Logan - 2017

More than simply a well-constructed movie, Logan is a story unleashed. The characters are raw, real and wholly convincing. The action is wild and alarming. I was blown away by the sheer force of the fight sequences. The pain of each slice of the claws is so tangible you envy those who die quickly.

Make no mistake, Logan is a very bleak conclusion for two beloved, long-standing comic book characters. But what I absolutely loved about this movie was its honesty. After more than a decade I finally felt like I knew Wolverine and Charles Xavier. I guess that’s no surprise, for it’s often in the darkest moments that you’re faced with who you really are. Hugh Jackman carries the physical and emotional pain of his character with such believability that I found myself wincing with each step he took and each biting response he spoke.

The movie takes it’s time (when the heroes aren’t ferociously fighting for their lives) but I still struggled to leave the story when it finished. There has to be more! It got me thinking about the fact that "God set eternity in the hearts of man” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The story of life just shouldn’t end. It feels so wrong, so offensive when it does. Especially when endings are so messy – people get old, people get sick, people’s minds start to fail, people lose themselves and who they used to be.

That’s why I think it’s so important that Jesus came, not to give us heaven, but life itself; a life that never ends.

My Favourite Films of 2016

In January I like to come up with my top five films from the year just past. I usually just post the list on Facebook, but now that I have a blog I shall indulge in the details a little bit more. 😄

Ok, here we go...


1) Arrival
No surprise here since I've already written a post devoted to my absolute love for this movie. The breadth and subtlety of the human experience expressed in Arrival was astounding! The cinematography, the music, the ambitious story, the personal storytelling and Amy Adam's face - so much emotion conveyed with so few words.

2) The Witch
Where to begin with The Witch... This little movie instantly made waves upon its release. People started talking about it with much enthusiasm and much difficulty.  I always enjoy being in the know what a movie captures people's attention in one way or another. And I have to admit, the difficulty people seemed to have in describing it made me curious. So I rented it. I watched it. It was an experience. Many months on I am still as transfixed by it as I was that night. It dives into an area of fascination for me - that murky territory where spirituality and insanity coincide and you're left wondering which is fantasy and which is reality. While not a graphic movie by any means, it's upsetting - not for the faint of heart. I'd recommend it to anyone up for a challenge! And, from what I hear, each viewer tends to have their own uniquely different experience.

3) 10 Cloverfield Lane
A fantastic, stripped down thriller. With only three character and one room (for the most part), the dialogue is sharp, the acting riveting and the story professionally executed. I loved they way the movie toys with your understanding or expectations of the characters and the plot. It also has a very strong conclusion which killed it for some, but was a real treat for me.

4) Star Wars: Rogue One
I honestly never expected to have a Star Wars movie in my top five. I've never been that much of a fan of the original three (Episodes 4-6) or the franchise. But I went to see Rogue One mostly because one of my all time favorite directors, Gareth Edwards (check out Monsters), was at the helm. Boy am I glad I did. I was swept away in the drama of the rebel/empire conflict like never before. The dog fights in space and the war on the beach below was a spectacle to behold! Also, true confession time, I was relieved and delighted to experience for the very first time, a Star Wars score NOT written by John Williams (sorry John).

5) Finding Dory
When Finding Nemo came out all those years ago, I watched that movie in the cinema (I kid you not) five times! I loved it. It really struck a cord with me. And so there was some nervous excitement when it came time to check out Finding Dory. You know, I think it really helped that it was such a different kind of movie to the first one. While it didn't capture my imagination quite like Finding Nemo, it was fresh and fun sequal! Plus Pixar know how to tug at the heart strings. Definitely some man tears going on with the part with the shells at the end. Lots of laugh out loud moments as well. All and all, I was wonderfully not disappointed!

So that's it. A strong year for Science Fiction that's for sure. 2017 looks like it could be as well with the next Alien prequel coming up and the long awaited BLADERUNNER SEQUAL!!!!! 😲

What were your top five films of 2016?

"Good Will Come"

I've got a new original composition to share along with a few thoughts.

I've always been fascinated with small motifs (sometimes just a single note) running through an entire piece of music. I like having a constant for everything else to revolve around. I find it fascinating how a simple unchanging motif can take on so many different qualities depending on what is happening around it tonally.

On a poetic level, it speaks to me of time. Time is constant. It just keeps going. It doesn't get faster and it doesn't slow down. It is completely unaffected by the life that exists on top of it. Time and be cruel and it can be beautiful depending on the experience, the context or the perspective of the one observing it.

I took the picture of the tree you see here. No trick, no effects - this is actually what it looked like walking past. I love how drastically different the tree looks depending on your angle or perspective. There's scarcity and there's abundance entwined together in the same tree.

Paul said, in Philippians 4:12-13, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Because God travels through time with us, for better or for worse, there will be good.

Listen to “Good Will Come” by Nathan Mills

Arrival - 2016

I've been thinking about this blog post for the past few days, completely unsure as to how to begin. Walking out of the cinema after seeing "Arrival" I was speechless. Driving home,  getting ready for bed - still speechless. So let's see if I can finally find some words.

