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where faith and film are intertwined

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A Week Away: Home is Where the Campfire is…

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There’s a certain charm about spending a week away at camp.

Directed by Roman White, A Week Away introduces us to Will Hawkins (Kevin Quinn), a troubled teen who has been struggling ever since the death of his parents. With no options left, Will is forced to choose between going to juvenile hall or attend Camp Aweegaway, a faith-based wilderness camp, in order to get his life together. When he arrives, Will is skeptical about the experience. However, after meeting a few friends (including a girl who awakens his heart) and a potential father figure, Will discovers the home that he’s been looking for all his life.

Set at a Christian faith-based camp, A Week Away is a fairly fun venture about finding home when all feels lost. Written by Alan Powell, Away has a high nostalgia factor that longs to fall into the vein of classic John Hughes films from the 80s. While the film never reaches that level of quality, this world of paintball fights, team competitions, campfires and [gasp!] a place with no cell phones highlights the timeless qualities that can make camp experiences so endearing and manages to create a story that engages and entertains.

Despite having some surprisingly notable casting with David Koechner and Sherri Shepherd leading the way, the film wisely keeps the focus on the youth and their exploits. Anchoring the film are stars Bailee Madison (who’s also a producer on the film) and Kevin Quinn who have some enjoyable chemistry onscreen together that makes their relationship journey both sweet and engaging. Though admittedly, the most fun performance may come from young Jahbril Cook as George who brings a joy to each scene that he’s in.

However, one of the most noteworthy aspects of the film is its music. Set to a mixture of original music and Christian Top 40 hits, Away keeps the tone pop-lite, exhibiting the vibe of Disney Channel musicals. (In fact, this tone becomes even more appropriate considering that film’s music is written by Adam Watts, who also contributed to High School Musical, Lemonade Mouth, and Camp Rock.) It’s always tough to blend well-known hits of any style with original music but, through updated mixes, Watts does his best to help the songs feel connected to one another (which, for the most part, he does successfully).

With this in mind, it’s worth noting that this is a different sort of ‘faith-based film’ than many of the others to be released in recent years. Unlike many Christian projects that force beliefs and ideologies into their script in order to make their point, A Week Away manages to avoid these traps. Although faith plays a key role in the characters’ motivations, Awayallows that to be embedded within their lives without ever becoming too ‘preachy’. In other words, the spiritual message is rooted within the characters actions and care for one another as opposed to any particular ‘altar call’ or sermon. This approach helps the film to feel more authentic in its depiction of faith onscreen. Having spent much of my teen years in Christian camps myself, it’s fair to say that we spoke more about our love lives with one another than our Biblical understanding. To many, this may seem a trivial aspect of a fun, Disney-esque teen film. 

To me, it simply made it more relatable. 

You see, Away leans away from ‘traditional faith-based films’ and focuses its story more on the ‘teen experience’, with all of its social drama, personal realizations and awkward relationships. As a petri dish of teen angst, camps are almost a social experiment until themselves. Living in a bubble-like atmosphere away from technology, parents and ‘home life’, camps often provide a place for young people to work out their personal issues in a place where they feel safe. 

It can be a place where people realize who they are.

In this way, Away ultimately becomes about what it means to find a home. Having bounced around in the foster care system, Will is a young man who simply feels… lost. After the death of his parents at a young age, he has never truly felt safe anywhere. Though, all that changes with his experience at Camp Aweegaway. For the first time in his life, Will finds a place where (most) people are willing to welcome him with open arms. (This, of course, is somewhat ironic given the fact that he’s lying about his life.) There’s an element of grace and acceptance in this place that he believes to be genuine. Though he’s only there a week, Will experiences an openness and freedom to be himself that helps him rediscover what it means to have a home.

Light and breezy, A Week Away will play well with young audiences but may also connect with adults who (like me) have positive memories of the camp world. Though innocent and buoyant in its approach, Away is also willing to address some key issues such as understanding identity and dealing with hurt that could encourage teens in their own journeys. 

For those reasons, it might be worth your time to let your kids spend A Week Away.

A Week Away is available on Netflix on Friday, March 26th, 2021.

