Part 2: Mormon Film

Actually, this post isn't a comprehensive review of Mormon film in the same way the last one reviewed Mormon fiction. I think the genre is still a little too new to pass judgement on. I've seen some movies that I thought were really good (Brigham City), some that were absolutely terrible (Singles Ward), and some that were somewhere in between (God's Army, Charly). I haven't really formed an opinion yet.

But, over the weekend we finally got around to seeing Saints and Soldiers. We've checked out from the library a few times, but never got around to watching it. I saw it on display Friday and grabbed it, and I am very glad that I did. I really, really, liked this movie. A lot. I'm sure part of it is the fact that I wasn't expecting a lot, plus I'm a big sucker for WWII stuff. It's one of my favorite historical time periods (basically anything after 1920 or so I'm really into, like WWII and Vietnam--that also explains why I like Children of the Promise more than The Work and the Glory). But, all my previous assumptions aside, I think this is a movie that everyone should go out and watch.

First of all, the production values were awesome. Costumes, lighting, camera work, etc. Especially knowing this is a lower-budget, locally shot film. Even if I didn't know that, I would be impressed. Also, the story was well developed and told. It's a small movie, with a small story, and a small group of characters. But, each of these characters was interesting, well acted, and uniquely part of the little group that worked together. All the little details of the story were obviously carefully thought-out, and even though some of the action could be seen as cliche, it didn't feel that way on screen. Anyways, if you haven't seen this movie yet, you ought to. There is some violence and bloody stuff, but it's a war movie so you might as well expect that. And it will make you cry in the end. If it doesn't, then maybe you should go rent Singles Ward. That's bound to make you emotional, but for entirely different reasons.

Comments

Cicada said…
First of all, I like you and just because I disagree with you doesn't change the value of your opinion.

That being said, I have opposite views. I loved Singles Ward and wished that I could get the two hours of my life back that I spent watching S&S.

A lot of people didn't like SW, I know. But I went and enjoyed it for what it was---a parody of Utah Mormon Singles Student culture that only Utah Mormon Single (or otherwise) Students could appreciate. I don't think that it was cinematic brilliance or anything, but I did enjoy it as a parody. It would be impossible to make a SW2, though, because they exhausted every singles joke in the first movie. But for what it was, I enjoyed it.

S&S on the other hand (call my uncultured and I won't be offended) was boring to me. But maybe I was expecting more because I'd heard so many good things about it. And I like WWII stuff, too. I just didn't really enjoy S&S.

But I don't think that you're less of a person for enjoying these movies. I just think it's funny that I feel the opposite way.
FoxyJ said…
I still like you Cicada, I really do. And I will concede that the pacing in S&S was a little slow, so combined with the monotone color scheme it could get a little boring.

I actually thought that all of the jokes in Singles Ward were pretty darn funny. And most of the acting was quite good too. But, I really hated the female lead and saw no reason why anyone should be attracted to her. At all. She was arrogant and mean, and didn't change. Instead, she made him change and didn't accept him for who was. Blah. And I thought it was weird that a movie about making fun our quirkiness came down so harshly on the main character for making jokes about our quirkiness. So, it wasn't that bad movie-wise, but the content/message made me angry.
TK said…
Re: S & S - I'm assuming you watched the 'production notes' or whatever it was called, on the DVD. I was even more impressed by that. It was there that I was shocked to find that the Canadian was played by Kirby Heybourne! I totally didn't recognize him. I was impressed, considering the roles he's played in some of the other LDS films.

But I LOVED Singles Ward for one simple reason. It made me laugh so much! It's a great stress-reducer after a hard day at work (and I'm not even a Utah Mormon Single Student)!
I agree with everything Foxy J has said and probably everything she ever will say. Except that I do dislike Cicada for liking Singles Ward. Sorry, Cicada, nothing personal, I just can't ever talk to you again. And I think you're uncultured for not liking Saints and Soldiers, but we've already established that you won't be offended by my saying so.
Th. said…
.

I love Cicada.

