The Mill and the Cross

Movie: The Mill and the Cross

Genre: drama

Synopsis: This is a tough one.  In 1564, the Flemish master Pieter Bruegel the Elder completed a painting that was called “The Way to Calvary”.  It attempts to depict what the crucifixion of Christ might have looked like in the 1500’s - with Spanish soldiers crucifying a Protestant.  This movie dissects the painting by taking small scenes from it and bringing them to life so that you can see the story of what led to the scene.

My two cents: While not really my cup of tea, this was a really interesting movie.  I don’t know how the director did it, but it was fascinating how you could look at the movie screen and know that wheat you were looking at was a painting – even though there were figures in the scene that were moving.  It never ceased to fascinate and amaze me how he did this.  If you see this movie, take the time before you see it to take a look at the painting and study it a little – and after the movie, you will want to look at the painting again.

Bottom line: again, not my cup of tea – but I am glad I saw it, even though it left me scratching my head.

Bottom line, addendum: it is now 24 hours since I saw this movie, and I am having a heck of a time getting it out of my mind.  There is something about it that I cannot let go. I am definitely going to have to get this on DVD when it comes out and watch it again.

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Oranges and Sunshine

Movie: Oranges and Sunshine

Genre: drama

Synopsis: This movie is strictly based on fact – the events really happened.  In England in the last 1980’s, Margaret (Emily Watson) is a social worker.  Margaret accidently stumbles on a horrific series of deeds perpetrated by the governments of England and Australia.  Beginning in the 1940’s and continuing up to 1967, the British government took 120,000+ children from English orphanages and group homes and shipped them off to Australia.  Many of these children had parents who sought to re-claim them – only to be told the children had been adopted -  they were never told that they had been sent to Australia.  In Australia, these children became virtual slaves to the groups (frequently church groups) who took them in.  To cap it off, the children were either told their parents did not want them – or that their parents had died.

When Margaret realizes the scope and horror of what the governments have done, she embarks on a one-woman crusade to (1) help these now-adult kids to find their families and (2) to hold the governments accountable.  It was decades before the British government finally – and publically – owned up to what they did.

My two cents: The story that this movie covers is absolutely amazing.  The stories of what the orphans were subjected to is beyond shocking.  Just as awful is how they have suffered their entire lives from what was done to them.  Margaret actually suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because she has been exposed to so many of these horror stories.  If you see this movie, bring some tissue with you because there are some pretty emotional scenes.  I had read about this a few years ago, but seeing it dramatized really hit me hard.  I still cannot understand how a government could do something like this to children.

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Martha Marcy May Marlene

Movie: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Genre: drama

Synopsis: The movie opens with Martha (Elizabeth Olson) running away from a cult.  She has lived with this cult (4 men and 8 or so women) for two years.  They live in an old farm in rural New York.  The cult is led by Patrick (John Hawkes). Early on, Martha (who is re-named Marcy May by Patrick) is enthralled with her new “family”.  Eventually she begins to see a not-so-nice side of it – which leads to her running away.  She ends up re-uniting with her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and stays with her.  Martha will not go into any details about where she has been, and Lucy never really realizes the degree to which Martha was emotionally damaged by the cult – she does not even know about the cult.  The movie continually cuts back and forth between Martha’s time with the cult and the present, as she tries to shake off of lasting effect the cult has had on her.

My two cents: This was a really interesting movie. I believe it is only the second film for Elizabeth Olson (younger sister of the Mary Kate and Ashley).  Based on this film, she has a heck of a career ahead of her.  John Hawkes also did a great job.  The only part of this movie that I have a bone to pick with is the ending.  It was the kind of ending I hate – where it looks like someone accidently cut the film before the end – it really leaves you hanging.  I read a few blogs from people who went to showings of the movie that had members of the cast or the director on hand for Q&A – and apparently it was the director’s intent to leave things up in the air – in which case, he succeeded.

Note: the names in the title are derived from her actual name (“Martha”), the name Patrick gave her (“Marcy May”) and the name that all of the women in the cult used when answering the phone (“Marlene”).

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The Three Musketeers

Movie: The Three Musketeers

Genre: swashbuckling adventure

Synopsis: The (sort of) classic Alexander Dumas story.  Three of the French king’s musketeers – Athos, Porthos and Aramis – are pretty much out of work and looking for adventure.  They befriend a young musketeer-wannabe - D'Artagnan.  The four of them team up to save France from the plot hatched by the evil Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Waltz) and Milady de Winter (Mila Jovovich) to convince the king that his queen is having an affair with the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom).  Along the line there are numerous swordfights, they break into a secret vault that belonged to Leonard deVinci and engage in the world’s first arial dogfight.

My two cents: A pretty fun film.  I think I laughed more at the 1973 version – this one is worth seeing.

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