90 minutes in Heaven

I just watched this movie 90 minute in heaven. I don’t know why I did. I normally prefer gun fighting, car chases, and easy women. This wasn’t any of that. It s the true story of a young Pastor, Don Piper and his wife Eva, their family, friends and congregation, Don died in a car accident and came back to life. Multiple operations and months in hospital, a year unable to walk, excruciating pain and all the trials and tribulations of sickness.

Hayden Christensen and Kate Boswoth are amazing. Dwight Yoakim, Michael Smith and Fred Thompson were great too. The acting and writing were superb. It could so easily have been maudlin or slow but no, it wasn’t. It was an amazing choreographed. Michael Polish was the director. As sensitive and thoughtful as a director could be.

No alien invasions, hero’s charging forward on elephants or lamborghinis and pole  dancers. I loved it nonetheless. Truly brilliant moving and captivating.

Thank you

The Young Ones, (Bad Land: Road to Fury) movie

The Young Ones, directed by Jake Paltrow is a western science fiction movie released in 2014 but which just came out on Netflix.  We watched this Irish South African production last night and really enjoyed the spaghetti western with a twist flavour.  Placed in the future after a drought farmers struggle with the lack of water and the high cost of irrigation. I thought the movie was about the American Mid West. It has that John Steinbeck 30’s barrenness about it.  Characterization is its strength.  The young rebel without a cause character takes the old man with an achilles heal’s land and daughter. But his son sees through the deceit.  A classic Western of the  Louis L’Amour genre unfolds.  It’s a Shakespearean plot.  But the robot that replaces the donkey keeps the whole show grounded in the future. I loved the robot wagon.  The injured mother is further able to walk because of modern robotic assistance. But the gun is an over and under, rifle and shot gun, not dissimilar to one I’ve owned myself.  Laura and I were mesmerized by the movie, loving it to the inevitable but twisting intriguing end.
Nicholas Hoult  plays Flem Lever the motorcycle riding woman’s man bad guy with a gift for character transformation like that of Jack Nicholson.. He starts out as a misguided youth and evolves to a truly psychopathic character whose reasoning and words are so believable yet not.
Elle Fanning plays the daughter, Mary Holms in a totally believable way.  Early her character is so down to earth and adolescent it holds together the family that is spiralling out of control with events of the day. But her tour de force performance  in the ending shows a grit as great as Nicole Kidman’s frontier women portrayals.
Michael Shannon plays the father Ernest Holm, whose achilles heel is alcohol. It’s cost his wife her legs but she still loves him deeply.  It will be his undoing but he tries desperately to fight against this disease, his personal demon, in a quiet wholly believable way.
Aimee Mullins plays the mother Katherine Holms.  Despite her invalidism and the futuristic high tech solution she comes across as almost saintly.  Amazing personal actress.
Kodi Smit-McPhee plays the son Jerome Holm and is quite simply amazing.  He is the movie. His characterization and transformation and Hitchcock surprise developments and twists make this a movie of all time. He is like a young Laurence Olivier or Richard Burton. A man for all seasons.  Still waters run deep.
The rest of the cast were excellent and the unHollywood European pace was superb.  The stark otherworldliness of Giles Nuttgens cinematography will probably haunt me.

Jake Paltrow is a great writer.      