Having said that, Singles Ward may well be the worst movie I have ever seen. It only had one honest moment in the entire film and honesty is what I want out of a movie--especially parodies. A dishonest parady is the worst sort of lie.
Christian said…
Kirby Heybourne was--dare I even say it--the only actor who demonstrated any concept of acting in the Travesty Known as the Book of Mormon Movie. Who'd have thunk?
Th. said…
.

Oh. I forgot about the BofM Movie. Wow. Okay, that was worse.

I guess the reason the two worst films I have ever seen are Mormon films is because I'm curious what they are like and will take a chance whereas with a normal B film or crappy studio film I'm not apt to even look at.

What made the BofM Movie even worse was....

Here's the story:

Got it from work for free to screen expecting capital-c-Crap. Then, right off, they present an interesting idea in regards to Laman and Lemuel's relationship with Nephi that made me wonder if the film would actually present some interesting ideas. Then the rest of the film was at least as bad as I had expected.

That opening idea made the rest of the film's abominableness all the worse.

Question for Cicada--Are you the sort to watch movies more than once? And if so, have you rewatched SW?
Amy said…
My poor roommate last year went into Saints and Soldiers expecting it to be about missionaries - soldiers in a spiritual war. I loved the movie (I even cried at the end and I don't often cry during a movie), but my roommate left the theater quite shaken.
Cicada said…
FoxyJ: I'm glad we're still friends. And I'm glad you actually did laugh at all the jokes. And now that you share your view of the female lead, I think you're right! Good point.

FoxyJ: Please tell Master FoB that I'm not talking to him, either.

Th.: I suppose we can still talk since you love me. In answer to your question, I have rewatched SW. Except that I rewatched it the very last day of my mission (we were allowed to watch a movie in the mission home before going home). And the mission sensitizes you so that any movie becomes both emotional and really good. Case in point: Our zone leaders showed us a clip from Chicken Run when the chickens are working together to escape. Both my companion and I started crying for joy. And then we made fun of ourselves.
Foxy, please tell Cicada that she's welcome to not talk to me because if she did talk to me she'd probably talk about how wonderful That Movie is, and I don't want to hear it.
Th. said…
.

Yeah. The movies on the flight home about killed me.
Unknown said…
Singles Ward made me laugh but I didn't like it very much. I liked the RM better though not as much at the same time. I still haven't seen Brigham City (a travesty, I know), Charlie made me cry (but I was also PMSing, which probably had something to do with it), I watched God's Army back when I was in high school with a friend who thought the main character was hot, which biased me against it (I was also very naive about missionary life at the time), I loved The Best Two Years, but I was waiting for a missionary at the time which biased me for it, I never bothered watching The Book of Mormon Movie, Saints and Soldiers I thought was very well done (it managed to be, I thought, not so much an LDS film, as a film that happened to have an LDS character, which I liked), I've only seen the second Work and the Glory movie so I refuse to publicly proclaim my opinion of it until the first has also been seen, and I just watched the movie States of Grace last week, and I've come to the conclusion with that one that I can't form an opinion about it yet other than that it was crazy. I've also come to the conclusion that I'm really good at writing ridiculously long run-on sentences. Hooray. Hooray as well for random comments.
Earth Sign Mama said…
Master Fob, your frank adulation of FoxyJ is admirable. One could want nothing less in a spouse.

I was very impressed by S&S. It was reviewed in the Washington Post favorably (to my surprise) so I was eager to watch it. It was very moving. Then, I watched all the production notes and I was even more impressed at the way they'd made it with so few actors, supplies, resources, etc. It was so well done and did not betray its tiny production budget at all. I haven't seen SW, but now I'm curious. I was biased against it by the dumb billboards advertising it in Utah county on my various visits there. FoxyJ--watch Brigham City--I found it in Blockbuster years ago w/o having heard of it previously and it was REALLY good. Not a Mormon movie, but a movie with Mormons and Mormon culture portrayed quite well. Mostly it is just a good mystery.

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