marleneardoin@yahoo.com, Author at Movies Of The Spirit

HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

Hologram for the King, receptionist

Tom Hanks gets the run-around by Saudi receptionist.

Hologram for the King, dinner

Culture shock begins with dinner.

HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

By Marlene Ardoin

Tom Hanks, as Alan Clay, communicates the feeling of overwhelm as an American executive during the recent financial meltdown in the global market. In fact, he even has a panic attack. His personal fallout includes a disintegrating marriage and the loss of his home. He feels unable to control his circumstances.

He was formerly a Schwinn bike executive, until that business fell to the global competition. His company thought that outsourcing the manufacturing of Schwinn in China was a good idea. He explains that China learned how to make a good bike in the process, and developed their own brands to compete at a much lower price.

So, we arrive in Saudi Arabia with our executive, who is now representing a hologram company. He must deal with jet lag, culture shock, and a nasty cist in the middle of his back. This is all building the stage for his stage-four panic attack. The cist could represent what has been festering inside him that has now positioned itself in the unreachable part of his back. It is like the piece of straw that broke the camel’s back.

His pain causes him to reach out to two Saudi individuals, the broad-minded taxi driver (Alexander Black) and the out of place, female Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury). They both rush to his side in the midst of his panic attack.

The film does a good job of hitting all the points in culture shock of an American in Saudi Arabia. 1) They are given a tent to set up their hologram demonstration that has no Wi-Fi signal, no food and no air-conditioning. 2) He gets the run-around from the receptionist. 3) He discovers that they are not the only culture there to meet the king. A Scandinavian contingent has been waiting for about 18 months. 4) Drinking is not allowed in Saudi Arabia, but somehow, everyone is finding alcohol. 5) Women need to hide their hair and their bodies. 6) Men can have several wives. 7) Anyone who is non-Muslim is not allowed within miles of Mecca. 8) Single women are not allowed to be alone with single men. 9) Only the husband can make a decision to divorce. And, 10) women are not supposed to have an education or a career.

Our beautiful female doctor has two children and is trying to get out of her marriage. It seems that her husband has not paid attention to her for some time. Enter a very stressed-out American, who could really use a little tender attention and love.

The buildings in this film about Saudi Arabia are palatial. Our doctor takes our American to her home by the sea. Because of customs, she has to impersonate a man in order to go swimming with him. This turns out to be an erotic surprise, totally unexpected.

Our American is very social, and his attempts at being friendly eventually are reciprocated. He finds that he can start a new life in Saudi Arabia, and his daughter, who is ever faithful to him, may just get that college education after all.

The king does show up, but only after our American develops the nerve to ask for air-conditioning, food and Wi-Fi connection to his tent.

4/29/2016 # Hologram for the King

DEMOLITION

Demolition, with father-in-law

Father-in-law (Chris Cooper), Phil, pressures Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal) to pull it together

Demolition, with teen

Jake Gyllenhaal, Davis, and Judah Lewis, Chris, learn how to use tools together.

DEMOLITION

By Marlene Ardoin

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Davis, a man dealing with his wife’s sudden death. He can’t quite put his finger on it, but something is off about the event.

He feels that he was married to a stranger. Her last words to him were about using his tools. This triggers a psychosis in him to take everything apart with his tools. He didn’t even know he had tools. His main way of making a living is in big finance, not using tools.

Both physically and psychologically, he begins to examine his life and his marriage relationship.

He communicates his discoveries and frustrations in a series of complaint letters to a vending machine company. While he was waiting in the trauma floor of the hospital, he tries to purchase some peanut M & M’s, but they get stuck in the vending machine.

His series of letters reveal a surprising effort on his part. He is frustrated that he was not able to get his M & M’s, because, we discover that almost everything else in his life was obtained easily and effortlessly.

He discovers in his process, that not only did he not know who his wife was, but her well-to-do parents had even less of a clue than he did.