Noah the Movie

Noah, the movie, is a Biblical story retold by writers Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel.  Darren Aronofsky is also an amazing director.  The story is not exactly true to the Biblical tale I read in Sunday School, but really, close enough.  The story of Isaac gets mixed up in gender and time but otherwise it's all Noah.  This is a courageous suspenseful epic of the first order.  It truly captures the holy as well as Hollywood has ever done given its love of Caesar.
The first world is so corrupt that God brings a flood to cleanse it. Noah is advised by God to build an Ark. Two of every kind of living animals and bird and reptile comes aboard.  Noah wants to leave behind the corrupt. He and his family flee.  A new world begins.  I don’t think I’m ‘spoiling’ this once universally known western tale.  There are many other creation stories of floods and survival but this one is my favourite.  The movie mercifully does it justice.
Russell Crowe stars as Noah. Move over Charleston Heston when it comes to historical portrayal.  Jennifer Connelly stars as Noah’s wife Naameh.   Watching the two at the peak conflict I was reminded of the greatest duo performances of all time, Burton and Taylor and  Bogart and Bacall.  Jennifer Connelly matches the power and performance of Russell Crowe whose Noah is truly Shakespearian.  Anthony Hopkins plays Noah’s grandfather masterfully.  He’s a Gandalf type character and divinely human.Emma Watson brings wisdom and depth to the role of Ila, mother of the new world, wife of Shem. Ray Winstone’s portrayal of Tubal-Cain, the evil king, was masterfully human.  Logan Lerman captured the adolescent vengeful Ham to perfection.  Leo McHugh was a delightful young Japheth.  
I loved the whole movie. I couldn’t help but feel how we all would be better off if our movies were more real and inspirational as this one, rather than the too often propagandistic and distracting.  This is not a reality show. Thank God, the Kardashians aren't in it. The only Ducks are the quacking variety.   I would recommend this to everyone who wants to be touched by the greatness of theatre, the marvels of story and the best of directing and acting at it's finest.  

Pompeii - the movie

From the opening to the very end this is a great movie.  Kit Harington plays Milo the Celt who sees his family killed by the Romans but lives to be a slave to them fighting for their entertainment.  Emily Browning plays the Pompeii lady, Cassia, who is desired by the Roman Senator Corvus played so diabolically by Keifer Sutherland.  Adewalle Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Atticus the gladiator who joins Milo fighting to the end for freedom. The cast is huge with Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris and Carrie-Anne Moss being particularly stellar. The set is truly inspiring.  The plot is really a love story in a tragedy.  Horses and sword fighting and special effects.  I loved Milo and Cassia.  Paul Anderson is a sorcerer who makes the screen play of Janet Scott Batchelor, Lee Batchler, and Michael Robert Johnson a living tribute to one of the greatest natural disasters of all time.  This 2014 German Canadian film is truly a must see.  It could only have been better if I had seen it in 3D.

Angels and Demons - the movie

I don’t know how I missed this movie. I’ve tears in my eyes watching it’s ending.  I love Dan Brown and have read all his books one after another as they were published. Were that there were more.  The movie with Tom Hanks directed by Ron Howard does the book justice.  How long ago did I read it.  Years now.  Yet the movie has come and I’d missed it.
Thanks to Netflix I’ve now seen it.  Situated in Vatican City the plot of intrigue and terrorism and ancient symbols, mystery and detectives is truly inspired. Having been there and seen the Sistene Chapel, the works of Rafael and Bernini I was even more moved by the beauty of the movie.  Rome is such a grand and wondrous city. The Vatican it’s crowning glory.  A city and country of it’s own I remember buying stamps when Laura and I were there, before Gilbert. some 5 years ago, I guess.  I had the opportunity to attend the International Society of Addiction Medicine in Milan so was able to add on the trip to Rome.  I’m so thankful that I did.
Seeing this movie with it’s celebration of church and science and the men and women that straddle the great divide and atonement, I feel the movie is blessed.  Tom Hanks is of course one of the truly gifted actors of our day.  The multifaceted Ewan McGregor also stars as does the beautiful intelligent Ayelet Zurer, playing so well a physicist in search of the God particle, dabbling in anti matter. I loved the performances of Stellan Skasgaard as Commander of the colourful devoted Swiss Guard and Pierfrancesco Favion as Inspector Olivetti.  Nikolaj Lie Kaas was a particularly good assassin while Armin Mueller- Stahl was simply perfect as Cardinal Strauss. But all the acting was stellar. What a set the Vatican is, each of the churches where I knelt and prayed amidst the greatest art and sculpture of the ages.
This movie is art worthy of the scene.
Thank you all for the making of this inspired creation.  Angels and Demons is truly illuminating.

