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Most of us are familiar with the life of Jesus in the New Testament, and as shown in movies, but there is something very special about how He is portrayed by Diogo Morgado. It's the subtleties like a facial expression, a look in the eyes, or tone of voice that make Diogo's portrayal so realistic and so moving. I felt closer to the person of Jesus, his humanity, both during and after the movie. I especially liked how he reacted in the temple, when he overturned the moneychangers' tables.
As I watched Son of God, I couldn't help but compare the passion scenes to those portrayed in the Passion of the the Christ, perhaps because it is among the most recent of movies about Jesus. Passion of of the Christ used more intense brutality to convey the horror of Jesus' passion, but there was somehow more realism to those scenes in Son of God.
I think Judas was portrayed as too sympathetic, almost as a victim, as if he were duped by the High Priest to whom he betrayed Jesus. He spent a good part of the movie complaining and questioning Jesus, so it feels like he was moving toward the betrayal for a while.
Peter was portrayed just right: he wanted to be strong after Jesus called him Rock ("and upon this Rock I will build my Church"), but felt a lot of guilt over denying Him. I found the scene where Jesus first called Peter to join Him particularly entertaining :)
Roma Downey was good as Mary and was as distraught as you'd expect from a mother whose Son was being scourged and crucified.
My favorite scene was the ascension, and how Jesus' Disciples were emboldened by His resurrection and ascension: Peter announces "We have work to do!"
I strongly encourage everyone to see Son of God, especially so close to Lent. It will bring you closer to Jesus.
I am glad to have the opportunity to review Lent at Ephesus. I reviewed the Sisters' last two albums and I love their crystal-like voices. Their voices combine into a beautiful harmony.
As with their earlier CD's, it is mostly English, with some Latin.
A couple I was already familiar with, "O Sacred Head Surrounded" and "All Glory, Laud and Honor", but the rest, for the most part, were new to me. But that didn't matter...just listening to this CD prepares you for Lent by the songs chosen. You'll immediately recognize it as music for Lent.
My favorites are "Jesus my Lord" and "O Sacred Head Surrounded".
I definitely recommend this beautiful CD...it will bring you closer to the Lord and prepare you for Lent.
In the year 2028, OmniCorp has successfully deployed military robots overseas and now wants to create a robotic cop here in the U.S., starting in Detroit. They see their first opportunity when officer Alex Murphy is critically injured in a murder attempt.
It is difficult to watch a remake without comparison to the original. In this version, they are much more open about the fact that RoboCop is Alex Murphy. In the original, he was believed dead. His partner is still Lewis, but now a man rather than the original female partner. Joel Kinnaman is good as Alex Murphy and Michael Keaton is good as Raymond Sellars, the head of OmniCorp.
I liked Alex's reaction when he was first learns he is now RoboCop. It was very realistic and believeable. His wife Ellen, played by Abbie Cornish, was pretty realistic in her reaction to his injury, but somehow too accepting of seeing her husband as a robot for the first time to be convincing.
The bad guys, Michel Keaton, Gary Oldman, Jackie Earle Haley were pretty entertaining. When Haley played "If I only had a heart" from the Wizard of Oz, I couldn't help but crack up :) Samuel Jackson was annoying as a TV Reporter covering the story, which is what I believe he was intended to be.
The plot was better than expected, and better than the original. There is a lot of action.
Content warnings include violence and one brief bed scene (no nudity) early on.
Most importantly, they end by making the point that his humanity is not overcome by his robotic body.
Go see it...you will be entertained!
Jack Ryan(Chris Pine) is a CIA Financial Analyst whose work leads to the uncovering of a Russian plot against the United States. He is then recruited by Harper(Kevin Costner), another agent, to help stop the plot. Not only does he have to contend with the question of who he can trust, he has to decide what to tell his fiance Cathy(Keira Knightley), who he's kept in the dark. He must also contend with the powerful Russian businessman who is masterminding the plot. If Jack fails, it could mean millions of lives.
The story is well-written and suspenseful, with plenty of action. There is some violence, but only as appropriate to the story, not overdone, as is so common today. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.
An excellent movie...see it!
http://www.shadowrecruitmovie.com/
Against the backdrop of the tragedy of a couple losing their child, Kirk addresses the question of why there is suffering in the world, and why God allows it. To provide answers, he uses the bible.
Kirk starts with the story of creation and then he discusses the fall of Adam and Eve which, while an appropriate example, I disagree with his version of the story. The bible has always stated that the serpent (Satan) temps Eve into eating of the forbidden fruit, then she tempts Adam into also eating of it. However, Kirk places the majority of blame on Adam, first for not being there to protect Eve, and then for standing by and doing nothing while she gives in to temptation. Aside from his obvious variance from the Biblical version, he can't have it both ways.
Then Kirk uses the story of Noah and the Ark, and how Noah and his family and the animals are protected from the flooding that God inflicts on the world due to sin.
Kirk concludes by pointing out the fact that tragedy ultimately leads to the manifestation of God's love: Adam and Eve's fall leads to salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection and the flooding that God inflicts leads to a new world. Ultimately, the couple that lose their son, while still grieving, do realize that their boy is in a better place with the Lord, and that they will one day be together with him in heaven.
Although a depressing story, Kirk effectively uses the bible to address the question of why tragedy and suffering exist, and how God's love for us always prevails.
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