The Catholic Post Recently released films reviewed on basis of moral suitability

Recently released films reviewed on basis of moral suitability

By: The Catholic Post - September 13, 2012 - Movie Review

Photo Caption: Franco Nero portrays St. Augustine as an old man in a scene from the movie “Restless Heart.”

The following movie reviews are supplied by Catholic News Service in conjunction with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of Film and Broadcasting.

For full reviews of these films, as well as earlier releases, visit the CNS movie site here.

—–

“The Cold Light of Day” (Summit)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Sluggishly unfolding action adventure in which an ordinary businessman (Henry Cavill) unexpectedly finds himself caught up in the world of espionage after his family is kidnapped during a vacation in Spain and he learns that his father (Bruce Willis), whom he believed to be a cultural attache, is in fact a CIA agent.
As he tries to meet the kidnappers’ demands, and avoid falling into the clutches of one of dad’s colleagues (Sigourney Weaver), who may or may not be a traitor, he’s joined on the lam by a Madrid office worker (Veronica Echegui) whose family connections have gotten her mixed up with the warring operatives as well. Amid the mayhem of frantic gun duels and hectic car chases, director Mabrouk El Mechri fails to provide viewers with much reason to care.
Considerable violence, some of it harsh and gory, adult themes, several instances of profanity, at least one use of the F-word, and occasional crude and crass language.

—–

“The Master” (Weinstein)

The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Literate but sterile drama in which a beleaguered, alcoholic World War II veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes a drifter after being demobilized, then crosses paths with a charismatic cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He becomes a favored follower of the would-be prophet, but his inner demons keep their relationship tumultuous.
Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson embellishes his meticulously crafted period piece with striking visuals, and draws intense performances from his leads. But neither the tormented vet nor the clever peddler of crackpot ideas makes a particularly sympathetic figure, so that following them eventually becomes wearing.
More fundamentally, a degraded view of human sexuality and excessive explicitness in its portrayal make these proceedings, however artistically impressive in some respects, unsuitable for all. Strong sexual content, including graphic nonmarital sexual activity, full nudity and masturbation, references to incest and venereal disease, some scatological humor, at least one use of profanity, frequent rough and occasional crude language.

—–

“Restless Heart” (Ignatius Press)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

This biographical profile of St. Augustine of Hippo (Alessandro Preziosi in youth, Franco Nero as the older man) manages to inspire while steering clear of sentimentality. Beginning in 430, the last year of Augustine’s life, as he faces the Vandals’ invasion of his North African diocese, the narrative then goes back in time to guide viewers through the great church father’s moving conversion story.
Director Christian Duguay’s 127-minute-long film is arduous at times. Yet, as it covers Augustine’s search for the meaning of truth and his eventual embrace of Catholic Christianity, the picture gives plenty of breathing room to the philosophical arguments with which he wrestled. It also highlights the influence exerted on him by his holy mother St. Monica (Monica Guerritore) and by his philosophical adversary — but future friend — St. Ambrose (Andrea Giordana), the bishop of Milan.
The result is a well-produced, colorful piece of cinema that communicates uplifting messages. Some violence and a cohabitation theme.

—–

“2016: Obama’s America” (Rocky Mountain)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. ***

Engaging political documentary in which filmmakers Dinesh D’Souza and John Sullivan set out to answer the question, “What does Barack Obama believe?”
In bringing his 2010 best-seller, “The Roots of Obama’s Rage,” to the screen, right-leaning scholar D’Souza, who also narrates, uses the 44th president’s own memoir as his starting point for a globetrotting journey in search of the chief executive’s intellectual roots. The fairly slickly produced movie that results offers a studied — if obviously partisan — analysis of the president’s early life and influences. Though the conclusions drawn from this examination are both radical and questionable, the shy and likable D’Souza’s tone is never uncharitable. Still, most viewers are likely to come away from his film holding precisely the same view of the president they did going into it.
Adult themes and a single expression that could be construed as profane.