Sci-fi is often thought of as cerebral and adventurous, albeit somewhat emotionally cold. "Arrival", however, is a deeply personal movie. It is incredibly intelligent and thrilling, but its story telling is so firmly grounded in Amy Adam's character that you feel every heartbeat each step of the way. You experience what's unfolding on screen through her eyes and it feels unbelievably real. And I have to say, Amy Adams is on top form delivering a breathtaking and authentic performance!

Here's the premise: one day 12 spaceships suddenly appear over various locations around the world. No national landmark explosions or alien invasion, just these giant orbs hanging impossibly in the air. They are occupied though, so each country with one of these ships in their back yard tries in their own way to communicate with the new arrivals. Amy Adam's character is a linguistics professor and is brought along to assist in the attempts at communication.

It's not a film about aliens. It's a film about human intimacy. It explores the constructs of how we interact with each other and the many factors involved in communication; factors such as language, distance, culture, stress, fear, political motivations, grief, media soundbites, physical environment... the list goes on.

It's fascinating stuff, particularly the notion of how our language/communication effects our cognitive experience of the world. But so much more than that, "Arrival" is absolutely beautiful and profound in it's observations about life, love and loss.

I haven't even mentioned the cinematography and the music - oh the music! I was gripped, moved, thrilled, moved so more and just utterly UTTERLY absorbed in the story. It was an indescribable experience that couldn't have been more welcome this week with all that's going on in the world.

I'm going to go see it again. How about you?

Me again...

So, it's been a few months. I could blame the lack of creative output down to sickness. We have had a LOT of sickness in this house, and it does take it's toll - especially on the energy levels.

But also, if I'm being honest, working for and resigning from Creative Northland has really killed my creative ambitions. I was able to take a good hard look at the ugly side of creative industries. I saw a lot of selfishness, irresponsibility, manipulation, posturing, laziness, spite and malicious behavior. Unfortunately, the sad truth about freedom and subjective expression is that our innate human darkness can fester unchecked.

My response? Get the hell out.

I don't like giving up or backing away from a fight, but I just couldn't deal with it. I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed about that. I've always thought of myself as someone who could stand for truth and goodness in the midst of the alternative. I just couldn't see anything other than lose-lose scenarios around me.

Now what?

I struggle to create in isolation. I still need to be apart of a creative community. I need others who, imperfect though we may be, are committed to promoting truth and beauty in our common human experience. I don't want to lose faith in an entire sector of society - especially when I count myself among them.

Hopefully there will be some more post of interest in this blog over the coming weeks.

Hard Candy - 2005

I have put off doing a post on this movie, because my sister Julie once told me "I'm tired of you raving about a movie and then saying 'but I don't think you'd like it'." I have to admit, I am attracted to difficult subjects and often find myself wanting to recommend a movie and then not being able to think of anyone who could stomach what I just watched.

But then I figured, what else are blogs for! =) So, I give you Hard Candy. A film about a 14 year old girl who takes it upon herself to bring "justice" (or revenge?) to a pedophile she finds online. It's an incredibly tense, but brilliantly executed game of cat and mouse. I know that this is said about practically every thriller, but I reckon Hitchcock would have loved to make this movie! It's claustrophobic, twisted, terrifying and breathlessly suspenseful without showing any real nudity or gore.

The script is so tight! Every word is there for a reason and so much is said between the lines. The direction is creative and fresh. Most of the movie takes place in one room but it feels like your watching a car chase at times.

There are basically only the two characters in this film: the girl played by Ellen Page and the predator played by Patrick Wilson. Both actors give stunning performances that left me speechless - the casting couldn't be more perfect! When this movie came out, a lot of attention was given to Ellen Page who became an instant star (much like Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone...another movie definitely worth mentioning, perhaps it'll get it's own post). But I thought Patrick Wilson's charming, calm, friendly, human portrayal of someone with a heinous vice was refreshingly real. It's so easy to label certain criminals as monsters because their actions are monstrous. But we are all real people and who struggle to keep the monster within at bay. Some people struggle more than others, and some people's failures leave more devastation than others.

The plot is simple but the themes are complex. All of us have a God-given desire for justice and mercy. Hard Candy really plays on that in a profound way. What should justice look like for a pedophile? At first you're cheering on this 14 year old girl for turning the tables on this guy, but then over time she starts to look more and more like a young, female Moriarty.

I think everyone is going to take away something different from this film. For me, I loved how it challenged my assumptions about justice and mercy; I loved how it tackled such a difficult subject with confidence and energy. But most of all, it reminded me that only God can bring true justice. Only God can redeem those hurt by evil. The tension of justice and mercy is only walked well by us through His leading.

Kemble in B minor

Alright, here is my first foray into the world of Garage Band (computer software). Pretty pleased with how it's sounding so far, but at the same time a part of me know I've only just scratched the surface here.

This is the first piece of music I wrote on my Kemble upright piano. I used an electric guitar in place of a saxophone and cello.

What do you think?

Kemble in B minor