His wife was their only child, so they wanted to create some kind of a legacy to keep her memory alive. What they come up with as a legacy had no relationship to what their daughter really cared about.

Meanwhile, a female customer service rep, Karen (Naomi Watts), at the vending machine company responds to his letters. She is pulled into his struggle and web of exploration out of curiosity and concern.

She is a single mom with a rebellious teen son (Judah Lewis), who has some questions about his sexual orientation. Clearly, she has a lot on her plate, but her heart goes out to Davis. She is on a different social status, and her life is even more desperate and unexamined than his. He has a lot more money than she, and she does not have any money to waste.

What this film triggers in me is the old adage that an unexamined life is not worth living.

How can one raise a child without having some kind of understanding of who they are? And, the same goes for a marital partner. How can you be married to someone without learning anything about them?

Like, what do they really care about? What makes them come alive? And, what can you do to nurture the best in them?

Davis is open to these questions in himself and proves to be very non-judgmental in his discovery of others.

I have the sense that this is just the beginning of his self-discovery. So far, he has just done what was easy, without much effort on his part. Like Karen’s teen, he is full of self-loathing. He feels dead, without goals, excitement, striving or challenge. He is in the process of rejecting the easy way, which did not serve him, or do him any real favors.

This film concerns itself with truth and love, as each character serves to reveal and nurture one another in surprising ways.

Why just include ones children or ones marital partner, why not extend it to teachers, neighbors, employers, spiritual leaders and political leaders, to name a few possibilities?

4/21/2016 # Demolition

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

Sally Field, accountant, with Max Greenfield, the company’s new art director

13 year old shows Doris (Sally Field) how to use Facebook

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

By Marlene Ardoin

Sally Field portrays what it is like for every woman who is over 40 years old, in “Hello, My Name is Doris.” Usually, after 40 years old, women become invisible. However, that is not the case for Doris. She is very mindful of her personal appearance and personal space. It is not her fault that she is disrespected, not only by her family, but also by her co-workers.

As the film opens, we discover that Doris has sacrificed her life to taking care of her aging mother, who has just passed away. She is in a state of grief and bewilderment of her new found freedom.

In addition, no sooner has her mother been laid to rest, than her long, lost brother shows up with his wife, to proceed to pressure Doris into selling her childhood home and everything in it. The sentiment is to get in on the financial action. This is all Doris has for security, so they also provide her with a counselor, who can aid Doris in the letting go part.

Even in her grief, Doris proves not to be such an easy doormat. She works as an accountant at work, and has been an accountant for many years. She may have a big heart, but she is not a dummy.

Luckily, Doris has great friends, who give her real, emotional support. At this point in her life, her friend’s thirteen year old grand-daughter, really helps to cheer her up, because Doris is attracted to a new employee at the office, the new art director, played by Max Greenfield. It is suggested that Doris is emotionally a thirteen year old, but rather the intrigue, aggressiveness and angst of a teen, than a mature, self-centered narcissist.

Doris is worthy of friendship, because she is a giver by nature. Just as Doris rocks her colorful outfits, she fights hard for her new life.

She is great company at a concert and even opens a Facebook account. To Doris’s dismay, the young art director has a beautiful, young girlfriend, who sings, but somehow, was not present at the electro-pop band concert that her boyfriend attends.

Doris has a lot to offer in a relationship. Doris offers interest, enthusiasm, empathy, fun and passion. Not only that, but she has a home on Staten Island, she cooks, she is open to new experiences, and Doris is open to a great, big change in her life.

If you are a woman, and over 40 years old, I think you might enjoy this one.

4/14/16 # Hello, My Name Is Doris

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN

Miracles from Heaven - Garner & Latifa

Angela (Queen Latifah) cheers up Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner) and daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers)

Miracles from Heaven - Real family

Real family, Kevin & Christy Beam, with children (youngest to eldest) Adelynn, Anna, and Abbie.