—–

“Lawless” (Weinstein)

The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Morally tangled period piece, set in Prohibition-era Virginia, charts the violent adventures of three bootlegging brothers (Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke and Tom Hardy) as they battle a corrupt and sadistic special deputy (Guy Pearce) who’s out to lay down his own version of the law — by any means necessary.
Though the siblings resort to force only in retaliation, and eventually cease and desist, director John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Matt Bondurant’s 2008 fact-based novel “The Wettest County in the World” tends to glamorize the mayhem they wreak. As scripted by Nick Cave, the film does the same for a premarital bedroom encounter.
Unsuitable for all but the most mature and discerning viewers. Strong, often gory violence, including torture, mutilation and beatings, semi-graphic premarital sexual activity, upper female nudity, numerous uses of profanity, many rough and crude terms, some crass language.

—–

“The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure” (Kenn Viselman Presents)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

This interactive film featuring full-bodied puppets that prompt children to dance and sing is the vision of producer Kenn Viselman, creator of the “Teletubbies” TV series; it’s directed by Matthew Diamond. Three friends (voices of Stephanie Renz, Misty Miller and Malerie Grady) plan a surprise birthday party. But the presents — five magical balloons — go missing. The pals must work together to find the lost items before the party starts.
Harmless and wholesome fun, suitable for the very youngest of moviegoers.

—–

“The Possession” (Lionsgate)

A seemingly innocuous wooden box purchased at a yard sale contains an evil spirit that takes possession of a young girl (Natasha Calis), blighting her life and those of her recently divorced parents (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick).
Director Ole Bornedal initially achieves above-average results with this mostly gore-free chiller. But returns diminish as his film approaches its overwrought climax.
A strong pro-marriage message and the respectful treatment of the Jewish faith by which the afflicted lass is to be exorcised remain pluses nonetheless. Some violent and potentially disturbing images, a premarital situation, at least one use each of profanity and crude language, brief sexual references.

—–

“The Apparition” (Warner Bros.)

Mostly bloodless, in both a good and bad sense, writer-director Todd Lincoln’s derivative house of horrors tale — his feature debut — avoids offending but fails to engage. An otherworldly entity unleashed in a parapsychology experiment returns to haunt one of the participants (Sebastian Stan) and his live-in girlfriend (Ashley Greene) who knows nothing of her partner’s past dabbling in the occult.
Grownups will easily dismiss metaphysical gobbledygook of the H.P. Lovecraft variety spouted by another survivor of the seance (Tom Felton). But sometimes inept dialogue and generic characters behaving in unlikely ways blunt any potential impact.
Minimal violence and gore, cohabitation, a brief, nongraphic bedroom scene, blurred upper female and partial nudity, a couple of crude words, at least one crass term and fleeting innuendo.

—–

“The Awakening” (Cohen Media Group)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Things go bump in the night — and during the day — in first-time director Nick Murphy’s old-fashioned but stylish horror movie set in a remote country manse-turned-boys’-boarding-school in the early 1920s.
At the behest of one of its teachers (Dominic West), a professional ghost hunter (Rebecca Hall) who denies the existence of the supernatural in any form investigates the mysterious death of a student there — a tragedy his frightened classmates blame on a specter. She is assisted by the establishment’s sympathetic matron (Imelda Staunton) and by a pale, withdrawn lad (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) who, unlike all his peers, has not gone home for vacation.
What ensues is a mildly scary game of cat and mouse during which the skeptic uncovers her own personal demons. Some bloody violence, an attempted rape, a nongraphic nonmarital sexual encounter, brief upper female and rear nudity in a nonsexual context.

—–

“Hit and Run” (Open Road)

The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Pretentiously droll and ostentatiously vulgar road-trip comedy. Dax Shepard, who wrote the screenplay and co-directed with David Palmer, plays a sensitive former getaway car driver for a group of bank robbers who is now in the witness protection program. When his girlfriend (Kristen Bell) lands a job teaching college, she has just two days to travel the 500 miles to Los Angeles so she can accept.
The pair is eventually pursued on their high-speed journey by her possessive ex-boyfriend (Michael Rosenbaum), the ex’s brother (Jess Rowland), a lovelorn gay sheriff’s deputy, a bumbling federal marshal (Tom Arnold) and the thieves (led by Bradley Cooper) with whom Shepard’s character used to work.
Bloody violence and gunplay, strong sexual content — including implied aberrant behavior and cohabitation, full male and female nudity and references to rape and homosexual activity — marijuana use, a few instances of profanity, pervasive rough language.

