputation of one of his legs.  Augustus is played by twenty-year-old Ansel Elgort.  A wide variety of emotions are on display in this film, where the target audience is built-up only to be overwhelmed by the inevitable fate these two have together.  It is evident the delight and pleasure Hazel and Augustus share with one another inspires courage to its audience on how to live in the present moment.  Hazel as narrator of the film forewarns her audience this story is not sugarcoated because of the prescribed ending. What unfolds is a deeply touching tale of the necessity to meet pain with kindness and not violence.  The narrator helps us see examples of a world where there is a great disconnect between body and soul, where disillusionment reigns and narcissists reject  the power to truly bless. The intelligently paced movie highlights the beauty of our mortal humanity, that we are not mere faulty underlings and how an immortal and abundant life can be courageously discovered in the here and now.

'Godzilla'

As shown in the June 4, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

Does Plant Vogtle in Burke County, Georgia have a contingency plan if a Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Object (MUTO) attacks?  In the latest adaption of Ishiro Honda's 1954 "Godzilla", the 'King of the Monsters' is not the only creature who is innately connected to substantial quantities of nuclear power.  There are other creatures wreaking havoc.

The film begins in the year 1999 and a giant skeleton is unearthed during a mining operation in the Philippines.  Scientists working on the classified Monarch Project arrive at the site, headed by Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe).  In this massive skeleton, they discover two egg-shaped pods.  One has recently hatched and a light at the end of a tunnel reveals an exit trail.

The very next setting is Tokyo, Japan where the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant is monitoring unusual seismic activity in the region.  On the morning of his birthday, American plant engineer Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) run out the door and say good-bye to their son Ford as they head to the plant for work, uncelebrated.  On his way to the plant, Joe expresses caution to his wife.  Joe states he has recommended to his peers they shut down the reactors to avoid a catastrophic meltdown.  However, before this is done, a team led by his wife is assigned to inspect the core for damage.  The film's audience have come to theater to watch a Godzilla movie, and they know during this sequence of events this is no natural earthquake.

The Godzilla folklore has been a story of man versus nature in the context of nuclear energy.  The latest adaptation depicts the collision of two nuclear families, one monster and the other human.  We learn as the film's story develops that Godzilla is hunting a male and female MUTA who both feed from and mate utilizing nuclear power.  After the film's opening sequence, Brody's son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is met in the present as a military explosive ordinance disposal officer, and has a wife (Elizabeth Olsen) and son of his own whom he leaves frequently while on duty.  The nucleus of their family and thus the movie is drawn by Ford's own longing to not abandon his loved ones.

Just as the 1954 "Godzilla" served an emotional metaphor for the nuclear terror felt in the aftermath of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Lucky Dragon 5 catastrophes, I can only imagine so too can this recent adaption lead its audience to places of similar reaction.  "Godzilla" reminds us that ultimately humans may strive to be God-like but are never God.  The film also invites us to feel the terror of abandonment, when nature overcomes and God does not intervene.  Las Vegas' destruction in the film is an allusion to human greed.  I wonder what it must've been like for those who endured real disasters, especially the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.  When the Golden Gate Bridge is the scene of monster destruction one can only remember the horrific scenes from the 1989 earthquake.  The first responders in the monsters' destructive wake lets us keep in mind the heroes of 9-11.  Seeing the wounded and homeless find shelter at Candlestick Park bears resemblance to the Superdome following Katrina.  The Hawaiian beach party interrupted by a Godzilla tsunami provides terrifying visual thought of what it might have been like along the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004.  How ready can we be?

'God's Not Dead'; 'Noah'

         

Protections under the First Amendment of our nation's Constitution have been in dialogue with our ethics of both confession and declaration.  From posting the Ten Commandments in a courthouse to the legislation of morality, our democratic conversation of what it means to express one's belief still has a live pulse. It should be no surprise this conversation has shaped our structure of education.  A good number of court cases have been contested by students, clubs and ministries who have had their religious freedoms tested in the classroom and curricula. The Christian film production company from Scottsdale, Arizona, Pure Flix Entertainment, recently released the movie, "God's Not Dead."  In this film, a philosophy professor (Kevin Sorbo from the 90's television series "Hercules") dares his students to declare that God is dead.  Many of the students easily make this declaration, for in doing so, they immediately pass 30% of the course.  One student (Shane Harper from Disney Channel's "Good Luck Charlie"), staying true to his core confession, decides to defend the antithesis, that God is not dead.  The lives of others in the local community are brilliant threads woven into this main story line between the teacher and student.  This film interweaves its characters who wrestle in the tension of what it means to both confess and declare that God is not dead.  The film invites reflection of how community and relationships and their imperfections inform our belief/unbelief. What makes "God's Not Dead" work -- and also not work -- is the irony that this film will offend moviegoers with its predictable, linear agenda.  Like everyone in the classroom, we are confronted with a choice to see something more real than our own freedom and suffering.

