THE GOSPEL

There was once a man who had two sons, the younger said to his father ‘father, give me my share of the property’. So the father divided his estate between his two boys. A few days later the younger son turned his whole share into cash and left for a distant land where he squandered it in debauchery and reckless living. This timeless and unforgettable parable of the prodigal son was adapted into a movie in 2005. I had another chance to watch the movie again on TV yesterday and I must say it was pleasant viewing.

The Gospel is the film that tells this age old tale with a modern twist that is refreshing, compelling and full of powerful gospel tunes. The movie is about David (Boris Kodjoe) a successful R’n B star who turned his back on his father’s church and God after tragedy. David returns home after many years to find the once vibrant church in disarray. With his childhood friend Frank (Idriss Elba) as the new church leader, who has a grand vision for the expansion of the church there is bound to be drama. David has to deal with his family issues, romance, his secular music career, the egotistical Frank along with all the church politics. Faced with all of this David is either on the road to ruin or on the road to repentance and reconciliation.

Armoured

What happens when a group of disgruntled armoured vehicle guards have to transport $ 40million dollars? A cash in transit heist carried out by the guards themselves. But throw in a dead hobo, a wounded cop plus a young guard, who has a change of heart and you, have a recipe for tension, drama and a lot of action. I think the movie does a good job of telling a gripping story from a meagre 20 mil budget. Young, black and talented Columbus Short holds his weight among seasoned acting veterans to rise as the movie’s hero. This star studded movie stars Laurence Fishburne, Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Columbus Short.

Bloody saw 6

I have to say, I actually enjoyed this blood fest of a movie. Maybe it’s because a lot questions that fans have about this gory franchise finally get answered. In the sixth instalment of the Saw series Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.

adult kiddies flick

Alice in Wonderland confirmed what I have always thought- that children’s movies are actually not intended for a young audience. Why do I say this? Last week I took my two nieces and nephew to watch this ‘Goth’ inspired fairytale and with moments of the movie my young nephew started to cry in fear. So after my futile attempts to calm down I eventually had to walk out of the cinema before I was murdered by an angry mob of Tim Burton fanatics….So much for an All Ages film.

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway. It is an extension of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film uses a technique of combining live action and animation.

The Book Of Eli is Not just Another Post Apocalyptic Picture

The Book Of Eli

There has been a plethora of post apocalyptic films in recent years- I am Legend, The Road, Zombie Land, 2012, Terminator Salvation the list goes on. Perhaps it is a sign of the looming end. The latest movie to come out this gory genre is The Book of Eli starring the ever impressive Denzel Washington. The film tells the story of Eli (Washington) a seemingly normal person on a journey to deliver precious cargo, a book, across the desolate and violent waste land that was once America. We soon learn that Eli posses deadly combat and survival skills which he uses to protect himself and the book that could hold the future of the human race.

This futuristic thriller is delivered with a new-fangled flavour from the black filmmaking duo Albert and Allen Hughes who gave man birth to fine films like ‘From Hell’ and ‘Dead Presidents’. Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Michael Gambon and Ray Stevenson co-star in the violent and action packed thriller.Though The Book Of Eli is similar to most post apocalyptic stories it still manages to be refreshing and its biblical overtone will appeal to the Christian audience.

The Princess and The Flop

In Barry Ronge’s review of the movie The Princess & The Frog he suggests that the film’s lack lustre performance at the box office could be because it is the first time Disney used a black princess. I couldn’t disagree more with this assumption. An excellent story is excellent regardless of the race of the characters or of the actors. The reason of the poor box office performance is could be because the film faced stiff competition in the children movie genre. The film was competing with films like ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’ both of which use CGI. So instead of trying to blame a BLACK Princess for meagre movie ticket sales Barry and other movie critics should stop playing the race card and just appreciate a good film. As for Disney they should learn from Avatar and shift with the times. If CGI is what audiences want CGI they should get- be it black, white, brown or yellow.

Skin

How do you tell if someone is black and not white? Well in 1965 in apartheid South Africa the infamous 'pencil test' decided. The test involved sticking a pencil through your hair and then shaking your head. The pencil will usually fall out if you are white but will not fall out if you are black. For Sandra Laing a coloured girl born to white Afrikaner parents such inhumane tests decided her fate and made her life hell. The biographical film Skin tells the Remarkable and touching story of a black Afrikaner growing up in a time where race dictated who you were, who you could love and where you could live and study. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about watching this movie because I don’t like the way I feel after watching dramas about race. You know the kinda feeling you get after watching something as heart wrenching as Roots. With that said Skin is wonderful movie that affected me emotionally. My emotions aside, Skin is a compelling film- brilliantly executed and exceptionally acted. The movie stars Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, The Secret Life of The Bees); her portrayal of Sandra Laing in her adolescence and her adult life is convincing and captivating. The supporting cast which includes Tony Kgoroge and Sam Neil is also equally impressive. Zimbabwean audiences will be interested to know that our Tongai Arnold Chirisa (Studio 263's Davies) makes an appearance in this film.