Rating of
4/4
A Devotion
donkeyknight - wrote on 05/01/11
What a beautiful movie. My wife and I went to see it last night and had a wonderful conversation afterwards about our favorite moments and areas that could have been improved upon. While the movie isn't perfect, all the little mistakes are easily forgiven. It does move along slowly, but there are moments of such austere simplicity it is worth it. We held hands a lot during this movie. It is a very intimate movie. Because the story of the film is so integral to who we are, seeing it portrayed was deeply moving. Not very many movies move one's soul, so I have to really commend this movie for having that effect on me.
Critics who are belittling this movie for being too slowly paced or not inventive enough just don't get it. This is our FAITH! It is something so very deeply personal to us, and it is a thing of beauty to see it so faithfully presented! It is great to have a movie to watch about our religion that wasn't made 2 or more decades ago and does not have cheesy special effects or hammy acting. Watching this film helps you to meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation, to enter more deeply and personally into the mystery. It is a devotion.
I imagine that people of other faiths could certainly appreciate the movie as well as gain insights into Christianity, but that they would leave theaters just thinking the movie was OK. And that is OK. I don't expect everyone to love this movie. There are a lot of Christians out here, so I'm thankful that Catherine Hardwicke and Mike Rich crafted a movie to uplift us.
I'd like to finish by sharing some reflections my wife and I shared last night about our favorite moments. If you haven't seen the film yet, you might wish to stop reading here.
The casting and the performances deserve to be singled out. I have fallen even more in love with Shoreh Aghdashloo. The moment her Elizabeth devoutly exclaims "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" we knew the movie was in good hands. I loved her relationship with Mary as a caring, spiritual aunt. Oscar Isaac as Joseph was excellent- a strong masculine example of service and care, literally leading his family. I loved when he and Mary are discussing their fears of being parents. When we saw Keisha Castle-Hughes in Whale Rider, we hoped Hollywood would continue to find good roles for her. Her Mary is not flashy or bold, she is humble. What a daring choice for her to play Mary as she actually would have been-humble! Fantastic work. When she asked the shepherd, "What is your gift?" we both felt like she was asking us as well. We also appreciated that they captured what a risk it was for Mary to say, "Let it be done unto me according to your word."
The birth of John the Baptist was hilarious-I actually could not prevent myself for laughing out loud for a good 30 seconds. That baby is HUGE! He's bigger than my 7 month old son! No wonder Elizabeth was screaming so much! But the birth of Christ was very tender; my eyes started to tear up. We thought they did an excellent job of conveying that God became man. I loved when Joseph held his foster son up and you see his little bottom. God became man with a little bottom! It was a point of profound joyful realization for me. I know that sounds silly, but I'm saying it anyway.
If you're still reading, it really is a beautiful story, very well made. I think I have used the word beautiful 20 times. I highly encourage Christian families to try to support this movie and share with your children what this season is really all about. Let us pass the faith on to the next generation.