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN

By Marlene Ardoin

I came away from “Miracles From Heaven” feeling nourished and stimulated at the same time. This film seeks to ask questions as it relates a true story about a 10 year old girl, who is spontaneously healed from an incurable disease. She says that God spoke to her.

The girl is Anna (Kylie Rogers). She is one of three daughters, of a veterinarian and his wife (Jennifer Garner), who operate their new business out of their farm in Burleson, Texas in 2011. Financially, things are tight.

Being one of three daughters probably meant that sibling rivalry was intense, especially being the middle daughter. The question that occurred to me was why did Anna suddenly become ill in the first place? She is completely normal, then suddenly, her internal intestinal system stops communicating with her digestive system. I’m just wondering.

There is no question that she is in serious medical trouble. And, her parents have to decide what they are going to do about it. Anna has wonderful parents. Ironically, the competition is over the mother/father love, which is in short supply for all three children, especially with the new business at their home.

Anna’s father, Kevin Beam (Martin Henderson) seems firm in his resolve to do whatever it takes to manage the financial part. But, financially, things are spiraling out of control. Miracles do start happening. People and events start allowing him to do what is needed. Like the computers going down at the airport, when he is trying to take his two other daughters on a flight to Boston to visit his deathly ill daughter Anna and his wife, Christy Beam.

Christy Beam, played convincingly by Garner, abandons faith in God, in favor of personal will to help her ill daughter. She tries waiting for that specialist to call her, but cannot take the pressure to seeing her daughter in severe pain and in steady medical decline. What she realizes in hindsight, is that she is being tested. Miracles are happening for her as well, but she does not recognize them, while they are happening.

Queen Latifah plays a big-hearted Boston waitress, Angela, who really is an angel in disguise. You never know who is going to be the gate-keeper to your sanity and your well-being. Angela is an angel, the new hospital receptionist is an angel and so is the light-hearted specialist, Dr. Nurko (Eugenio Derbez). They are all Christy’s miracles.

Anna is also being tested. Her roommate at the hospital has cancer. Spoiler alert, Anna passes her test with flying colors.

Speaking of miracles, we haven’t even gotten to the main miracle, Anna’s accident, the hollow tree, the butterfly and God.

Whether you are a believer or not, “Miracles from Heaven” will leave you inspired and at peace.

4/3/2016 #Miracles From Heaven

THE YOUNG MESSIAH

The Young Messiah - with soldier.

The young Jesus confronts the Roman soldier, Sean Bean as the centurion Servius

THE YOUNG MESSIAH

By Marlene Ardoin

If you enjoyed the Harry Potter films, especially the first one, you will love “The Young Messiah.”

It tells us about the young Jesus, who gradually discovers his hidden powers. He is a compassionate child, who empathizes so strongly with others that he wills good in their lives.

Adam Greaves-Neal plays the seven-year-old Jesus. His character overlooks the flaws in those he is helping, for example, the boy who is bullying him, the woman who wants to sell her bird, the rabbi, who is blind, and the bird, who is dead.

There is evil in his world, but he is somehow protected by his own goodness.

One character seems to personify the devil. Rory Keenan plays this character like a fallen angel, who is constantly trying to trip up this young, innocent boy.

The climax of this film comes when the young Jesus is about to be killed by the soldiers sent by Herod’s son, Antipas (Jonathan Bailey). I don’t want to give away how Jesus handles this dilemma.

The era is well captured and real. I came away from this film with a sense of what it must have been like living in that environment.

Sara Lazzaro plays his mother, Mary. She does a great job of describing her virgin pregnancy, and how her betrothed, Joseph (Vincent Walsh), comes to accept it all.

The most surprising part of “The Young Messiah,” is the fact that the script comes from an Anne Rice novel, “Christ the Lord Out of Egypt.”

Anne Rice’s personal spiritual journey has been circuitous. Raised a Catholic, she became an atheist in university. Her vampire novels propelled her to fame. Then, in 2002, Rice dedicated her life to writing for God. I would really like to read a novel about her own spiritual journey.

