There’s the Rub in “Swingers”

The unfortunately named “Swingers” (no, it’s not about what you’re thinking) is a 90’s classic. Starring Jon Favreau as the dumped and depressed Mike, and a convincing Vince Vaughn as his encouraging best friend Trent, the film defined the dating scene when it was released. Written by Favreau and casting his friends, it’s a semi-autobiographical film about his time trying to “make it” in LA as a young actor. The opening scene is totally “money”, as Mike talks to his friend Rob (played by Ron Livingston) about his heartache concerning the girl he left behind in New York:

Rob: I mean at first you're going to pretend to forget about her, you'll not call her, I don't know, whatever... but then eventually, you really will forget about her.

Mike: Well what if she comes back first?

Rob: Mmmm... see, that's the thing, is somehow they know not to come back until you really forget.

Mike: There's the rub.

Rob: There's the rub.

Mike hangs his head, his despair is palpable. As the movie progresses, it focuses on Trent and Mike’s friendship, and Trent’s efforts to help Mike heal and move on. Trent is one of those loud, boisterous guys who was probably the life of the party in his college frat house. Trent is inspirational, and sucks the despondent Mike into his schemes (“Vegas, baby! Vegas!”) to pursue the “beautiful babies”.

There’s no stopping Trent in his efforts to cheer up his friend. Bar hopping, a midnight road trip to Las Vegas, Hollywood parties- you name it, Trent drags Mike there. At first, Mike fights against all this social activity. He just wants to sit in his apartment, drinking himself to sleep every night. But Trent sees something that Mike doesn’t. “You’re money, and you don’t even know it,” he says several times. Other people agree. Mike is the man, even if he’s down for the count and can’t even perform regular personal hygiene. By the end of the film, Mike does indeed learn that he is “money”. It took Trent’s nudging and coaching to get him to finally realize it.

If only everyone had a Trent in their life.

Is Happily Ever After an “Unbreakable” Promise? Spoiler!

Although one of Shyamalan’s least popular films, “Unbreakable” is perhaps his strongest. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, a sad man with lost purpose in life. He has emotionally ended his marriage to Audrey, played by Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright Penn). Surviving a horrendous train wreck without a single injury, he is contacted by the extremely fragile Elijah Price, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Physically opposite from each other, they also see life from opposite points of view. Elijah sees the dichotomy of good and evil- the hero and the villain- portrayed in comic books but very much a part of real life. David is dying on the inside; estranged from his wife, the woman he left a life of possible football stardom for back in college. Life for David has not turned out happily ever after. It’s interesting that although David is physically unbreakable, he’s internally shattered. This unlike Elijah, who has an unbreakable spirit but whose body shatters quite easily.

At first, David doubts. He’s never examined his life. He works at the local college stadium as a security guard. He’s trying to move to New York. In the opening scene, he hits on an attractive woman on the train right before it crashes. He’s wounded, doesn’t know it, and lives a life of fear and pain. As Elijah tries to convince David who he is and that he’s a hero in a world that needs him, David turns from skeptic to reluctant believer. Part of his power includes the ability to see the bad things people do when he has contact with them. As he grows in his understanding of his role, he’s confronted with a choice; either look the other way when he sees evil happening around him, or do what he can to help those who are victimized.

The film centers on David’s journey as he grows into the hero that he’s supposed to be. As he fulfills his role, his relationships with himself, his son, and (most dramatically) with his wife are healed. He doesn’t wake up sad anymore. His nightmare is over.

The parallels to real life are amazing. How many of us are lost and broken because we aren’t fulfilling the role we’re supposed to? How are we incomplete because we’re not true to who we are? Who are we hurting by our resulting neglectfulness? How can we step into the role of bringing hope to a hopeless world? Unbreakable begs answers to these questions.

Win Her Heart with “A Knight’s Tale”

“A Knight’s Tale” gave Heath Ledger his pretty boy reputation (OK, there was “10 Things I Hate About You,” but he was more bad boy roguish in that one). The peasant who wants to be a knight, the wavy blonde hair, and the English accent all add to a charm only Heath Ledger could have pulled off. Not only that, but his acting was top notch! Ledger plays William Thatcher, a squire who has no way to “climb the corporate ladder” so to speak. You might think this post is about his rise to stardom from the lowly ranks of a peasant. It’s not.