Yes Day: Saying ‘Yes’ to Life

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When life demands that you constantly say ‘no’, what can happen when you let yourself finally say ‘yes’ again?

In Netflix’ Yes Day, Allison (Jennifer Garner) and Carlos (Edgar Ramirez) are a couple that used to live their lives saying ‘yes’ to adventure. However, as youthful energy gives way to children and responsibility, the couple find themselves increasingly on the ‘no’ side of life. Now, with their kids growing up and pressures mounting, their world feels like an endless road of planning, restrictions and discipline for their family. When they are encouraged to give their kids a ‘Yes Day’ that would give their children the opportunity to make the rules for 24 hours, they reluctantly agree. However, as the day goes on, Allison and Carlos find it more and more difficult to keep saying ‘yes’ to their children’s crazy plans.

Directed by Miguel Arteta is a charming (but ultimately forgettable) family film that knows what it wants to be and leans into the concept with enthusiasm. Playing out like a strange mix between the work Jim Carrey and 90’s John Hughes films, Yes Day is a (mostly) upbeat, cheery ball of fun that simply leans into the silliness of the concept and lets loose. While there’s not much particularly ‘new’ in the film, Yes Day has enough warmth and silliness to keep families entertained.

While the film has some fun cameos and side characters, there’s little doubt that the spark to the film is Garner who seems like she’s having a blast as the tightly-wound Allison. Even in lesser material, Garner has always shown her ability to invest a certain likeability into her characters. As Allison, she really lets herself has fun and it benefits the film as a result. With each progressively outrageous activity, Garner feels present (and even enthusiastic) in the moment, giving Yes Daythe jolt of energy that it needs to keep moving.

At its heart, Yes Day is a call for balance. As the children learn that consequences come from a life led only by ‘yes’, their parents understand the ramifications of a world of ‘no’. For example, though Allison once lived a life of ‘yes’, she now takes her responsibilities as a parent so seriously that she keeps her children on a short leash. Modeling an attitude of ‘no’, she has become a helicopter parent who obsesses about her children and their well-being. When she and Carlos are introduced to the concept by the kids’ guidance counsellor, they are apprehensive at first but opt to take the challenge in order to prove that they too can be ‘fun’. However, as she leans into the ‘Yes Day’ experience, she revives a part of her soul that she has kept in check. For her, this experience becomes a day to reconnect with her playful side and, as a result, her children as well.

At the same time, the children also come to understand the need for boundaries (and even discipline). At first, their children are thrilled at the chance to be ‘in charge’. Always feeling under their parents’ thumb, the ‘Yes Day’ gives them a chance to finally do the things that they have always wanted to do. Even so, as their day of fun devolves into an overwhelming madness, they soon discover the fact that the discipline of their parents stems from a place of love and necessity. Though they’ve viewed their mom and dad as the villains, they come to understand how responsibility requires the ability to say ‘no’ every now and then in order to keep everyone safe.

Bright, bubbly (pun intended) and heartwarming, Yes Day benefits from an animated performance by Garner. Though the film admittedly works better on Netflix than it would in a theatre, Yes Day is surprisingly silly and fun enough to say ‘yes’ to on your next family movie night (especially for younger viewers).

Yes Day is available on Netflix on Friday, March 12th, 2021.

Murder Amongst the Mormons: Truth, Lies and Videotape

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Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Set in 1985, Murder Among the Mormons untangles the web of intrigue surrounding a series of shocking events in Salt Lake City, Utah that shook the foundation of the LDS Church. After a series of pipe bombs kill two people and hospitalize another, the Mormon community was left mourning the loss of their own. What’s more, they were also stunned to discover that a number of early Mormon letters were destroyed in the trunk of the third victim, Mark Hofman. As a collector of rare documents, Hofman had long been known for his ability to find antiquities of incredible value. As a result, investigators immediately believe that there may be some link between these newly uncovered letters and the attacks themselves. As Hofman fights for his life in hospital, the police fight for the truth as they relentlessly search for the identity of the killer.