—–

“ParaNorman” (Focus)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

This horror-themed animated adventure sees an 11-year-old boy (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee) — whose ability to communicate with ghosts has caused him to be shunned and bullied by his unbelieving peers — called on by his eccentric great-uncle (voice of John Goodman) to save their Salem-like hometown from the apocalyptic fulfillment of an 18th-century witch’s (voice of Jodelle Ferland) curse. He’s helped along the way by his best friend (voice of Tucker Albrizzi), his cheerleader sister (voice of Anna Kendrick), the school quarterback (voice of Casey Affleck) and even a reformed bully (voice of Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
The basic message of co-directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler’s frequently witty stop-motion celebration of the macabre — that evil acts are often motivated by fear and that the vengeful desire to retaliate in kind only makes things worse — is a valuable one for adults and kids alike. But Butler’s screenplay, which occasionally dabbles in sexual humor throughout, concludes with the ironic revelation that a seemingly he-man male character has a boyfriend. However brief and however humorously intended, the scene nonetheless clearly sends a signal that such a relationship ought to be as nonchalantly accepted as it is matter-of-factly announced. As such, it is grievously out of place in a film directed at children.
Acceptance of homosexual acts, some sexual and scatological jokes, potentially frightening scenes of peril.

—–

“Premium Rush” (Columbia)

The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

A daredevil Manhattan bicycle messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) gets more than he bargained for when he picks up an envelope his girlfriend’s (Dania Ramirez) roommate (Jamie Chung) wants to have delivered to Chinatown post haste and finds that — for reasons he can’t initially fathom — its contents have him on the run from a half-crazed rogue cop (Michael Shannon).
Director and co-writer David Koepp serves up some fluid and suspenseful chase scenes. But the recklessness of the couriers’ lifestyle is irresponsibly glamorized as a thrilling alternative to the boredom of office work — our hero is dodging a legal career — while the gritty dialogue catches viewers in a slipstream of unrelieved vulgarity.
Scenes of violence, including beatings and torture, about 20 instances of profanity, at least one use of the F-word, pervasive crude and crass language, obscene gestures.

—–

“The Expendables 2” (Lionsgate)

The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Blood-soaked action sequel in which a band of heavily armed mercenaries (most prominently Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham) tangles with a host of Russian gangsters (led by Jean-Claude Van Damme) over a trove of Soviet-era nukes.
Aging action stars (including Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger) are thick on the ground in director Simon West’s adventure. Though it serves to relieve the macho insult-trading to which too much of the dialogue in Stallone and Richard Wenk’s script is devoted, the cast’s self-referential and self-deprecating humor fails to retrieve the queasily gore-stained proceedings.
Excessive bloody violence, including torture and decapitation, a vengeance theme, about a dozen crude terms and half that number of crass expressions.

—–

“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” (Disney)

In this fable that draws on both Christian and wiccan imagery, an infertile couple (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) bury their written hopes for the perfect child in a cardboard box in their backyard. The next morning, a partially vine-covered boy (CJ Adams) precisely matching their description appears, and proceeds to change their lives in unexpected ways.
Writer-director Peter Hedges, working from an original story by Ahmet Zappa, spins a sentimental tale that celebrates familial love. Some of the subject matter touched on, however, makes this unsuitable for younger children.
Mature themes, some pagan overtones and a single scatological reference.

—–

“Sparkle” (TriStar)

Remake of the 1976 melodrama about a girl trio, set in 1968 Detroit, manages to be both as predictably familiar as your grandmother’s living room and as subtle as a runaway freight train. But the charisma of the performers and the consistently expressed desire of all the principal characters to lead moral lives hold the enterprise together.
Director Salim Akil, together with his wife, screenwriter Mara Brock Akil, creates a grittily authentic period club scene with Jordin Sparks in the title role, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter as her also-singing siblings and Whitney Houston, in her last role, as their embittered mother.
Marital violence culminating in a homicide, cocaine use, sexual banter, several racial epithets, a fleeting scatological reference.

