Heaven Is For Real

Director: Randall Wallace
Genre: Family drama
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Thomas Haden Church
Distributed by: TriStar Pictures
Release Date: April 16, 2014
My Rating: 7.5/10

This was a very uplifting film that I had the pleasure to see on Mother's day with my mother. It is based on the bestselling 2010 novel of the same name by Pastor Todd Burpo and tells the amazing true story of his son Colton, a 4-year-old boy from small-town Nebraska who recounted his visit to heaven to his father after a near-death experience.
After being rushed to the local hospital because of what they initially believe is appendicitis, Todd (Kinnear) and his wife Sonia Burpo (Reilly) begin to realize their son's medical condition is actually much more severe and fear he may not live. However, a miracle appears to save little Colton and the boy lives to tell the tale of how he went to heaven during his brief stay in the operation room during his surgery. Colton claims to have met Jesus, as well as a number of people from his family who passed away before he was born, including his great-grandfather and his sister who died during a miscarriage. Despite being very religious, Todd and everyone else in the small local community in Nebraska find all of his son's claims difficult to believe at first, but gradually Todd realizes that there is no reason for him not to believe his own son. With support from friends including a bank manager (Church) and other members of his parish, Todd Burpo strives to find meaning behind his son's journey to heaven.

This was a very refreshing story, with a very simple yet at the same time extraordinary plot. Unlike other religious films that capture many cliches about faith (or lack thereof), particularly the Christian faith like this one, I believe that this movie was so much more heartfelt-and this may sound crazy-because it was mostly told from the perspective of a very young and innocent child. Newcomer Connor Corum, who plays Colton, delivers an incredible performance as an adorable little boy who is determined to share his unique paranormal experiences with the world. I am always impressed by young child actors like this one who come along and bring so much heart to a tale that we can all relate to. (well, maybe the part of the story involving a child surviving a fatal disease or accident and not the more fantastical element of it anyway)

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: black comedy
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, F. Murray Abraham, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tony Revolori
Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: March 28, 2014
My Rating: 8/10

This is perhaps one of the strangest films I've seen in years. This dark comedy follows the story of a concierge named Gustave H. (Fiennes) who works at a luxurious hotel in Europe in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka, high up in the mountains. After he is framed for the murder of an elderly woman who stays at the hotel, Madame D (Swinton) Monsieur Gustave H. embarks on a wild journey with his loyal lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Revolori) to prove his innocence. The film features a series of crazy scenes, including a daring prison escape, a stolen painting, cable cars and a sled/ski pursuit, as well as numerous disguises.

This is the first film I have seen by Mr. Anderson, and although I was not convinced when the movie began, I left the theater rather satisfied. I have only seen a handful of dark comedies in my time but this is certainly one of my favorites. The story is simple, but the events that occur are a great thrill ride. Watching a renown dramatic actor like Ralph Fiennes (The Reader, Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies) play the lead role in this film that blends elements of both the serious and the absurd was refreshing, and he plays the part beautifully, as does newcomer Tony Revolori who plays his sidekick Zero. I was surprised by how violent and bloody some of the scenes were, nonetheless.

This is not a masterpiece of modern cinema in any way, but it is certainly a film worth spending time viewing if you are even remotely a fan of black comedies. If this is not the type of humor or intrigue you prefer, then I would strongly advise against it.