I noticed two thematic threads weaving through the films of 2016, ideas which seem at odds yet perhaps have more in common beyond an initial reaction: grief and coming of age. It seems fitting for a year like 2016 that grief would pervade our filmic imagination. Movies like … [Read more...] about Top 20 Films of 2016
2016
Top 15 Favorite Scenes from 2016
While my final Top 10 list is still awaiting the viewing of some key films--namely Silence--here are the scenes from 2016 films that stood out for me. In no particular order: Sing Street - The prom dream dance sequence. It's pure teenage fantasy joy as Cosmo imagines his life … [Read more...] about Top 15 Favorite Scenes from 2016
Half-Year Favorites of 2016
The first six months of 2016 have come and gone, and with them have been a. Lots of superheroes. Lots of sequels. Lots of animated or CGI talking animals. Even a sequel about CGI talking-animal superheroes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Somehow, none of … [Read more...] about Half-Year Favorites of 2016
The Fixer: HAIL, CAESAR! and the Pastoral Vocation
Eddie Mannix is a good man. At least his priest thinks so when Eddie visits him only a day after his previous confession. "You're really not that bad," the priest mutters, a bit exasperated at the film producer's self-deprecation and religious fervor. There are two scenes in this … [Read more...] about The Fixer: HAIL, CAESAR! and the Pastoral Vocation
The Year in Liturgical Cinema: Ash Wednesday and Lent
The second essay in The Year in Liturgical Cinema was posted at Christianity Today. (You can read the first essay on Epiphany here). This is a series exploring the theological themes of the Christian liturgical calendar and finding those themes within films. I explored Ash … [Read more...] about The Year in Liturgical Cinema: Ash Wednesday and Lent