—–

“The Bourne Legacy” (Universal)

Mediocre extension of the popular action franchise — based on a series of novels by Robert Ludlum — that began with 2002’s “The Bourne Identity.” After the (now-absent) titular character’s public exposure of a top secret program that biologically altered government spies to enhance their skills, the intelligence establishment (led by Edward Norton) decides to terminate a similar Defense Department project — and kill everyone involved.
One subject (Jeremy Renner) manages to escape assassination, and teams with another of the authorities’ targets, the researcher (Rachel Weisz) who treated him as he was being endowed with his heightened powers. The duo goes on the lam and struggles to evade their pursuers’ global reach.
Standard shootouts, fatal vehicular accidents and at least one close-up scene of medical unpleasantness mark director and co-writer Tony Gilroy’s convoluted cat-and-mouse game as off-limits for youngsters. Most adults, though, will probably take these elements — along with the script’s occasional lapses into foul language — in stride. Considerable, at times harsh, violence with some gore, about a half-dozen uses each of profanity and crude language, a few crass terms.

—–

“The Campaign” (Warner Bros.)

The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

A potentially salient critique of the nation’s political process gets buried under a landslide of vulgarity and sex jokes in this comedy from director Jay Roach. With the career of a longtime North Carolina congressman (Will Ferrell) endangered after he misdirects an obscene phone call intended for his mistress, the two wealthy brothers who were formerly his most powerful supporters (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) scheme to replace him. They back the bumbling director of a local tourist center (Zach Galifianakis) in a race that quickly descends into farce.
Though it includes a few relatively serious passages of commentary on issues like campaign finance reform, Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell’s screenplay is primarily devoted to sophomoric humor and repellant shock gags. And some funny swipes at how politicians try to use religion to win votes are mingled with material genuinely odious to viewers of faith.
An instance of blasphemy, some mild violence, an adultery theme, obscured frontal male and partial upper female nudity, a few uses of profanity, much sexual and occasional irreverent humor, pervasive rough and crude language, an obscene gesture.

—–

“Hope Springs” (Columbia)

The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Flawed, but fundamentally moral, mix of comedy and drama in which Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones play a long-married couple who have grown physically and emotionally distant. At her insistence, they set off from their home in suburban Omaha, Neb., to Maine for a week of intensive therapy with a marriage counselor and self-help author (Steve Carell). Even discussing their intimate problems, much less solving them, proves a challenge for the buttoned-up duo.
A resounding pro-marriage message undergirds director David Frankel’s film, which sees its leads in top form. Yet the proportion of Vanessa Taylor’s script devoted to talk about, or activity in, the marital bedroom narrows the appropriate audience for this keenly observed study. Only mature moviegoers well formed in faith and morals will be up to the task of gleaning its virtues from its failings.
Considerable sexual content, including semigraphic scenes of marital lovemaking and masturbation; pervasive references to sexuality; a benign view of aberrant sex acts; about a half-dozen uses of profanity; and at least one crude and a few crass terms.

—–

“Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D” (ARC Entertainment)

Amiable collection of stunts, performed with dirt bikes, monster trucks and even tricked-up Big Wheels, adapted for the big screen from the popular MTV series, with a crew headed by Travis Pastrana.
The flying conveyances are balletic in slow motion, and their tricks are possibly not quite as dangerous as co-directors Gregg Godfrey and Jeremy Rawle would like you to believe. Fleeting crass language and stunts no one should try at home.