While true crime stories have become particularly popular during this pandemic, this is one that must be seen to be believed. Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Tyler Measom (An Honest Liar), Murder Among the Mormons is a stunning documentary that unravels like the best of mysteries. Though Murder feels like an attack on Mormon beliefs at first, the serie’s exploration of the bomber quickly reveals that these assaults have little to do about systems of faith. As they delve more deeply into the events that took place, Hess and Measom unravel a conspiracy that is utterly unbelievable (yet remains absolutely true).

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

What’s more, Murder is not a story that leaves any ambiguity as the final credits roll. This is not a series that attempts to uncover an unsolved mystery that leaves the viewer with questions regarding the bomber’s identity. Instead, this series becomes more of an exploration of the psychology of a madman and the circumstances that created him.

Without giving away any potential spoilers, one of the more fascinating aspects about Murder is its conversation about what it means to be true. When finally questioned by his captors about his actions, the bomber blurs the lines between reality and fiction when he states that “It’s not so much what’s genuine and what isn’t, but what people believe to be genuine.” To the bomber, truth gains it power not from fact but from belief. In other words, though their life was an endless stream of lies and deception to the people that they love, he justified his actions simply by the fact that people trusted them. 

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 1. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

To him, lies are as good as truth as long as they’re worth believing in.

In many ways, it’s a fascinating psychological argument. Although the bomber is definitely crazy, the suggestion that people believe whatever they want without really asking the hard questions is difficult to argue. While faith remains an essential component of our lives, it must go hand-in-hand with truth and reality. As such, what the bomber fails to understand is that the value of truth does not lie in belief but rather the opposite. Faith and belief get their power from truth.

Compelling and borderline crazy, Murder Among the Mormons may be one of the most gripping true crime stories on television right now. Though absolutely true, the series has all the elements of the best pulp fiction novels, including tragedy, mystery and a villainous madman. However, the most shocking revelation within Murder may be the lies that we tell ourselves in order to hide from the truth itself.

Murder Among the Mormons, episode 3. c. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Murder Among the Mormons is available on Netflix on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021.

You can see the trailer for Murder Among the Mormons here.

The Dig – Life in the Midst of Death

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“Death is more universal than life; everyone dies, but not everyone lives.” A. Sachs

I’ve never been able to verify the existence of A. Sachs to know if this is a legitimate quotation, but it is one that clearly has true wisdom. In Netflix’s The Dig, directed by Simon Stone, the constant presence of death, in many forms, is what makes the realization that we are alive so important.

THE DIG (L-R): CAREY MULLIGAN as EDITH PRETTY, RALPH FIENNES as BASIL BROWN. Cr. LARRY HORRICKS/NETFLIX © 2021 

As the nation is preparing for the likely war with Germany, well-to-do- widow Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), a self-taught archeological excavator to see what is in the ancient mounds on her land. Most people assume they are burial mounds dating back to the Vikings. Both Mrs. Pretty and Mr. Brown have an appreciation for discovering the ancient world in such ways. When Brown unearths the remains of a huge ship that pre-dates the Vikings, the museum authorities step in to take charge (and the credit) for what may well be the most significant archeological find in Britain. It is the remains of a burial ship, which could only have been for a great man, possibly an Anglo-Saxon king.

That is the setting in which more human dramas play out. Edith Pretty is suffering from a dangerous heart condition. Her young son, who has a wonderful imaginary life, worries about what will become of his mother. Edith’s cousin comes to help with the work, and has a mutual attraction to a married woman also part of the dig. The cousin may soon be going off to war with the RAF. Background shots often include soldiers saying long goodbyes to girlfriends or wives.  Death, whether ancient or potentially near, is a constant presence throughout the film. But so too is life.

THE DIG. Cr. LARRY HORRICKS/NETFLIX © 2021

My early expectation of what this film would be was a Masterpiece version of The Detectorists. While there are aspects that fit this, The Dig is really a bit more philosophical than that. It sees a world in which death seems to be all around. In this case, it is even the focus of a massive undertaking into the distant past. In some ways actually holding something from the 6th century creates a bond with those for whom this was a part of their life and death. The question this brings to the surface is if death is the given, what does it mean to be alive—now—this moment?

The Dig is streaming on Netflix.

Firefly Lane: Friendship At Its Best…or Worst?

