datteln Reviews

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

A Fresh Spin

[8/10 · 22 March 2018]

First and foremost, I should note that I'm writing this review as a "super-fan" of Star Wars, but I try my best to remain unbiased.

After the mixed reviews of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this new installment in the saga offers something that Star Wars fans have been clamoring for: something different. "The Last Jedi" forged new paths for Star Wars, but still stayed true to the basics of what makes the series great.

People complained that J.J. Abrams completely copied "A New Hope." I found plenty to like about "The Force Awakens", but I couldn't help finding myself agreeing with most of the other fans. "The Last Jedi" offers plenty of surprises, twists, and turns that even this "super-fan" couldn't have predicted. Snoke's death had me on the edge of my seat, and the return of Yoda as a force ghost offered enough nostalgia to keep the film rooted.

As with almost every Star Wars film there are usually one or two facets that I find cringe-worthy. "The Last Jedi" is no different. While it was great seeing Leia use her force powers, it was a little strange seeing her fly through space like some cheap Superman ripoff.

Rian Johnson took the film in an unexpected direction. Honestly, though, at this point in a film series it's more impressive that the creators could find new ways to take the series, and that in and of itself is quite impressive. Never before have I been more interested to see where the next Star Wars film will go.

Novitiate (2017)

A New View of Vatican II

[6/10 · 22 March 2018]

Previous religious films have attempted to capture the topsy-turvy nature that the Catholic Church faced in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. However, this film gives that transition a new point of view in this film; in the past viewers have typically only seen the laity's, or common person's, struggle with accepting the changes of Vatican II. "Novitiate" gives the women of the Church a voice.

The acting in the film was brilliant and beautifully captured the feelings that any young person would have if they would be giving their life away as in the film, especially regarding sexuality. However, some of the finer details of the film seem to have very little basis in research. While admittedly a banal item, the spoken Latin in the film was very off-putting. Also, an archbishop would not have full autonomy over a women's religious community as is portrayed in the film. Again, these are minor details, but minor details can make or break any film. Also, it seemed that the film was trying to suggest that the only people who could "make it" in a convent like this are the brainwashed, ill-informed members. The film would have done well to show some members of the community who were genuinely happy.

The film did capture the chaotic nature that religious communities faced after Vatican II, but the film only ended up telling half the story. While it's true that most women's religious communities dwindled after the reforms, there were many more liberal leaning communities that thrived and used the reforms of the Council to better reach the outside world.

Overall, though, this film offers the outsider a small glimpse of world that is otherwise completely cut off and separate from their own. "Novitiate" offers the viewer a chance to understand how the 21st century Church got to be where it is today.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Join a Bowling League

[10/10 · 13 June 2016]

I had a professor in college that used to always tell us, "the world needs more bowling leagues." It was a strange thing to say, I thought, in an Intro to American Politics class. This professor gave us the example of when he was in graduate school he and his wife joined a bowling league in their town. He said that it was a great way to meet new people whom you may have never otherwise thought of spending time with. He said that our society needed to relearn those social skills. After every viewing of "The Big Lebowski" I think back to this professor's recommendation to join a bowling league.

"The Big Lebowski" was always one of those films that was recommended to me to be included on my list of movies that I should see before I die. While I had already seen a fair number of Coen Brothers films, I was still a little hesitant to watch this one. I finally gave it a chance one rainy afternoon. I have to admit, the first time I watched it I thought to myself, "what did I just watch?" I laughed a lot, yes, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. As with many films I watch, I let it simmer in my brain for a while.

A few months later I gave the movie a second chance. This time, at the end of the movie, I realized that I had just seen a piece of art. Every subsequent viewing I find that I like it more and more. In my opinion, it is the best performance by Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi of their entire careers. While I don't usually describe it as my all-time favorite movie, I have recently been coming back to this movie when in conversations with friends about truly great movies. I tell people to have patience with it. Don't expect to be satisfied with the ending...right away, at least. "The Big Lebowski" has aged extremely well, too. I feel it is even better now than when it was first released. In our era of instant gratification and social media, we need a movie like this. We need to join more bowling leagues.