Most of “White Bird” takes place in France during World War II, when kindness just might get you killed. Mental psychosis and profane violence sing here. This ain’t no comic book “Joker!” “Faith of Angels” tells the story of a real-world rescue that some say earned the label of … miracle.
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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
White Bird – In Theaters
Sometimes, we make the mistake of imagining that strength and kindness are near opposites. We make the mistake of thinking that kindness is weak or soft. “White Bird” tells us otherwise: Kindness comes with risk. Sometimes life-threatening risk.
As a girl, Sara could’ve been kinder to Julien. She would’ve risked just a bit of social capital, that’s all. But she wasn’t initially kind. Truth is, she didn’t even realize it. Julien was just the guy with the limp. She didn’t think about being mean to him; she didn’t think about him at all.
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But when the roles were reversed, Julien didn’t hesitate: It didn’t matter that Sara didn’t even know his real name. He saved her — even though the saving could’ve cost him his life.
“We had both seen how much hate people are capable of, and how much courage it took to be kind,” Grandmere tells her grandson decades later. “Because when kindness can cost you your life, it becomes like a miracle.”
And that it does. In Grandmere’s words and story, we hear echoes of the Apostle Paul: “So now faith, hope, and love abide. These three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).”
“White Bird” may be a difficult watch for some. We see bullying, violence and death, and not everyone we care about survives to see the credits. Language can be raw. And honestly, the movie can be a bit melodramatic and cloying at times.
But that sentimentality is mitigated by some strong, sensitive performances—including those by two well-known actresses (Helen Mirren as Grandmere and Gillian Anderson as Julien’s mom, Vivienne). And the story is a powerful one. While fictional, it mirrors the courage and kindness found in countless people during World War II.
To be kind—to be loving—isn’t always easy. It can cost us, even now. Inviting a homeless person to have a bite to eat with you can be scary. To hang out at the “loser table” is harder than you’d think. But if we don’t do it when the risks are relatively minor, can be sure we do so when the costs are so much greater?
“White Bird” forces us to ask such questions. And that makes it a worthwhile movie indeed.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
BONUS: Catch an interview with “White Bird” producer Kevin Downes on The Washington Times’ Higher Ground.
Joker: Folie À Deux – In Theaters
If you’re looking for a superhero or comic book movie, this isn’t it. In fact, this raw-edged film takes pleasure in rubbing viewers’ noses in all the mentally and physically broken reasons why it’s not the movie that comic book fanboys might be looking for.
That said, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is likely not what anyone will go in expecting, thanks in large part to director Todd Phillips’ clever cinematic packaging and his lead actors’ skills. The filmmakers take the story’s darkly tragic and utterly disturbing examination of violent psychosis and wrap it in … musical theater.
That may sound ridiculous, but it arguably lightens the harsh and horrible things shown on screen. And in a way, it might help to keep some viewers from tumbling into their own dark depression as this tale unfolds.
Still, this is not a film for the faint of heart. It is incredibly foul, violently bloody and emotionally disturbing. It’s murk sticks to you and stays with you like an extra thick layer of greasepaint and blood spatter.
And that’s no joke.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Faith of Angels – In Theaters
“Faith of Angels” depicts the true story of a young boy who became lost and seemingly unfindable in miles of pitch-black tunnels in an old abandoned mine.
Many may look at this film and find its faith-focused moments — times when people cling to biblical promises, see an angelic presence, and sense the tug of a supernatural guiding hand — to be outside the realm of possibility in our world.
However, if you look up the definition of the word miracle, well, outside the realm of possibility pretty much sums it up. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a miracle as a “welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”
That’s exactly how the filmmakers behind “Faith of Angels” depict the events at the Hidden Treasure Mine leading to Josh’s rescue. In addition, closing-credit snippets show people at that real-world 1989 rescue effort proclaiming the very same thing.
This isn’t a perfect movie, but it is well-made and foul-content-free. And it leaves viewers inspired to take the time to pray … and to listen. You may be surprised, the film suggests, at what you hear.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
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