But, I think you will find that “The Young Messiah” is very engaging and professionally presented.

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT

Michael Moore as American ambassador.

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT

By Marlene Ardoin

In “Where to Invade Next,” Michael Moore invades one country after another in order to steal their good ideas to bring back to the United States. This is similar to what he did in “Sicko,” only he is not just concentrating on health care, but he is open to a whole bunch of new ideas.

I believe Moore’s heart is in the right place. He sincerely wants to make the USA better. And, Americans are open to this kind of exploration, since we are already made up of every country in the world.

Unfortunately, Moore did not learn anything by making “Sicko.” Moore almost died of pneumonia prior to the opening of “Where to Invade Next.” I know it is so hard to stick to one’s own advice, but he really needs a personal assistant, trainer, wife, or all of these. He needs someone who can say “no” to the Coke. Lots of countries have free health care, that’s not the issue here.

After viewing “Where to Invade Next,” I would love to go to Italy. They have great work benefits, like lots of vacation time off. Thirty days of paid time off and two hour lunches, so workers can go home to eat. Wow! The couple he interviews wanted to come to the USA, until he describes our measly work benefits. And, Moore is right, everyone in Italy does look like they just had sex.

After Italy, I really would love to go to France someday. Michael is impressed with how the French feed their school children. In fact, he sits at one of the tables with the children to partake in their one hour, multi course lunch. The chef describes the different, nutritional dishes, which are served with water. I can only imagine what the French children were thinking, when Moore tries to introduce a glass of Coke Cola to them.

As a side note, the French have a reputation of being cool to Americans. The reason could be that most Americans do not use the words bonjour and au revoir. Using those words when you meet someone is a French courtesy that acknowledges ones presence. Omitting this courtesy is very offensive in France.

Slovenia has free college, as does Finland.

Norway shows compassion to felons and the crime rate is low. Interestingly, this is the country where all the school children were massacred on that island a few years ago.

Portugal does not persecute people who use drugs, but offers rehab.

Iceland jailed the bankers who caused their financial meltdown, and recovered quickly.

Tunisia has scored women’s health care and Planned Parenthood, in spite of being an Islamic country.

Germany does not whitewash Hitler’s years, and has lots of reminders, so as to never forget.

And Finland, had the best educational rankings in 2012, when the film was made. Now, South Korea has that distinction. Both countries hold education in high regards and teachers are treated with great respect (equal to how we revere doctors or lawyers in the west).

I could spend a lot of time on each country and what they have to offer, but I suggest you see this film and decide for yourself.

Michael Moore has uncovered some interesting ideas and presents them with his usual humor and verve.

3/19/2016 # Where to Invade Next

THE MARTIAN

The Martion, Matt Damon and crew

Watney (Matt Damon) and crew

The Martion, growing plants

Starts a garden.

The Martian 4

Explores Mars.

THE MARTIAN

By Marlene Ardoin

Ridley Scott’s, The Martian, examines a conflict built around the moral choice of abandoning an individual on the planet Mars due to expense and difficulty. Watney (Matt Damon) is at first believed dead, but when NASA discovers that he has survived, they have to make a choice. Thank goodness, their decision is not based upon whether they like Watney, or not. Although, they do balance his life against that of the whole crew.

This film is also about the potential of creativity in humankind. The main character, Watney (Matt Damon) breaks the invisible barrier in an effort to survive alone on Mars. He does not make the mistake of seeing himself as the center of the universe, because, if he is to survive, he needs others.

Matt Damon’s sense of humor and self-confidence makes this film engaging. He remains undaunted by the mistakes, stays ever optimistic, and we are rewarded by the joy of his success. He seems to relish the peace of being on his own and of having the freedom to try out his ideas without any opposition.

As a result of this film, I keep seeing articles about astronauts attempting to grow plants in outer space. Humans really need plants. They give us oxygen and eliminate pollutants from our air, which is vital to our survival. Watney proclaims, “I am the greatest botanist on this planet!” He was not just surviving, he was making history.