Although that’s all impressive, there’s a line spoken by Jocelyn in the movie that many may have missed.

“I would have him win my heart.”

What Would You Do “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset”?

Richard Linklater, director of films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, are both relationship centered movies. Sunrise was made in 1995, and Sunset was made in 2004. Both are vastly different movies, but do a great job of telling a story and then picking up that story 9 years later.

In Sunrise, Ethan Hawke plays Jesse, a traveling American in Europe. He meets Celine, played by Julie Delpy, on a train and has an engrossing conversation with her for much of the ride. Wanting to spend more time with her, he convinces her to get off the train with him in Vienna. He's flying out early the next day, and doesn't want to miss a chance to get to know her. She's hesitant at first, for obvious reasons, but is intrigued by this adventurous man she is attracted to. Agreeing, they get off the train and spend the remaining time exploring the city. The dialog was amazing. The writers did a great job of character development, and it’s enjoyable getting to know the characters as they reveal themselves to the other person. Both were imperfect; Jesse was bitter about life, and Celine was a bit naive. There is much to identify with much of what they had to say- both the good and the bad. It’s easy to agree with Jesse at times and with Celine at others.

In the sequel Sunset, Ethan is a successful author, writing a "fictional" book about a traveling American. 9 years have passed, and in the meantime Ethan has found success, while Celine has become bitter by the hardship of life. It's a bit of a role reversal, but one that is believable and identifiable. However, instead of spanning hours, this movie spanned a real- time conversation, lasting about 80 minutes. It was simply them walking and talking from his book signing around the city to her apartment. It was brilliant! It seemed so much shorter, because they just talked and talked, with no action or time span between events. It was all self- analysis, relationship analysis, analysis of each other, and analysis of life. There’s much to agree and disagree with that they had to say, but the conversation was real. It was about real life, about real fears, frustrations, and happiness.

These films do a good job of exploring relationships in a fresh way. The honesty, struggles, and humor of life portrayed in the film is refreshing to see. There are few movies with dialogue like these two, and that’s a shame. When Jesse shares about his frustration with women to Celine in Sunrise, it’s understandable to cringe. If you’re a guy, you understand what Jesse is feeling, but wouldn’t say what he said to another woman. If you’re a woman, you might roll your eyes, seeing the issue from the female side.

Moments like these are what make both films shine.

All is Not Lost in “9”

Upon waking, the “stitchpunk” 9 realizes that he’s in a Tim Burton film. The dark, Gothic landscape, the general feeling of despair, and Danny Elfman score all pointed to the inevitable conclusion that Burton was behind it all. Nonetheless, 9 leaves in search of his destiny, meeting others like him along the way. Later, it’s revealed that the scientist who made them gave them parts of his soul. This allowed them to be alive, and each had the scientist’s leadership, protective, heroic, etc. (up to 9), natures that represented his personality. It’s going to take all of them working together to wipe out the machines that destroyed humanity. Somehow, they are the key to bringing humanity back from extinction.

During their fight to end the domination of the machines, disagreements, egos, and altruism clash as the different parts of the scientist’s soul interact with each other. They run from, fight, and sometimes best the deadly machines that are hunting them down. 9 inadvertently reboots the big machine that was the brain behind the decimation of all humanity, and it has the power to suck the souls out from each of the stitchpunks. One by one, a soul is taken. One might think that the remaining heroes would find a way to retrieve these lost souls, but by the end of the film they do not. Each loss was deeply felt, as each person lost had immeasurable qualities that could have contributed to stopping the machines.

Similarly, each of us alone may not be able to accomplish what we can do in community. The loss of a family member or friend is a loss to the whole. We need each other, perhaps not to fight against bloodthirsty machines, but to find our purpose, love, and meaning in life. We are all different people with unique personalities that sometimes clash, but the collective whole can accomplish what one person cannot. This was exhibited so well in “9”, as well as the cost of loss. No one is replaceable, and when someone’s gone, they are gone, leaving a hole that will never be filled in quite the same way.