As the rain washed away the pollen, I was herded in one of two lines at the box office to watch Darren Aronofsky's latest film, "Noah."  And as I took my seat in the shelter of the movie theater, I found myself being drawn in to another world, away from my own, to the imaginative world of its creator. What is beautiful and also terrifying about the creative process is the mystery of its creator.  Our expectations as mere subjects are in flux because of the unpredictable outcome, and we are afraid of what we do not know.  It should be no surprise then Aronofsky's extravagant retelling of the Genesis narrative is rocking the audience's boat. Aronofsky ("Pi", "The Fountain"), who was raised culturally Jewish, portrays a primitive world where the heavens are a dome over the earth and the Nephilim (Genesis 2:4) are transported between.  The style of the scene in which Noah (Russell Crowe from "A Beautiful Mind") tells his household the story of how the Creator makes something from nothing sheds light into Aronofsky's core earthy (environmental) and earthly (humanist) confession. Aronofsky is reading between (and outside) the lines found in Genesis and paints his picture of the human-ness and messiness of creation's free response to the Creator's will and covenant. Watching both "God's Not Dead" and "Noah" within a week of one another, I am reminded of what is said in James 2:19: 'You believe that God is one; you do well. Even demons believe -- and shudder.'  In a world where we worship the idols we create, the belief that God is One is only the first step towards the life we are meant to live.  Step two involves Love (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:28-34).

'Non-Stop'

As shown in the February 12, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

Alcohol.  A teddy bear.  A "magic" ribbon.  A window seat.  Free Wi-Fi.  Business-Class.  TSA.  A gun.  A cup-holder.  A co-pilot.  A lawyer.  An air marshal.  All of these, including more, are symbols of security in the movie "Non-Stop" for the passengers on board the plane. 

For the millions of dollars the movie made over the weekend, Liam Neeson ("Taken", "The Unkown") is becoming our sense of security for perpetual casting in a movie thriller.  We cannot get enough of the presence he brings to the screen as a man we hope to never meet in a fight.

As the movie unravels so does its characters' sense of control.  Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a U.S. federal air marshal whose reputation as an alcoholic precedes him.  When the plane he boards on duty is midway over the Atlantic Ocean, he begins to receive text messages on his secure phone from an anonymous person on the plane that one passenger will be killed every twenty minutes unless 150 million dollars is transferred into a specified bank account.  How he tries to take control of the situation quickly turns into havoc as he becomes branded as the terrorist.

This movie is a great movie to watch only if we give up our own sense of control in thinking this movie is anything more than a movie thriller.  There is potential for this film to be more than just a mere thriller, but it would have met its audience like extended periods of turbulence; it would have been an unpleasant interruption.   One of the passengers in the film declares that feelings of control are an illusion.  It is this feeling of disillusionment which makes this movie suspenseful.  The enemy is somewhere on the plane and we do not know for sure who it is.  Is it any wonder then why we like movies like this?  Movies like this remove us from our world of fear and take us to a world where we know the enemy will eventually be exposed.

All of this is to say "Non-Stop" is a round-trip flight back to our world where we are faced with the terror of our own insecurities.  

Her

As shown in the February 5, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

There is something about living away from a big city that is good for our anxiety.  The greatest traffic problems we may encounter traveling through Monroe County are when the livestock escape, when a Norfolk Southern rail car is parked perpendicular to ours, or when we are bumper-to-bumper in the school pick-up lines.  What I love most about living in Monroe County is its rural hometown feel.  A friendly exchange with a familiar face is not unusual, whether it be taking my family's trash to one of the County's Recycle Centers, a visit to Dan Pitts Stadium on a Fall Friday to see the Mary Persons Bulldogs play football and clarinet, or simply driving through the square.  It seems the closer we are to a metropolis, the more strangers we meet and fail to greet.  The anxiety is proportional to the traffic congestion, and technology is more visible as a way to cope with our boredom and the struggle to relate to one another.