—–

“Total Recall” (Columbia)

The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

In a post-apocalyptic world divided between a rich region where people live in luxury and an oppressed colony where the working classes dwell, an Everyman factory drudge (Colin Farrell) discovers his past identity as a secret agent. Stunned by the revelation — which instantly makes him a wanted man — and thrown further off balance when his seemingly loyal wife (Kate Beckinsale) turns against him, he goes on the lam, eventually joining forces with the envoy (Jessica Biel) of a guerrilla resistance group.
Director Len Wiseman has sanitized Paul Verhoeven’s extremely violent 1990 action thriller, itself an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1966 short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” Yet although toned-down, the new version still contains more than its fair share of objectionable content.
Frequent action violence, including gunplay; upper female and brief rear nudity; references to prostitution; occasional uses of profanity; at least one rough term; and pervasive crude language.

—–

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” (Fox 2000)

The Catholic News Service classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

This second sequel to 2010’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” — based, like its predecessors, on author Jeff Kinney’s series of “novels in cartoons” — provides a warm, kid-friendly comic outing that emphasizes the virtue of honesty and the importance of familial ties.
Zachary Gordon once again plays the awkward preteen protagonist who, in this installment, is out to thwart his dad’s (Steve Zahn) plans to transform his housebound, video-game-playing summer vacation into a father-son bonding experience via a long sequence of outdoor activities. His initially honest schemes to evade this dread prospect gain the aid of his loyal best friend (Robert Capron). But when the two pals have a falling-out, and he turns to subterfuge, his deceit leads to all manner of trouble, thanks in part to his knuckleheaded older brother (Devon Bostick). Director David Bowers delivers a moving message amid the laughs, so that touches of vaguely crass humor are easily overlooked in favor of the generally amiable proceedings. Some mild scatological humor.

—–

“To Rome With Love” (Sony Classics)

Woody Allen writes, directs and stars in this picturesque but morally misguided romp through the Eternal City, featuring a confusing quartet of stories about the search for romance, happiness and — all too frequently — sin.
A retired opera director (Allen) discovers a potential star in the person of an undertaker (Fabio Armiliato) who only sings in the shower. A honeymoon couple (Alessandra Mastronardi and Alessandro Tiberi) face twin temptations: He at the hands of a sexy prostitute (Penelope Cruz), she at those of a sleazy movie star (Antonio Albanese). A famous architect (Alec Baldwin) takes on a protege (Jesse Eisenberg) who reminds him of himself in youth, and coaches the lad in the art of seduction. An ordinary man (Roberto Benigni) becomes a media sensation for no apparent reason, only to find his life turned upside down.
A benign view of adultery and nonmarital sex, much sexual innuendo, some uses of profanity and of rough language.

—–

“The Dark Knight Rises” (Warner Bros.)

The lavish conclusion to director and co-writer Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy will not disappoint dedicated Batman fans. But casual viewers may find its 164-minute running time bloated and unwieldy. Set eight years after the events of 2008’s “The Dark Knight”, the latest adventure finds billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) injured, exiled and grief stricken. Yet, inevitably, he and his chiropteran alter ego find themselves pulled out of retirement. Initially, that’s due to the arrival on the scene of a morally ambiguous cat burglar (Anne Hathaway). But it’s a terrorist mastermind (Tom Hardy) who really forces the Caped Crusader to don the cowl once more.
Nolan’s script evinces a surprising amount of humanity and emotion — especially so as it shows us Wayne’s touching relationship with his long-serving butler (Michael Caine). While the bone-breaking nature of the mayhem on display excludes the youngest batfans, some parents may deem this acceptable fare for older adolescents. Frequent and intense action violence, including gunplay, an implied nonmarital encounter, a few uses of profanity, some crass terms.

—–

The Watch” (Fox)

The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

After the night watchman at the Costco store he manages is mysteriously murdered, an earnest suburbanite (Ben Stiller) forms a ragtag team of neighborhood guardians (Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade) to investigate. But the quartet of bumbling sleuths gets more than they bargained for when clues begin to suggest that the culprits were other than human.
Director Akiva Schaffer’s potentially interesting blend of comedy and science fiction founders under an endless stream of juvenile sex jokes. Brief but gruesome violence and an orgy scene played for laughs sink it still further. Demeaning view of human sexuality, including the frivolous treatment of aberrant sex acts with gratuitous nudity, fleeting but horrific gore, about a dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough and crude language.

—–

Recently released films reviewed on basis of moral suitability

Related