Rock Bottom to Redemption in “Black Snake Moan”

“Black Snake Moan” sounded like a bad movie from its marketing. It seemed as if it were some kind of cheesy independent movie that would offend with graphic sexual content. Pleasantly surprising though, it was about a character's path from depravity to healing. Rae is a deeply flawed woman who tries to self medicate through sex, which came from a past of sexual abuse. There are scenes of graphic sex, and they are unpleasant. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion and wishing you could stop the carnage. She is so self-destructive, and the men who take advantage of her frail psychological state speed that destruction. In some ways, her story is similar to ours as a human race, as many of us search for love and meaning by filling the void with wonton lust for (fill in the blank- It’s not just sex that we pursue). She certainly takes her search to more extremes than the average person, but the underlying cause was the same: desire for the perfect relationship.

Rae thinks that sex equal relationships, which should lead to meaning and acceptance. This philosophy leads her to have many graphic "relationships" in the course of the first part of the movie. She is also uncomfortable with her own promiscuity, but her abuse has skewed the way she approaches relationships. It's as if she enjoys the physical act, but knows that her soul is dying with each illicit affair. She uses drugs to numb the psychological pain and to lose her inhibitions. This literally leads her to the gutter outside of Lazarus' house, a Christian who curses like a sailor. Samuel L. Jackson does such a good job in this role, a man who has lived a hard life, whose wife has left him because she found a man to meet the needs he wasn't providing. Alone and bitter, he finds Rae in the dirt, bloody and unconscious. Taking her in, he nurses her back to physical health. Knowing her by reputation, he knows what to expect. Her advances on him are rejected. He's not fooled by this immature girl, and vows to rehabilitate her. The methods he uses are unorthodox, but Lazarus is an unorthodox man, and it’s an unorthodox film.

Rae fights at first, but Lazarus chips away patiently. One of the most touching scenes is when he goes to a women's clothing store to buy a dress for her. He asks the ladies working there to help him find a dress that isn't scandalous, but will make her feel pretty when she wears it. This is a critical distinction, and it's this dress that starts Rae's path to health as her identity is changed from that as a worthless person to one of true beauty.

This movie isn't for the faint-hearted. It pulls no punches; it's in your face. Conservatives would most likely be offended by the content, but real life should not be ignored. Real suffering exists in the world, and this film shows the distance real love and forgiveness is willing to go. It’s real, not some sugared “redemption story” with a weak plot. Suffering cannot be muted, because that would mute the need for hope in a broken world. A broken world it is in the beginning of the movie, but a redeemed world is depicted by the end. Certainly one that isn't perfect, that still requires courage and strength to navigate. Without that courage and strength, however, the world becomes bleak again. Where does this courage and strength come from? The answer is at the end of the movie, which you’ll have to watch to find out!

“7 Pounds” is Heavy Stuff

In “7 Pounds” (by “The Pursuit of Happyness” director Gabriele Muccino), Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, a man who blames himself for killing his fiancé and 7 strangers in a car accident. With this as motivation, he sets out to help strangers. He donates his organs to people who need them, and is able to postpone penalties for those who owe the IRS money. However, he only does this for good people. For those who are abusive, he is unmerciful.

The American in us, the person who believes that good things should happen to good people, may like this. However, the failed human in us may feel like mercy and forgiveness should have been shown to those who "didn't deserve" the favors Ben would have handed out. Sure, these are bad people who "don't deserve" the good things that they could have received, but is that the correct ethic? Doesn't love and forgiveness lead to a change of heart? It has in many lives.

Another issue is Thomas's own redemption. Is the conclusion of the movie his redemption? However, Ben in his own eyes is a bad person, so does he forgive himself if he's unable to forgive others?

This may seem like a criticism of the film. Don't misunderstand. Smith's acting is amazing, and the rest of the cast's performances add nicely to the story. The production value is high, and the writing couldn't be better. The plot moved along at just the right pace, and it wrapped up beautifully in the end. The film wouldn't have been the same without the way it unfolded and ended. There is a struggle, however, with the themes of forgiveness, self-grace, and redemption. Did Thomas find these things?