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“Who is your best friend?”

This question always made me nervous as a kid. Today, I’ll talk to practically anyone and quickly proclaim a stranger a friend, but the young version of me was incredibly shy and reserved. I didn’t go looking for friends and depended on a neighbor or two, someone on the bus, or mostly my cousins. I was naïve and content in my immediate bubble when I compared myself to the girls around me, and I didn’t exactly navigate the transition into my teen years with particular grace. Essentially, I was Kate Mularkey in Netflix’s newest adaption of bestselling series from Kristin Hannah Firefly Lane. Trade out my 1990’s setting for Kate’s 1970’s, and there I am. Longing for something elusive and waiting for the answer to that question – who is my best friend?

For teenaged Kate (Roan Curtis), her world is rocked when the beautiful and tenacious Tully Hart (Ali Skovbye) moves in across the street with her eccentric and addicted mother Cloud (Beau Garrett). On the surface they couldn’t have been more different. Where Kate is reserved and (mostly) content, Tully is vibrant and rebellious. Each missing what the other has to offer, they begin the trek into adulthood and lifelong friendship while weathering the next two decades, each fighting to find herself while clinging to one another.

FIREFLY LANE (L to R) ALI SKOVBYE as YOUNG TULLY and ROAN CURTIS as YOUNG KATE in episode 102 of FIREFLY LANE. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2020

As Kate and Tully begin their careers in journalism (now played by Sarah Chalke and Katherine Heigl), their friendship is the rock of all they do. Tully pushes Kate into taking risks and going after what she wants and Kate is the anchor to Tully’s tumultuous emotions and often erratic behavior. Kate still strives to be all things to all people, and Tully relentlessly seeks to carve out her name on-camera. And as the threads weave in and out with their present-day and future lives, Firefly Lane paints a portrait of a bond that is as fragile as it is concrete. By the end of this first season, we see just how long this friendship has walked the tightrope between devotion and – dare I say it – toxicity.

I hesitate to use that word because it seems extreme. But then again, so is Kate and Tully’s relationship. Their identities are intwined in a way that crosses the boundaries of marriage, parenting, careers, and everything in between. And while I wasn’t really invested until about episode three (I’ve never read the original), Chalke’s and Heigl’s performances pulled me into that complexity with their embodiment of these characters. I love their friendship, but I’m incredibly wary of their friendship. I want them to always be together, but I want them to let go and step into their own lives apart from each other.

With the inclusion of Ben Lawson, Jon-Michael Ecker, Yael Yurman, Jason McKinnon, and Chelah Horsdal (to name a few), Firefly Lane creates a believable community that surrounds Kate and Tully’s tug of war for identity. Together they all navigate the hard-partying 80s, establish families and careers in the 90s, and face life-changing events in the years immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001. We watch them mature, yes, but we also are watching them fall apart.

I asked a question at the very beginning: “who is your best friend?” But I want to ask a different one now: “what is a best friend?” Is it someone you’ve simply known forever? Is it someone who promises to make each birthday something special? Is it someone who will step to the side for years so that you can shine? Is it someone who curls up under a blanket with you as you cry through mid-life tragedy? Is it someone who forgives you over and over for years until they literally have nothing more to give? I’d like to think a best friend is a combination of all those things and then some, and I hope as Firefly Lane progresses, that Kate and Tully can start to answer that question as well.

Firefly Lane streams on Netflix on February 5th, 2021.

7.09 Watching THE MIDNIGHT SKY + 2020 Top Movie Moments!

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In the 2020est of films, THE MIDNIGHT SKY tells the story of a world in chaos at the hands of a mysterious pandemic. Left alone in an Arctic research station, scientist Augustine (George Clooney) races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to warn them of the dangers that await them. In our first episode of 2021, Seeing and Believing‘s Wade Bearden stops by to give us talk about connecting across the vast reaches of space, what it means to be the ‘right person’ and our Top 3 Movie Moments of 2020! (Yes, there were movies in 2020…)

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

7.09 The Midnight SkyDownload

Disenchantment Part 3: Seeing the Present in the Past

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After a season of self-exploration and dynamic worlding building in Part 2, Disenchantment has finally returned to Netflix. With the release of Part 3, the story picks up immediately after Bean, Luci and Elfo have fallen underground. After confronting her evil mother Dagmar and her army of Trogs. Bean and her crew must somehow escape and clear her name in order to reclaim Dreamland. 