King Rat - movie

I cried watching this. Having been to Changi Prison and listened to the stories of the men who’d been there recorded for the museum. It was so tragic and sad.  The Japanese treating all others like that. Tribalism at it’s rankest. The grossest inhumanity of man to another man. The rise of the survivor. George Segal’s acting and the others so amazing.  Corruption and advancement and war.  All so sad.
Today there’s a museum and a chapel.  What’s left of the War to End All Wars and the Great Imperial Expansion.
I’m reading of the European campaign in another book, The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria,  and realizing that the Hollywood rendition of history is just what appeals to customers. Zakaria makes a great case that winter won the war against the Nazis as much as anything. In the east it’s called Stalin’s War.  The greatest number of troops and the greatest investment in armaments.  Yet in the west we think of that war in Hollywood terms.  D Day and Sicily.
At Changi they’re already trying to rewrite  Japanese history.  Japan’s sadistic past being erased just like the British and Americans don’t care too much for the basis of the Opium Wars against China.  The winner writes history.  I liked the doctor in King Rat.  He rang true to me as doctors do.  I liked the British and Australians best.
I brought back a copy of a sketch from Changi, “Two Malarias and a Cholera” by Ray Parkin.  The Japanese refused to let the men carry a cholera patient back to camp from a work crew but relented at last to allow two other sick men to carry him back.   http://www.petrowilliamus.co.uk/murals/museum/exhibits.htm
The survival of the soldiers and civilians is a testimony to human resilience.

Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed - the movie

I just watched Saints  and Soldiers: Airborne Creed  on Netflix.  What a moving and multifaceted movie. Romance, philosophy, theology.  Action that was reminiscent of the black and white movies of my childhood. Not about the blood and guts. More about the relationships.  And more about the families of the soldiers woven into the fabric of their day to day existence as paratroopers fighting with the french resistance.  I liked it.
I confess I was looking for a mindless shoot em up but what I got instead was a deep and appealing look at sensitive warriors and resistance fighters.  Ryan Little directed this. Actors Corbin Allred, David Nibley Jasen Wade and French resistance fighter Virginie Fourtina were the stars.
The Nazis weren’t dehumanized but everyone was simple and real. It’s sad and a tragedy there is war but those who fight aren’t monsters.  This movie doesn’t romanticize war but it does a service to the military and those who resist tyranny.  It also depicts truly how the ‘enemy’ is rarely that much different than us no matter how the propaganda machines of each side plays it.  I liked the line in this movie, “I hate that uniform.”

Killing Season - the movie

Just watched Robert de Nero and John Travolta in an amazing male meeting of post Bosnian Serbian war veterans.  They talk of the fog of war during conflict but there’s sure a lot of confusion after. This is one of the most amazing PTSD, Survivor Guilt and all those other catch phrase psycho babbles we throw about like we know something about the depth and mystery of the human mind and heart. I loved this movie.  So simple and beautiful but heart rendingly intense.
Two combatants meeting 18 years later, lives changed forever by their first meeting in the midst of combat.  The psychology and theology of the words spoken between warriors would require tombs of writing. The photography, in the war overseas and the Appalachian mountains was amazing. It complemented the rustic rawness of  the movie touched.
And “we" send young men to war.  As “they" do too.  To protect the women and children who say they don’t want us to but women seem less able to agree on anything than men.  All it takes is one Eva Brawn or one Hitler then all bets are off.
These two men are not white knights, American and Serbian. They are human and this is one of the most poignant human dramas I’ve seen acted by two of the greatest actors of my age.  Thank you, to all who made this film especially  Director Mark Steven Johnson.
Know your enemy.