Spike Jonze's latest film "Her" is an exploration of this theme.  Jonze ("Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation") in his first sole writing role, imagines and portrays the city of Los Angeles in the not-so-distant future, where social media's evolution into artificial intelligence is designed to not only meet our organizational needs but our relational needs as well.  Like the "cookies" hidden in our smart phone or internet browser that are programmed to predict our next keystroke or destination, this provocative sci-fi dramedy navigates its audience through a dialogue about the meaning of genuine relationship.

Jonze chooses to tell this story using the character named Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix ("Walk the Line", "Gladiator").  Twombly is a man full of regret who feels powerless to reconcile his disastrous marriage with his childhood sweetheart.  Twombly works for BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com, a company whose business it is to write  letters for people who do not have the time nor the language to name their own feelings.  Though conceivable, it is amazing how much technology in his environment is automated and speech driven.  Twombly seems comfortable in the sorrow of his loneliness.  In transit he opens an e-mail on his mobile device to view pornography and in his apartment he resorts to phone sex and video games.  The only real person in the flesh Theodore has for community is his neighbor Amy, played by Amy Adams ("Junebug", "Man of Steel").

It is no wonder then, that when Theodore decides to purchase the newly-advertised, artificially intelligent operating system called 'OS,' that he embarks upon a new false intimacy.  Thus begins the haunting "what if" scenario Jonze has masterfully envisioned: "What if humans tried to have a real relationship with their computer?"  Throughout the film, Jonze's "Her" pays special tribute to the power of words.  Theodore, like other consumers in the film, eventually begins to date his OS, whose only presence is the sound of a female voice named Samantha (portrayed by Scarlett Johansson).

Certainly, much more can be written about the various themes this film evokes; however I am most left with this conviction to share: Even though we do not live in a big city, technology still has its grip on us.  Because the population density is less, the stakes are higher for human connection.  We see each other on a regular basis, which can create an anxiety of its own right.   No matter what happens to the progress of Monroe County, may its people always find ways to relate to each other.

‘Philomena’

As shown in the January 8, 2013 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

The Christian church has wrestled in its history whether Mary Magdalene was indeed the unnamed repentant sinner who anoints Jesus' feet in the biblical story (Luke 7:36-50).  The church in the Middle Ages believed Mary Magdalene was this redeemed prostitute.  This interpretation influenced the name of Irish asylums for sexually promiscuous women in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, called "Magdalene laundries."  These laundries served as rehabilitation facilities for "fallen women" considered to be a shame to society because of their sexual activity or safeguarded from society because of their looks.  These asylums were facilitated among Roman Catholics and Protestants alike and were operated in Australia, Europe, and North America.

One such Magdalene laundry is the focus of film "Philomena."  In this film based upon a true story, a mother breaks a 50-year silence revealing to her daughter she longs to meet her son Anthony, whom she was forced to give up for adoption by an Irish convent during the 1950's.

Philomena Lee is the mother wonderfully portrayed by Judi Dench ("Chocolat", "Notes on a Scandal").  Dench embodies this woman who has come to terms with the guilt and shame she has endured and concealed throughout her life.  As a pregnant teenager Philomena was sent to a convent laundry to suffer "the penance of pain" for laying with a young man out of wedlock, and could only be with her son for an hour a day.  The young Philomena, played by actress Sophie Kennedy Clark, painfully watches her three-year-old son be taken away by a family who paid 1,000 pounds to the convent (which was a lot of money).

The film's screenplay is adapted by comic Steve Coogan based upon the non-fiction novel "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sixsmith.  Coogan stars in this film alongside Dench portraying the role of Martin Sixsmith, whose dynamic with Philomena is a beautiful story within the story.  The screenplay involves Sixsmith, a burnt-out Roman Catholic angry at God who seeks to write a human-interest story about Philomena, all the while perplexed and in awe of her faith.