Similar to previous seasons, Part 3 continues to follow Bean’s journey of self-discovery. With an impeding war coming and her father incapable of leading, Bean is pushed out of her comfort zone as more responsibility falls upon her. Spending less time in Dreamland than ever, Bean’s journey gives her the opportunity to get to know the outside world more. However, at the same time, she also learns more about herself, becoming a more confident person. In doing so, this season is able to lean much more heavily into Bean’s ever-expanding role in Dreamland. Suddenly having to take the throne from her father, Bean’s transition to queen also sees her facing potential doom from both Steamland and her own mother. As Bean unlocks her magical powers, the danger continues to build, potentially leading to a climatic showdown similar to other hero stories. 

Spending less time in Dreamland compared to previous seasons, Part 3 also greatly expands its world-building by exploring new areas such as Mermaid Island and continuing to develop previous cities such as Steamland. In doing so, this season allows the creativity of the writers to really flourish as each area’s citizens, species and environments are unique and vibrant.

Even so, what I found most disappointing was the sidelining of Luci and Elfo throughout the season. Once a major character, Luci sees very little growth in Part 3 and seems to just kind of ‘be there’ in the many scenes. In fact, he’s even become predictable in the way he acts. By merely saying something evil or helping Bean with her tasks, Luci now feels like a one-note, robotic pet. Similarly, Elfo’s character sees little growth as well. Getting a new girlfriend ever couple of episodes, it’s seems as though he’s been religated solely to comic relief as the stereotypical ‘hopeless romantic’. (At one point, he’s even in love with a ship…)

Despite its medieval setting, Disenchantment continues to tackle modern, real-world issues. Set in a time where female opportunity and mental health were at societal lows, the Bean we’ve grown to love is usually portrayed as a tough, confident fighter. However, in the episode “Last Splash”, we get a very different look into Bean’s psyche and her view of herself. In a therapeutic rant, we get to see how Bean’s difficult journey has taken its toll on her mentally, especially her parents’ toxic relationship. She believes that, over time, Dreamland has enabled her own self-abuse as she self-fulfills the toxic opinions of her mother and the town about her. Ultimately, in the end of her rant, Bean completely dismisses her own feelings and reinforces her belief that she is her own worst problem. By reinforcing her metaphorical emotional wall, Bean subsequently refuses to acknowledge the pain within her that is caused by others, choosing instead to lean once again into the culture’s poisonous worldviews about women and power. This moment of openness and honesty shows the toxic effects of abusive family relationships, especially in a culture of power. Powerful and moving, this is easily one of the best moments of the new season, and one of the many gems throughout Part 3 that dives deeper into the characters of Dreamland. 

Overall, Part 3 is a great addition to the Disenchantment story. Filled with eye candy in its world building and some solid progression in the larger narrative of Dreamland’s survival, the season works well. Meanwhile, Bean shows some tremendous growth in the spotlight as she tackles more complex issues regarding her own self-image, helping her to develop as a leader and hero. A fun ride that is worth watching, Part 3 proves that Disenchantment still knows how to cast a spell on its audience.

Disenchantment Part 3 begins its journey on Friday, January 15th, 2021.

Outside the Wire: Fighting for Our Humanity

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Set in the year 2036, Outside the Wire tells the story of Lt. Thomas Harp (Damson Idris), a drone pilot with a commitment to weighing the odds. When Harp engages his drone in an active war zone in the face of a direct order from his commanding officer, he is transferred to the Ukraine under the command of Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie). Soon after Harp arrives, he is stunned to discover that Leo is actually an advanced BioTech android, yet his captain’s love for human life may actually make him more human than his new recruit.

