Catholic-ometer: 5 of 5
Enjoyability: 4 of 5
This movie is a short, animated feature; just a little over an hour long, with 3D computer graphics to represent characters and such, and it's entirely faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Just wanted to say that right up front, since this alone accounts for the perfect score on the Catholic-ometer.
The premise is that a few people; a struggling single mother, a busdriver worried about his sick son, and an elderly, faithful Catholic woman are all drawn to a church by the same young man. Once there, they begin to have visions; seeing what really goes on in that church. They see demons, angels, saints, suffering souls and what part Jesus and the Blessed Mother play in it all.
Some scenes (particularly the ones with the Blessed Mother and Jesus) are genuinely touching, and I almost wept at a few of them, which should give you some idea of just how well this film does its job.
Nevertheless, I don't give this film a perfect score in enjoyability, and there are a few reasons why.
The first is the animation. While the character models are beautiful and extremely well-designed, the actual animation is rather lackluster when compared to the sort of thing produced by real movie studies. I mention this first, because I found it just a bit distracting throughout the entire movie.
Secondly, the movie is -immensely- stilted, and its aesthetic leaves much to be desired. I know that may be an odd thing to say, right after remarking on how it made me almost weep, but it's always a problem whenever angels are made to look overtly-feminine, Jesus and Mary -act- like plaster statues, and the relationship with Jesus is painted as largely a matter of reflection, contemplation and emoting. The film does attempt to establish that more is involved than mere feelings, but it also seems to imply that those who have "the wrong motives" for doing good are second-class citizens in God's eyes; an old notion, which I've attempted to refute in previous reviews. It doesn't say this overtly, however, or I'd put more effort into refuting it here.
The reason the church has lost members in recent years is that it has lost men, and like it or not; whether it makes us happy or not, most of the men who might be drawn to religion are not like the father in this film; they're not at the brink of despair over some personal tragedy and willing to listen to anybody who might give them hope.
The way you draw men into a proper understanding of the faith is by -avoiding- the feminine elements. Explain that angels are mighty warriors (they're called the heavenly hosts for a reason, you know,) that the Catholic life is a spiritual war, that the sacraments are a form of power, and that our relationship with Jesus need not be some touchy-feely-hippie garbage; that it can be like the relationship between a soldier and the general who commands him. You draw men in by not trying to calm them down. They just get bored by that.
I still enjoyed this film a lot, of course. It's got a few other hiccups, apart from these two, but nothing significant. As far as whether it's something to show to kids, there's no real cursing, bloodshed, sex or anything. Characters shout at each other early on, and death is dealt with. Also, the demons might be a little scary for young viewers, but my main worry with younger viewers would be the same as my worry with grown men; they might just get bored with all the angelic monologues and the slow pace of the movie, and decide not to watch anymore.
I would recommend this movie, mainly, to those who are already serious about their faith and want to see it illustrated in a film. It's short enough that you can watch it some afternoon after work, and you might get something out of it. I know I did. I just wouldn't use it as a convert wedge. Strengthen your faith with this gem, and make the converts yourself instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment