The Curates Egg

In The Beginning...

Back in the 1960's my Granny used to give my Mum & Dad a break by taking me to the 'pictures'. I loved sitting in the dark and escaping into the adventures that unfolded before me.  This began a love of the cinema and films which continues to this day. Whether watching an old classic on TV on a wet afternoon, renting a foreign film on DVD or watching the latest blockbuster at the cinema I believe there is a fascination inherent in film. It 'is the development of tales told around the campfire and in the pages of literature. It has the same power to touch hearts and minds'.

For much of its first fifty years the cinema was seen simply as entertainment but it is now recognised as an art form. A good film therefore can not only make us laugh or cry but can reach us at a deeper level. It can lift our spirits with its beauty, challenge our perceptions, or even help us to understand ourselves or the world we live in. And any art form which reflects and represents people's lives must also reflect their spirituality.

From Griffith's 'Intolerance' to Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ' (and not forgetting Cecil B. de Mille!) there have been obvious connections between films and faith. But any film which looks at human nature will show something of God's presence, or the nature of evil, in the world.

I hope to expand upon some of the above points in the future (and please let me know if you strongly agree or disagree with any of them). In the mean time if that all seems a bit heavy for you,  and you just enjoy a good action film or love story, then let me assure you – so do I.   

Current Releases

I don't get to go to the cinema as much as I used to but this month I went to see 'Collateral' (Rated 15) and enjoyed it very much. Max (Jamie Foxx) is an LA taxi driver who dreams of a better life. Smooth, talking Vincent (Tom Cruise) is in town for one night, with five stops to make. Max agrees to provide the ride, but soon finds that his passenger is an assassin and all the stops are targets.

A simple plot is made into a tense and atmospheric thriller. LA at night is filmed imaginatively, the performances are excellent and the violence and bad language are generally in context. The focus is on the relationship between Max and Vincent and their dialogue ranges from the witty to the profound - and gives interesting insights into perceptions of the value of human life. The ending lets it down a little but not too much. If it sounds like your sort of film go and see it  My rating – 4/5.

Web Resources

There is a plethora of film related web sites and many which look at film and faith. I will let you know about some of them in the future (and am always happy to hear of more) but for now the most useful site by far is the Internet Movie Database.It has details of nearly every film ever made and just about anything you might want to know about most of them – including production details, awards, viewer comments, ratings, and actor's biographies. Check it out.

Tim