Halle Berry and The Call

Halle Berry plays Jordan, a 911 operator in Brad Anderson's Thriller Movie, The Call. She is simply sensational.
I remember her first as the Bond Girl Jinx in Die Another Day where she certainly was beautiful as her Miss World Runner Up status would suggest. I loved her in Swordfish but Swordfish was such a over the top movie that it made all the characters larger than life and John Travolta the most memorable of all.
As Storm in the X-Men series she was truly an action figure character. But it really wasn't until Cloud Atlas that I realized what a deep and talented actress she truly was.
The Call that really shows her extraordinary talent for depth and breadth of acting. With this movie she has certainly stepped into the same room as the likes of Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep and Greta Garbot. She is truly a big screen actor. Of course she already has the Academy Award for Best Actress in Monster Ball but that was the Monster Ball. The Call is a whole other genre. The Call is a first order thriller and Halle Berry's is human to the core.
The Call is a movie that Alfred Hitchcock could have written. The direction by Brad Anderson is perfectly timed and paced. Abigail Breslin plays an exceptionally believable Casey Welson the frightened good girl kidnapped by the twisted and terrifying Michael Foster. Michael Eklund's own superb acting is reminiscent of the genius of Hannibal Lecter.
Halle Berry's multifaceted developing character with it's amazing crescendo lifts all the characters to dazzling heights. Richard D'Ovidio's is the story and screenplay writer. It's Hemmingway in simplicity with the finesse of James Patterson. A must see, if only for Halle Berry's acting.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Star Trek - Into Darkness

I saw Star Trek - Into the Darkness last night at the Silvercity Coquitlam VIP 3d theatre.  I'm a trekky but even if I wasn't I think I'd love this movie. The characterization and relationships were as good as the visuals and action scenes.  I was tele transported to a galaxy far far away.  What I loved most was the young new characters who seemed almost like they were the grandsons and granddaughters of the old cast. Incredibly refreshing.  Chris Pine made a great Kirk.  Zachary Quinto was perfect as Spock.  Zoe Saldana was a new generations heartthrob Uhuru.  Benedict Cumberbatch was a major intellectual improvement on the old Khan.  I loved the slickness of this show. There was a lot of brawn and bashing in the original Star Trek.  Chris Hatfield is a real astronaught and these new series of characters are in a way like him, athletic, lean, but sensitive and very intelligent.  The women were naturally gorgeous with character. Simon Pegg was priceless as Scotty and Karl Urban was a really good Bones.  Anton Yelchin made Chekov shine as did John Cho as Sulu. Alice Eve was definitely brilliant candy while Peter Weller was thoroughly believable as Marcus.  Bruce Greenwood was a perfect Pike. He's a consumate actor and his eyes appear 3d without my even wearing the glasses.
I love Star Trek and I loved this glorious romp. Hats off to writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and the genius J.J. Abrams. The audience was very old and old with lots of young and very young.  Makes me think that Star Trek will be coming to us until we actually meet the Vulcans and Virgin gets beyond tourist space hops and actually takes us to the stars.
After the movie I got on my Harley Electraglide with 1600 power beneath me and loved the ride.  It could only be improved on with a hover function like one of the great city machines in the movie.  Now that would be even more cool.  It always astounds me that the world I'm living in today with internet, cell phones, jet flight, international space stations, missiles and solar power is all 'science fiction' of my childhood with Dick Tracy communicators and all the other innovations we have today but take for granted.

For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada

For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada is a brilliant extraordinary 2012 drama and epic historic movie of Mexico. It chronicles the Cristeros War (1926 to 1929) a war of the Mexican people against the atheist Mexican government. Priests took up arms as their people were killed and hung from telegraph poles. Nuns carried ammunitions to the rebels in their skirts on trains. No church bells rang in Mexico. Rome refused to condemn the tens of thousands of Catholics who fought the federales. The flag of the Cristeros proclaimed Long Live Christ the King and our Lady of Guadalupe. President Calles (played by a convincing Ruben Blades) begins a systematic viciously violent crackdown on the catholic faithful denying freedom of religion. Father Christopher, a kindly elder priest played impeccably by Peter O Toole (of Lawrence of Arabia fame) is ruthlessly murdered in his church by soldiers for the sole crime of being there. The rebel leader retired General Enrique Gorostieta is played with great depth and sensitivity by Andy Garcia. He is an agnostic whose faith journey parallels the war. A thirteen year old boy Jose, played by Mauricio Kuri is the embodiment of truth and heroism as he joins the rebels only to be captured and denied by his father. Father Vega, the handsome priest turned dashing and deadly soldier, but always a priest, is played by the incredible Santiago Cabrera. The beautiful Eva Longoria plays the faithful inspiration Tulita Gorostieta. Rebel farmer warrior "El Catorce" is played by the adept Oscar Isaac. Dean Wright's directing of this masterpiece written by Michael Love is amazing. The movie has all the violence and charm and cinematography of a Hollywood blockbuster but the cerebral heart of the best of European film. No individual is a cartoon character, all are human and real. The talk over a chess game is as revealing as men in battle facing gatling guns, as bodies are ripped apart by bullets. The horses are spectacular and the horsemanship even more so. Trains exploding, women protecting children, men and women martyred for their belief in God and love of freedom. The Mexican people and their history is rich in passion and spirituality. I was blessed to pray in the church for "our Lady of Guadaloupe" as I've prayed with so many Mexicans in so many churches. Long Live Christ the King. I never knew how much blood was lost by Mexicans so they could participate in mass. The Knights of Columbus, the prayerful Catholic Men's organization with the help of the American ambassador were instrumental in helping end the war. President Calles, himself once a revolutionary, in the end is a politician capable of compromise with his own views of freedom for Mexico. I would recommend this movie to everyone. There's good chance too it will have it's share of Oscar nominations.

Hunger Games - Movie

Director Gary Ross has done a fine job of this fast moving futuristic thriller, having as well co written the screenplay with Suzanne Collins. .  Jennifer Lawrence's acting is impressive and endearing.  She and robust  Peeta Mellark act as  future players in a fight to the finish competition of many young people designed to leave little  hope for the once rebellious states that threatened the decadent central government.  Donald Sutherland is amazing as the cynical president. I loved Stanley Tucci.  His  baroque hair is as winning as his game show host smile.  A terrific flick I'd certainly recommend.

The Hunter - movie

What a horrible piece of crap!  I chose this movie because of Willem Dafoe who normally isn't a part of such drivel.  The movie indeed started out with a good storyline and rather interesting characterization.  Then the plot went to hell in a hand basket.  This guy is hunting an endangered animal for it's benefit to science. They want the DNA.  Nothing wrong with that.  And given high powered rifles and such the normal thing would be for a hunter to use a tranquillizer. That's what Canadians do with their endangered species. They shoot them with tranq guns sometimes from helicopters. Then they do all manner of alien things like blood, urine, feces, saliva sampling and nail clipping. The animals wake up and get away from that spot where they woke up as fast as they can then tell tales to their children about being anally probed by aliens.
In this movie some twisted sort of eco freak movie for people who don't know diddly squat about the woods They have the hunter killing the endangered species then cremating it. Since that was a true spoiler of the movie its not spoiler of me to tell you this. I just wish someone had saved me from inaniety that began somewhere in the middle of the movie.  This was followed by all sorts of sickly European  romanticism about  dead animals which thankfully  stopped short of some grotesque sexual ritual.  
Hunters don't waste and killing for no reason is the stuff of city folk.  The endangered species of the planet are predominantly a product of these sensitive but stupid city folk with lots of pathos and no sense.  The  writers are right out of their depth and would do well to write soap operas for suburbanites.  Sadly though, one has a sense that such cupid stupidity is aimed at commercial exploitation not only of Gaia  but tragically others who would watch this movie mistaking its dreadful shallowness for depth.   There was  even the gratutous attack on loggers as if loggers are intrinsically evil.  Surprisingly fisherman and farmers weren't somehow besmudged by this sanctimonious silliness of a movie.  What a waste of time!
Daniel Nettheim is the director. If I had to guess he ran over budget about the time the good guys in this morality play rejected Australian beer and began smoking dope. There was a real hurry to end the thing, like the way one hurries to flush the toilet after something really foul has occurred in a public toilet.
Vincent Sheehan, the producer shows bad judgement and poor taste.
The unforgiveable is the pretentious Julia Leigh,  writer of the Hunter.  She should stick to her ivory tower genre of  fairytale princess porn and stay out of the wilderness where she hasn't a clue.
Willem Dafoe and Sam Neil despite their very best could not save this dinosaur.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - movie

