Songs of Hope podcast – 10/1/16
Listen again to the story of Joni Eareckson Tada. Although a quadraplegic, she is a Christian who has made a difference. Play time 6 minutes.
Read moreFilm review: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, from ‘Built For Speed’
Few films have had so much pre-release hype and such a weight of expectation as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Reigniting possibly the most loved film franchise in history and plugging into a film mythology that defined the youth of many people, particularly Gen x-ers, is a daunting task for any film-maker. Much of the fevered anticipation for this film
Read moreFilm review: MISSISSIPPI GRIND from ‘Built For Speed’
Gambling addiction drama Mississippi Grind indulges nearly all the clichés of the ‘nihilistic loser seeking redemption’ movie right down to the relationship with a hooker with a heart of gold but impressive turns from leads Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn animate a slightly creaky story. Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn play two pathological gambling addicts, Curtis and Gerry, who try
Read moreFilm review: THE GOOD DINOSAUR from ‘Built For Speed’
The Good Dinosaur is one of those Disney Pixar animated adventure comedies that anthropomorphises dinosaurs into quirky or heroic human archetypes. We’ve seen this in numerous animated features but the eternal fascination with dinosaurs means the concept still works wonderfully. This film attempts to justify the human-like qualities of its dinosaur characters by speculating what might have happened if the
Read moreFilm review: YOUTH from ‘Built For Speed’
With its meticulously composed shots, remote Alpine hotel setting and all-pervading quirkiness, Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth immediately recalls the films of Wes Anderson. In the end, though, this meditation on ageing mortality and artistic ambition offers something more confronting than Anderson’s typical comical weirdness. Michael Caine stars as revered classical composer and conductor Fred Ballinger who, for initially mysterious reasons, has
Read moreFilm review: JOY from ‘Built For Speed’
Time once again to enter the wonderfully off-kilter but seeringly insightful alternate reality of David O Russell’s films. His two previous offerings Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle were an intoxicating mix of comedy, drama and romance that provided some of the best cinema entertainment of recent years. With those films Russell established an ensemble of actors including Robert de
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