I am wondering how a film gets 7 Academy Award nominations, but the director is left off the list? Ridley Scott deserves a little recognition as director.

The general public was wondering where this film was filmed. Wadi Rum in Jordan was the backdrop for Mars in the filming of The Martian. Jordan is a very convincing environment for Mars.

3/13/16 # The Martian

ROOM

Room - young mother at table.

Brie Larson as Joy “Ma” Newsome is brainwashed over time.

Room - young mother sleeps with son.

Jacob Tremblay as her son, Jack Newsome, was born in captivity.

ROOM

By Marlene Ardoin

The drama, Room, is loosely based on the kidnapping story of Jaycee Lee Dugard, which occurred on June 10, 1991 in South Lake Tahoe. Dugard was held captive for 18 years, gave birth to two daughters in captivity, and her step dad actually saw her being kidnapped as she was walking to the school bus, when she was eleven years old.

Room deals with female diversity. We see the female victim being pushed around by the victimizer. Brie Larson as Joy “Ma” Newsome is brainwashed over time. Her sense of survival knows that things will go better for her and her son, if she complies with her captor’s wishes.

The kidnapper sees himself as the center of the universe. His needs are more important than the rights of anyone else. Sean Bridgers plays Old Nick as a victim himself. We buy the idea that he is pathetic. He needs to do what he is doing. He tries to please his captives as much as he can, but is not stupid enough to give them their freedom. The real Jaycee Dugard was handcuffed, stripped naked and told that Doberman Pinschers were outside and trained to attack her if she tried to escape. She gave birth to her first daughter at age 13.

Held captive for seven years in an enclosed space, a woman (Larson) and her 5-year-old son (Tremblay) finally extract their freedom. When Joy is returned to her family, she finds that her mother has remarried.

Society not only judges the victimizer, but the victim as well. Society likes to think of themselves as better than the victim, as well as the victimizer. The young media interviewers were particularly insensitive and odious.

Jacob Tremblay as her son, Jack Newsome, was born in captivity. He holds the story together through his bond with his mother, Joy. He exhibits an emotional intelligence that apparently even trained media reporters were lacking.

One other major difference in the fictional story and the Dugard story, is that Dugard gave birth to two daughters while in captivity, and after captivity, she received a $20 million state settlement, while Arnold Schwarzenegger was in office. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Jaycee_Lee_Dugard

3/13/2016 # Room

THE REVENANT

The Revenant - Bear scene

DiCaprio fights off mother bear.

The Revenant - Indian horse scene

DiCaprio is saved by Hikuc and his horse.

THE REVENANT

By Marlene Ardoin

The Revenant does satisfy the diversity question. The American Indian issues could easily be replaced by the African American issues. The most important question raised is whether self-survival is a good enough reason to take away the rights of others. The American Indians did nothing wrong. The white man just wanted their land and their animals. The settlers lost their own humanity in the process.

In today’s era of the selfie, it is not hard to imagine oneself as the center of the universe, rather than a shared universe.

At some point, Americans need to admit that what settlers did to the American Indians and the African Americans was not worthy of our American ideals. All we need to do is to see things from the perspective of the American Indians/African Americans. What would we have done in their situation? I guess we will keep seeing films like this until we see change in our current society. I am really tired of hearing about unarmed Black men being shot by police and of minorities being the larger part of the prison population.

I am glad that Leonardo DiCaprio is getting the accolades. Apparently, the filming of this movie was really punishing. On his experience filming, DiCaprio stated: “I can name 30 or 40 sequences that were some of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Whether it’s going in and out of frozen rivers, or sleeping in animal carcasses, or what I ate on set. [I was] enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly.” DiCaprio deserves the Oscar just for his endurance.

What stands out in this film is the kindness and humanity of the Indians, and the inhumanity of the settlers. Mexican film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu could be a bit biased. There are good and bad in all groups of people. However, no one can deny his genius and command of the genre. His 2006 “Babel” and 2010 “Birdman” show that “Revenant” is not just a one trick pony act, as a director. He deserves our respect for the great work that he has produced.

