I am very pleased to welcome you to this online journal.
I would like to share with you my criteria for exploring contemporary film through these spontaneous reviews and commentary – usually written within 24 hours of viewing (hence the occasional typo’s). I try to consider
n The degree to which the filmmaker tells the story through the creative use of image and sound;
n How well the main character(s) grows as a person and member of the human family;
n The promotion of the Gospel values of human dignity, family and community, justice, peace, and fair representation of cultures, races, gender, age, religious faith and spirituality, and
n The ability to entertain and uplift the human spirit.
Film criticism and interpretation is so very subjective, so I appreciate your comments. My hope is that this blog, by adding to the conversation about movies that are so prevalent in our culture, will create a space for ongoing dialogue between families, friends and communities about human and Gospel values. Talking about movies, that is, cinema story-telling is a way to engage critically and positively with our culture. It can be a meaningful way to build bridges between people, especially our young who are both the largest movie audience in the world and the future story-tellers through film (and television) of tomorrow