In First Reformed, writer/director Paul Schrader tells a story about characters living in excruciating personal turmoil. He then gradually develops his movie to be more visceral, so the audience can experience similar pain. You would think keeping movie goers in a state of compelling discomfort would be a tricky balancing act for Schrader, but he succeeds with ease; almost as if this area of emotional discomfort is a particular wheelhouse for the Taxi Driver screenwriter.
By: Mark Barber Prolific documentarian Alex Gibney’s latest film is an insightful–if perhaps overlong–two-hour reminder of the controversial Church of Scientology. Based on and working extensively off of Lawrence Wright’s 2013 book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Gibney traces Scientology’s history from its very beginnings with its erratic and odd founder L. Ron Hubbard to the assimilation of Hollywood celebrities into the cult. Perhaps most distressingly, however, is Gibney’s chosen slate…
By: Addison Wylie Heaven Is for Real is – so far – my favourite recent faith-based flick in a year full of religion centric movies. It’s mild-mannered and shoots for attainable goals, which makes Randall Wallace’s movie all the more amiable. Another major plus is how there’s no preachy hidden agenda detailing the motivations of the movie. Religion serves as a prominent theme in Heaven Is for Real, but its only to add depth to…