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom (1408), Outside the Wire is an action-packed film with a high concept that struggles to leave a lasting impact after the final credits roll. To his credit, Hafstrom creates a world of grit and intensity that offers consistent action from start to finish. Intense and focused, Hafstrom does a good job of involving the viewer in the action by keeping them (mostly) emotionally invested. What’s more, with the addition of Avengers break-out Mackie, Wire is also front-loaded with a charismatic star that can handle elaborate set pieces as well. Charming yet focused, Mackie does an excellent job as the technologically advanced Leo and provides the film’s heart. Meanwhile, relative newcomer Damson Idris (Snowfall) provides an icy counterpart to the Mackie’s more compassionate android that creates some solid tension between the two conflicting ideologies.

However, with all of these building blocks in its favour, it’s somewhat surprising that Wire simply doesn’t fully realize its potential. With a high concept and intriguing premise, the film has the opportunity to truly make a statement about the evolving relationship between man and technology. Unfortunately, a meandering script and an over-emphasis on battle scenes at the expense of character moments prevent Wire from hitting its target.

Having said this, the film does manage an interesting conversation regarding the lines between man and machine. Lt. Harp’s initial decision to break a direct order stems from his commitment to cold, hard logic. In essence, Harp’s dedication to rational judgment gives him confidence yet also causes him to weigh human life with mathematical precision. Despite being told to remove his drone from a combat situation, he concludes that, despite killing two of his own men, the fact that he could save thirty-eight others counterbalances the loss. (Incidentally, is this the first time that the military has been shown to be the more empathetic organization?) 

When he meets Leo, Harp is struck by his captain’s apparent compassion for all human life, despite his robotic existence. Leo’s desire to preserve the lives of all under his care recognizes their value, regardless of their strategic advantage. As such, Harp’s journey throughout the film becomes one that challenges him to understand what it truly means to be human, as taught by a machine. Having spent his life as a drone operator, Harp has maintained a certain level of distance from the realities of combat and human life yet his relationship with Leo provides him with the opportunity to become more intimately connected with others. In this way, Wire serves as a reminder of the importance of every human life, sometimes in defiance of logic and reason. (Though, admittedly, the film’s final twist threatens to undermine this conclusion.)

While there’s a lot to like about Outside the Wire, one can’t help but feel that there was the opportunity for so much more. Rather than focusing on the action and advanced tech, the film’s real strength lies in its characters, especially that of the more-evolved Leo. However, in the heat of too many battle scenes, it’s unfortunate that they are the ones who end up being left behind in the process.

Outside the Wire is streaming on Netflix now.

Pieces of a Woman: Suffering in Silence

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Unless you’ve been through it, you don’t know.

Written by Kata Weber and directed by her husband, Kornel Mundruzco, Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha and Sean Carson (Vanessa Kirby and Shia LeBeouf), a young Boston couple who are excited for the imminent arrival of their first child. However, after their home birth goes awry, the two are left to grapple with the realities of grief and its impact on their relationship. Over the course of the next year, Martha struggles to maintain her increasingly-distanced relationship with her spouse while her vicious mother (Ellen Burstyn) attempts to serve her own agenda by seeking justice in her own way.

First of all, full disclosure here. As someone who’s family has experienced several miscarriages, I admit my personal connection with the subject matter. Widely experienced but rarely spoken of, the loss of a child is a moment that becomes a marker in one’s life and creates a series of complex emotions that are simply hard to express, let alone onscreen. As a result, despite the film’s ‘buzz’, I maintained a certain level of scepticism about the film. 

Thankfully, Pieces of a Woman manages to depict the realities of grief in a way that is both sensitive and challenging to those who have been there.

Written out of their own experiences of suffering and loss, Weber and Mundruzco have brilliantly woven together a narrative that reflects the silent pain of many. Though the film features stunning performances and a tightly-written script, the most memorable aspect of Pieces of a Woman is its ability to draw the viewer in emotionally. This is a film which wants the viewer to feel present with its characters during their anguish and joy. For example, through the film’s use of long takes—including the remarkable 24-minute birthing scene—Pieces places the viewer within these moments and asks the audience to experience them for themselves. In these spaces, minutes feel like hours for the viewer as each breath is packed with a wide scope of emotion.