"Philomena" is a delightful and careful rendering of what it means to be merciful.  In perspective with all the guilt, shame and anger among the characters in the film, "Philomena" is a tale of the paradox and power of forgiveness.  Like the lesson from the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35, the capacity to forgive is informed by the capacity at which we are forgiven.  It is a grave tragedy when the people of God fail to demonstrate the mercy their Heavenly Father conveys to them, yet this juxtaposes the sovereignty of Christ's saving faith all the more!  The elusive realm of God's reign is constantly shattering our conventions of who embodies His mercy.  The comic approach to this film makes "Philomena" a movie not to rile anger in its audience towards the Church per se, but rather its purpose is to shed light of this mother's struggle for justice and reconciliation shared by many others.  Like Mary Magdelene and Mary the Mother of Jesus, may we stumble upon God's empty deathbed.

‘Nebraska’

As shown in the January 1, 2014 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

Fresh off my family's holiday travel to visit my parents in Ohio, I am reminded how a road trip offers a unique perspective on the world in which we live. Whether it is a survey of the passing landscape, the peculiar people we meet along our path, our co-sojourners or ourselves, a road trip provides temporary space for reflection before our return home.

Like his 2004 film "Sideways", director Alexander Payne utilizes this perspective from the road in his latest film, "Nebraska," which has been open in theaters for limited release since November. The story explores the family dynamic between an aging father and his adult son. The main character is a man named Woody Grant who believes he has won a sweepstakes with a $1 million prize. He is convinced he must collect this prize in person 850 miles away in Lincoln, Nebraska. Unable to drive himself, Woody's middle-aged son decides to drive him.

Woody is portrayed by 77-year-old actor Bruce Dern ("Coming Home", "The 'Burbs"), who won Best Actor for this role at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In the film we learn Woody is a Korean War veteran and an alcoholic. Dern embodies Woody's cantankerous spirit in his appearance and demeanor. His unshaven face and untamed hair communicates to those around him he does not care and that he is to be left alone. Yet this stubborn façade is actually an invitation to see a man who struggles to conceal his suffering.

Woody's son David, played by Will Forte, (TV's "Saturday Night Live"), sees this delusional road trip as an opportunity to get to know more about his distant father and also to make sure his father stays out of harm's way. June Squibb, who played Jack Nicholson's wife in Payne's 2002 "About Schmidt", portrays Woody's vulgar and loyal wife Kate. Bob Odenkirk (TV's "Breaking Bad") is David's brother Ross.

The film "Nebraska" is meant to be a portrait of America. Filmed in black and white and teamed again with cinematographer Phedon Popamichael, director Payne said he wanted to create an "iconic, archetypal look." The black and white camerawork conjure the elevated brightness and contrast of the rugged landscape and the characters it embodies. The main character's name, Woody Grant, bears resemblance to Grant Wood, the artist most notable for the painting "American Graffiti."  This leads one to ask, What is Woody painting about America?

Woody and David make a stop along their road trip to Hawthorne, the town where David was born. A good portion of the film's story takes place in this small town and calls special attention to the people they encounter during their homecoming, as if to invite a commentary of America today.

The brilliance of "Nebraska" is that this engaging piece of artwork is so subtle it requires another viewing to satisfy the awe of its mastery. The film invites us along the journey to wonder about the strange yet familiar world in which we live with Woody, about the mysteries of family in adulthood and the hope we wrestle with on our way home. Because this film is not showing in Middle Georgia theaters, this film is worth a road trip to Atlanta to see. Along the way you might ask, What portrait do the people of Monroe County paint for its travelers (and vice versa)?

'Frozen'

As shown in the December 11, 2013 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

This Thanksgiving my family and I boarded our minivan to see Disney's latest animation installment, "Frozen." As is the case every time we go to the movie theater, my wife and I take a seat on opposite ends of our three children to serve as boundary posts. This time all three of our children pleasantly had their eyes glued to the screen for the duration of the 108 minute film. Usually our youngest child, our two-year old son, is quick to let my wife and I know he would rather transform the cinema experience into a game of duck-duck-goose. This was not the case. Every time I looked over he was either fixated in his seat or standing still between the two seats in front of him. Our six-year-old son enjoyed getting a kick out of the witty comedic relief provided by the snowman named Olaf (voice by Josh Gad), the ice trader named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and his reindeer named Sven. I delighted in watching our daughter gaze in wonder of the female leading roles portrayed in this film. I was curious if her precious little girl heart was processing the compelling themes presented in the movie, such as the interplay between fear and love.

This is not all I was led to wonder. I was not intending to review this film but the subject material in the 53rd feature length animation film by Disney surprised me. What I saw was an engaging tale about, well, innocence.

The story was loosely adapted from "The Snow Queen", an 1845 Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson ("The Little Mermaid", "The Emperor's New Clothes"). In the original fairy tale, the story concludes with a verse from Scripture: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Although there is significant deviation from the plot and characters of the original, this essence of a child's innocent worldview was preserved in the latest Anderson adaption.

Disney's "Frozen" is a musical about two orphaned sisters in a royal family who are separated from one another at a young age. The first scenes of the story involve little Anna (Kristin Bell) begging her older sister Elsa (Idina Menzel) to build a snowman. Elsa is gifted with ice and snow magic, and accidently freeze-zaps Anna in the head. After a troll heals Anna and erases the memory of her older sister's superpower, the parents warn Elsa to "never feel--and conceal" her dangerous gift. Very soon thereafter, the girls' parents depart on a voyage at sea only never to return, leaving Elsa and Anna separated by the walls in their own castle until the day Elsa is made queen. The song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" beautifully portrays the tragedy of this sequence of events, where the two sisters are staged on opposing sides of Elsa's bedroom door, experiencing the heartache and loss of each other's friendship.

Through the use of crafty animation and musical score, the rest of the story unfolds into a daring tale full of adventure and plot twists. Holding my children in the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but wonder about the innocence they possess in a world tormented by fear. In the end, the film led me to meditate on another verse from Scripture: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18). Where would we be without True Love? What a great way to spend Thanksgiving!

'12 Years a Slave'

As shown in the November 27, 2013 edition of the 'Monroe County Reporter':

Not to be confused with the actor who starred in "The Great Escape" (1963), Steve McQueen directs "12 Years a Slave" as a provocative invitation to read ourselves into the story.

Writer John Ridley ("Three Kings", "Red Tails") adapts the screenplay based upon the 1853 abolitionist memoir by Solomon Northup.  British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things", "Kinky Boots") portrays Northup, a free black man from upstate New York.  The story follows Northup who is abducted and sold into slavery in Louisiana in 1841.  The film has stirred much controversy among its viewers because of its vivid depiction of both physical and sexual abuse in the slave trade. 

The brilliance and horror of McQueen's directing is that he courageously seeks emotional connection with his audience.  In one climactic scene the camera presents Solomon Northup (whose name is "Platt" in the slave trade) internally processing what has just occurred in the story.   The musical score in this scene is silent except for a chorus of cicadas.  Rarely in film does an actor make direct eye contact with the camera lens.  While gazing off into the distance in contemplation,  Solomon's eyes randomly fall on screen as if looking at the audience.  His eyes stay on the screen for a brief pause until they veer off screen again.  This film technique is reminiscent of Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's use in "Dekalog" (1989), where an unnamed character seems to innocently and hauntingly peer into the viewer's "window of the soul."

Under McQueen's direction, "12 Years a Slave" is an example of very smart and careful storytelling.  Portraying a serious story (let alone writing a movie review) about slavery is no easy task.  Watching a serious movie about slavery is no easy task.  It should be no surprise by the film's title that Solomon Northup will be free again.  His story is of a rare slave who received justice while on earth.  Yet Patsey, a slave powerfully portrayed by newcomer actress Lupita Nyong'o, is a reminder that a great many slaves were never as fortunate.  The film follows Northup's journey through the landscapes of swamp lands, cotton fields and sugar plantations of which will resonate with many Georgians.  In the foreground of this scenery, the movie orients the audience into America's dark past, where a whole culture took no issue with enslaving black people as legal property.  It is hardly possible all slave owners were sadistic sociopaths like the character Edwin Epps, chillingly portrayed by Michael Fassbender ("The Counselor", "Shame"), because as the film suggests, slave owners were viewed as generous citizens, such as Northup's first owner, Master Ford, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch ("Star Trek Into Darkness", "Sherlock").

As residents of the rural South, where the soil we sow is stained red from the blood of the many who have gone before us, the theme of powerlessness in "12 Years a Slave" invites Middle Georgians to reflect how we shape the rest of the story where we live, pray, eat, play, work, and hope. 

I noticed I was likely one of only three white persons in the movie theater packing into a crowded mid-evening weekend showing in predominantly white north Macon.  If it was not already obvious in the film that humanity is in desperate need of reconciliation, the tragedy observed was that a film like this failed to invite more of a mixed audience.