Tom Hardy, who plays John Fitzgerald, a trapper who kills Glass’s (DiCaprio) son Hawk, also suffered a close call to death. He apparently nearly lost his life to scalping, by the Indians. If my memory is correct, it was the settlers who were scalping Indians for cash. (Connecticut and Massachusetts colonial officials had offered bounties initially for the heads of murdered indigenous people and later for only their scalps.) Anyway, if he nearly lost half his scalp, he must have had someone nurse him back to life. Hello!!

This film is inspired by the experiences of frontiersman and fur trapper Hugh Glass in 1823 Montana and South Dakota.

A revenant is a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living. That about sums up this film.

3/11/2016 # The Revenant

SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight, Child victim, Boston Globe

Breaking story in Boston Globe 2002, priests molesting children.

Spotlight, reporters with new editor.

Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, the new editor, listens to reporters.

SPOTLIGHT

By Marlene Ardoin

Spotlight is also about diversity, low income children. One of the Best Picture Oscar nominees, Spotlight shows us the process of investigative reporters of the Boston Globe 2002 breaking a story of Catholic priests molesting children in their city. To be fair, this was not about all Catholic priests, just a few bad apples. But, those bad apples did plenty of damage and turned out to be more than originally suspected.

This film points out another example of where the weak are victimized by the strong. I assume the sexual exploitation of children from poor families by priests, started out small, then gradually grew to staggering numbers, worldwide. If the gatekeepers do nothing to stop it, it grows.

The children of poor families were easy pickings. Unfortunately, the vetting of priests was not very thorough at that time. And to be fair, the Catholic Church does a lot to help the poor, probably more than any other religion. Even today, the first thing one would suggest to a homeless person is to check with Catholic Charities.

The consequences of the victimization is heart rendering in this film. What resonated with me was the point that when you take away faith in religion from the poor, they are left without any kind of support system. What they turn to instead of religion is alcohol, drugs and suicide.

What the gatekeepers did at that time was to move the offending priests to new parishes, whenever problems were revealed. As a result, the priests had no feelings for or bonds with the communities that they served. I do not understand how anyone who has received religious training could do this. Why did they become priests in the first place? Was it a cover for their perversion?

The 4,392 priests who were accused amount to approximately 4% of the 109,694 priests in active ministry during that time. The report stated there were approximately 10,667 reported victims (younger than 18 years) of clergy sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002.

When sexual scandals involving Catholic priests in the US came to light in 2002, the Philippines media began reporting on abuses by local priests. In July of that year, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines apologized for sexual misconduct committed by its priests over the last two decades and committed to drafting guidelines on how to deal with allegations of such offenses. According to Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, about 200 of the country’s 7,000 priests may have committed “sexual misconduct” – including child abuse, homosexuality and affairs – over the past two decades.

Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian, attorney, stood out for me. He was characterized as a bit of a character, but I would characterize him as noble. His clients were the victims, the poor families. One of the last scenes was of him greeting such a family in a kindly, upbeat manner, which was endearing. He was a priest in attorney clothing.

Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, the new editor, also made an impression on me. He carried a persona of a do not mess with me, quite, but deadly, intelligent boss, who was not afraid to go to battle. Apparently, the molesting priest story got lost in the machine years earlier, but he saw the merit and the value to the paper’s readership, who were largely Catholic. He was raised Jewish, so the Catholics had no one to manipulate.

Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes, reporter, Michael Keaton as Walter “Robby” Robinson, reporter, and Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, reporter, all did excellent work in their roles.

The story this film tells was a paradigm changer for the world. It came right after the 9/11 disaster, and changed how the world viewed children. The countries most affected included the USA, Canada, UK, Mexico, Belgium, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Tanzania, Philippines, Austria, Norway, Poland, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Slovenia and Sweden, to name a few.

3/8/2016 # Spotlight