The major building blocks to the success of Pieces are its incredible performances, especially that of its leads. Over the course of his character arc, LeBeouf demonstrates his range as Sean oscillates between joy, rage and utter depression. (Honestly, though issues in his personal life have proven problematic, it truly is remarkable how much he has matured as an actor.) What’s more, as Martha’s soul-crushing mother, Burstyn is positively brilliant, operating with cruelty yet fully convinced of her beliefs. 

Even so, much of the talk will (rightly) be centered around Kirby’s effort within this piece. Without over-selling her work, Kirby’s performance is simply mesmerizing as Martha, a woman fighting to survive each moment of the day. While moments of outburst are normally what gets noticed around Oscar time, the most powerful aspects of her performance are in the moments of silent anguish. In many ways, this is a role which requires restraint as much of the pain of loss remains unspoken. Nevertheless, the intensity that Kirby displays as Martha brings her breaking heart to life with every untamed glare.

Taking place over a year of their lives, Pieces shows that pain lingers. Whether it’s seeing a display in a children’s window or having to endure a family dinner, any number of moments can trigger the reminder of who has been lost and have a ripple effect throughout one’s relationships. For example, while their romance feels authentic at first, the chemistry between Kirby and LeBeouf shifts dramatically after their loss as their inaudible pain creates an increasing abyss of awkward silence. Though once incredibly close, their inability to process their grief together drives a wedge within their relationship that may be irreparable.

However, as difficult as it may be to live in such anguish, Pieces also points to hope. Since the experience differs for everyone, presenting the ebbs and flows of grief require a certain level of nuance so as not to suggest that there is only one way to cope in these circumstances. Impressively though, Martha’s emotional journey towards healing feels authentic. Most importantly, while it sits in the soul-shattering pain of loss, Pieces explores the complex relationship between healing and forgiveness. While admittedly, some of the dialogue in the film’s climactic courtroom battle feels forced, Martha’s journey towards emotional freedom lies rooted in her ability to release blame. As anyone who has experienced grief can tell you, moments such as these rightly cause anyone to search for answers. But what if none can be found? How we answer these questions ultimately determine our ability to begin to move forward and Pieces wrestles with these questions beautifully.

Undeniably, as the husband in our relationship, I will not (nor should I) claim to fully understand what my wife when through during our family struggles. In that way, I recognize my limited blinders in truly connecting with the material of Pieces of a Woman. Nonetheless, my personal experiences in grief does provide a certain perspective to this film that I cannot separate from my appreciation for it. I’m sure that, if I tried, I could find plot holes and question things like the soundtrack, etc. Though, to me, that’s simply not the point of Pieces. 

This is a film which, not only has some of the best performances of the year, but also depicts the nature of grief in a way that remains sensitive to those who have struggled in silence. That’s a testament not only to the cast but also to Weber and Mundruzco’s willingness to explore their own battle with grief in a way that could only stem from experience.

Because, frankly, unless you’ve been through it, you simply don’t know.

Pieces of a Woman is available on Netflix on January 7th, 2021. 

Cobra Kai: Still Alive and Kicking

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It’s not always easy to bring the past back to life.

For years now, we’ve seen films and series attempt to reboot or extend once-successful franchises with varying degrees of success. In a trend that never seems to go away, the hope continues to be that by latching onto what worked in the past, a refresh of the material will be welcomed back by old audiences while capturing new viewers. More often than not, with the passage of time, the magic is usually gone. Still, once in a while, a series manages to breathe new life into a dead franchise and create something new (or even better) than the original. 

This year, that series is Cobra Kai.

For those who haven’t yet heard, Cobra Kai is a sequel series to 80s classic The Karate Kid. Set thirty-four years after events of the infamous 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Cobra Kai shows that the lives of the two former karate finalists have taken very different paths. Whereas tournament champ Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) has become a successful car salesman, his defeated opponent Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) struggles to make it through the day. Estranged from his son and working dead-end jobs, Johnny decides to find redemption by re-opening the Cobra Kai dojo of his youth and training a new generation of students. However, the rebirth of the controversial dojo reignites Johnny’s rivalry with LaRusso as their competing ideologies and methods unwittingly wreak havoc on the neighbourhood.