Laura and I loved this movie starring Maggie Smith,  Dev Patel, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie,  Tena Desae and so many more.  Directed by John Madden, the screenplay was written by Ol Parker, from novel "These Foolish Things" by Deborah Moggach.  Mostly set it India it follows the lives of "elderly and beautiful" who have opted for the dream of a young man who wants India to be the place where the elderly are outsourced, from countries who don't care for the old to India. The first group are English and the understated English humor is replete with depth of character.  The back drop is the exotic busy flamboyant world of modern day India with a whole range of responses and adaptations or lack there of.  A truly remarkable film rich in humanity and charm.  A must see for anyone over 50 or anyone young and in love with a dream.

Machine Gun Preacher

I loved the Sam Childs movie about the Christian orphanage in East Africa.  Kony and the LRA account for 400,000 murders and 40, 000 child abductions. The children are raped, beatten, sold as sex slaves and forced to be children soldiers.  Sam is a real life ex convict ex addict ex junkie trailer park gun toting  biker gang member  The story tells of his finding Jesus with his ex stripper wife.  He meets a preacher from Africa and decides to visit Northern Uganda and South Sudan eventually building an orphanage for children rescued from the depraved "LRA - Lord's Resistance Army".  His construction worker skills, people knowledge and gun and gang skills all contribute to his becoming known  as the "Machine Gun Preacher".  When the orphanage is attacked and he has a price on his head for stealing future child soldiers he fights back with bullets.
The screen play is written by Jason Keller, director Marc Forster.  Gerald Butler plays a mean and fully believable Sam Childers.  The beautiful grounded Michelle Monaghan plays his wife Lynn Childers.  The filming of the people of his town in America and the people of Africa is amazing.  So much character and such a hopeful story in a terrible crisis.
When Constantine made Christianity the religion of the  Roman Empire he did so because the Christian soldiers were the greatest of the day. It was mainly Christian soldiers who fought the Nazi terror.  Jesus physically threw the money lenders out of the temple. He taught peace but his message of 'turning one's cheek'  was not unliimitted.  Not all Christians were born to be martyrs and certainly not all Christianity is about milk toast values.  While I admire the peaceful Mennonites and Quakers I am glad that Sam Childs is saving children from the armies of Kony by fighting force with force. God uses each of us according to our skills.   A great man said that for evil to grow all it takes is for good men to do nothing.  Sam and Lynn Childs are definitely doing something still.

Whistleblower - the movie

Rachel Weiz and Vanessa Redgrave were outstanding in this riveting thriller of human trafficking in Serbia. To protect the 'brand' the UN, private international contractors and the state departments highest officials are involved in the cover up. Whistleblowers who get close to the truth are martyred as a consequence. Those without scars are merely enablers. This movie, like art of war, and blood diamonds speaks to the realpolitik Churchill so often spoke to. It portrays well the heroic men who also helped the women at great risk to themselves. An amazing movie.

Freight - the movie

This was amazing. Incredible action, guns and car chases, spectacular bad guy characterization and hearts of gold.  The sad part is it's really about human traffic for sex trade and forced labour out of east europe passing through London England.  A must see movie. Billy Murray, Craig Fairbass, Laura Aikman, Sam Kennard starring.  Sad statement about impotence of police around the civilized world.

Apollo 18

Alright I don't want to go to the moon any more either.  Now that is one scarey movie.  I love science and I love science fiction.  I don't normally like horror movies.  This is different. This may be true. Canada should adopt an isolationist policy right now.  I'm under my blankie already. I'm not going to let anyone in.  Nope.  Not anymore.  I'm not going to get dressed either.  Nope.  That's it. Not going to sleep either.  Apollo 18 is one scarey movie.

A Step into the Darkness - film

A Step into the Darkness was just one of the many films I picked up in the discount bin at Rogers so I could have something to watch while I ate dinner on my sailboat I'm not connected to cable or satellite for television shows and movies.
It's a film by Atil Inac.  If I'd seen the trailer I might have thought it was something I'd like to watch on the History or  Discovery channel. The filming of the countryside of Iraq and Turkey is worthy of National Geographic.
The cover shows an outstanding single woman carrying a bundle, looking perplexed in the dessert. I might have thought it a feminist pity pot movie with that overplayed communist twist of the plight of the underdog.  I might  even have thought it was a Disney creation where the little train that can does.  There's that kind of promotion in the thing.
But the movie wasn't any of these.  It was something far more.  It opened my eyes to the war by those who have no 'sides', the real casualties of conflict.  This really is about 'collateral damage' and the human spirit.
It moved me in a way few movies can.  It was that different and that deeply sensitive with enough action and intrigue to keep the plot ahead of the tears.
Subtitles and English.  It was billed as "A unique film shot on location inside Iraq in the midst of an ongoing war".
Suzan Genc, the star, won the best actress award at the Ankara International Film Festival.  The movie itself won several international Best Pictures.  But what do critics know.  I found it in the discount bin and watched it with rapt attention through all the drama, character unfolding and excitement to the extraordinary unpredictableending.
I'm telling you it's good.  It's really good.

Attack on Darfur

I just watched this tragic docudrama starring Billy Zane, Edward Furlong, Kristanna Loken and David O'Hara. Darfur in the Sudan of East Africa is considered the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time with 400,000 dead and millions displaced.  The movie is the story of some journalists who come to observe but get caught in the midst of the genocide and ethnic cleansing comitted by the Janjaweed, Arab militia.  "Black African Monkeys" the Arab leader calls these villagers, women and children his men rape and kill.  The journalists are mostly out of their depth, emotional, amateurish and completely baffled by the pure evil psychopaths that shoot a child in front of them to make a point. There is famine in this land and there is a call for relief in the area south of Egypt, the Sudan. This is the land where Gordon died a martyr and Churchill rode in calvary action.  Ethiopia and Somalia are nearby. The human situation is horrid.
A 2010 Lancet article from the Centre for Research on the  Epidemiology of Disaster estimated  about 300,000 dead as a result of the conflict, but 80% of these due to disease.
Former Canadian Minister of Justice Irwin Cotier accused Sudan of practicing 'apartheid' against the non arab Sudanese.
Russia and China have been accused of fueling the killing by supplying the Janjaweed with weapons and supplies.  Amnesty International has condemned Russia as has Human Rights First condemned China for their distribution of weapons to the Janjaweed.
The movie depicts the limits on the United Africa league involvement and Khartoum has been firmly against UN involvement.
The International Criminal Court has charged the humanitarian affairs minister of Sudan and a Janjaweed militia leader with crimes against humanity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Darfur
The civil war began in 2003.  The official military and police are apparently supporting the Arab Jangaweed militia.  Villages of non arabs as close as 500 meters to another arab village have been totally wiped out by accounts.
Most of the northerners are Moslem and it's been the arab Sudanese moslems killing the non arab Sudanese
Christians in the south have been killed for years.  It was only last year I watched a hand held movie made by a minister in a community where Arabs Moslems had ridden through their village with machetes killing the Christian men then raping the women.  In the movie, Attack on Darfur,  a Sudanese african woman tells the journalists of her rape by the Arab saying, "He told me he would give me Aids".
This is the scene of  the drought and famine which we are called in the west to help with.  It reminded me of Canadian Christian singer, Bruce Cockburn's  song, "If I had a rocket launcher".  It's a Mel Gibson Road Warrior world where those given aid are then killed for the aid by the government and it's Janjaweed militia.  Moslems killing Moslems and Moslems killing Christians.  If ever a region needed prayer it's the Sudan.