Once the property of YouTube Red, Season 3 sees the show moved permanently over to Netflix and, thankfully, the series feels as fresh and fun as its initial run. Although some side plots seem to distract from the overall storyline, the series manages to tie everything together in the end. Less about karate than it is about the brokenness of everyday people, Cobra Kai continues to be a generally slow burn of character development that climaxes with an epic finale. (Word to the wise, even though the last episode delivers what it promises, it definitely feels like a mid-season finale with a story arc built to reach its epic conclusion next year.) Well-written and energetic, Cobra Kai continues to care about its characters in ways that augment the action, as opposed to the other way around.

With the release of Season Three on Friday, the series picks up soon after the brutal high school brawl that hospitalized Miguel (Xolo Mariduena). With school starting up again, the Board has implemented a zero-tolerance policy towards violence of any kind (yet they don’t have any new security guards?). However, despite the school’s emphasis on peaceful reconciliation, tensions between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do continue to boil under the surface. As Johnny grapples with his role in Miguel’s tragedy, Daniel takes a trip to Japan in an effort to strike a deal that may save the sagging profits of the dealership.

While the series unapologetically leans heavily into nostalgia, it doesn’t necessarily feel slavish to it. In many ways, Cobra Kai simply feels like checking in on old friends from long ago while admitting that their lives had continued on since we last saw them. Whereas some reboots get lost trying to recreate the past, this is a series about people that can’t seem to move on from it. Once the king of Cobra Kai in his youth, Johnny Lawrence continues to try and rebuild (and pass on) the legacy of the one seemingly stable influence he had in his youth. Despite its toxic teachings of the time, Johnny still believes there’s something to be learned from the mantra of Cobra Kai.

Admittedly, it’s still somewhat funny how much this particular city relies on karate to settle their differences but the series continues to acknowledge this with a wink. (“I don’t understand why karate is so important to this city,” one city counsellor remarks.) Even so, for Daniel and Johnny, karate symbolizes much more than punches and kicks. To these men, karate represents discipline, self-confidence and a way to find family and acceptance. Both men once viewed their sensei’s as father figures (with varying successes) and, in turn, they want to pass on that opportunity to the next generation.

The heart of Cobra Kai keeps the series meaningful, especially through the character of Johnny, who continues to be the show’s soul. With his outdated views of the world and desire to remain ‘badass’, Johnny wants to recreate the toxic atmosphere of Cobra Kai not out of a sense of nostalgia but more likely because it’s the only thing that he knows. Despite his wealthy upbringing, Lawrence’s growth remains stunted by the endless parade of noxious voices that fed him throughout his youth. From his cruel stepfather to his psychotic and violent sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove), his young life was marred by toxic male voices that have warped his worldviews. Even so, while Johnny may be broken, there’s a desire to be a better man within him. With every step towards redemption, Johnny finds that his greatest battle remains within himself as he struggles to overcome the pain of his past that have led to his own flawed ideas about life (and himself). Though arguably the series’ greatest villain, Johnny Lawrence yearns for a fresh start.

In fact, in the world of Cobra Kai, everyone is redeemable. (Well, mostly.)

Whereas the original films leaned heavily on tropes of ‘hero vs. villain’, the series fleshes out (most of) its characters with complexity. From the impetuous Miguel to the battle-hardened Hawk (or is it Eli?), Cobra Kai paints each of its characters with a brushstroke of grace that shows their humanity yet gives the even darkest of villains a glimmer of hope. (In fact, Season 3 even lets the villainous Kreese have his journey fleshed out in order to bring some nuance and empathy towards the character.) In other words, this is a series that recognizes that everyone’s story features a mixture of wins and losses while acknowledging the positive and negative voices of those that helped form who we are today.

Even after all this time, Cobra Kai is a franchise that’s still alive and kicking. By bringing the ‘Miyagi-verse’ back to life, Zabka and Macchio have created a truly refreshing sequel series that reveals what happens when our present struggles to reconcile with our past. Furthermore, as long as they continue to develop characters and stories that feel honest, there’s no question that Cobra Kai still has a lot of fight left in it.

Cobra Kai is available on Netflix with Season 3 released on January 1st, 2021.