Movie Review of A Single Man (2009)

How would you deal with the death of your spouse?...Pain is inevitable, suffering is not. If any of these tragedies strike you in your present state of mind, you will suffer… Buddhism does advise you to invest some of your time and energy in learning to deal with unpleasantness, because some pain is unavoidable. When you see a truck bearing down on you, by all means jump out of the way. But spend some time in meditation, too. Learning to deal with discomfort is the only way you’ll be ready to handle the truck you didn’t see.
- Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

This is the story of an English professor in the 1960s who has lost his life partner and decided, after eight months of mourning, to kill himself. Thankfully, the characters were well acted and interesting because the plot was thin and predictable.

Colin Firth does a tremendous job as the grieving lover, Julianna Moore is excellent as his frustrated female friend, and the supporting cast is great. However, it may be that this territory has been covered so often that it has lost its power but I suspect there was something missing in the writing. The audience was not truly emotionally engaged as they were in “Milk” or “When Did You Last See Your Father?”

Movie Review of The Hurt Locker (2008)

Greater in combat
Than a person who conquers
A thousand times a thousand people
Is the person who conquers herself.
- The Dhammapada (103)

This movie focuses on a bomb disposal unit in Iraq with a new “wild man” sergeant who lives for the adrenalin rush. Each man in the unit handles the stresses and tragedies of their job differently. The unit has a little more than one month left in their tour but the new sergeant takes unnecessary risks, at time drawing everyone into his circle of danger. This is a fascinating study of men in inhuman conditions.

Movie Review of One Week (2008)

Both life and death arise from the mind and exist within the mind. Hence, when the mind that concerns itself with life and death passes on, the world of life and death passes with it.

An unenlightened life rises from a mind that is bewildered by its own world of delusion. If we learn that there is no world of delusion outside the mind, the bewildered mind becomes clear; and because we cease to create impure surroundings, we attain Enlightenment.

In this way the world of life and death is created by the mind, is in bondage to the mind, is ruled by the mind; the mind is the master of every situation. The world of suffering is brought about by the deluded mortal mind.

-The Buddha

Joshua Jackson plays Ben Tyler, a young man with wide-spread stage four cancer. He is about to be married and instead of opting for the ten percent chance of a cure immediately, he decides to take a trip West. It becomes both an inner and outer journey, helping Ben to awaken to the realities of his life. Without being silly or insensitive, Ben’s adventures are often humorous as well as insightful.

The Canadian vista is almost a character in itself. From Toronto to Vancouver we see the majestic and the mundane, all with its own power. His visit to the Terry Fox monument is particularly poignant.

Movie Review of Gran Torino (2008)

Buddha-nature exists in everyone no matter how deeply it may be covered over by greed, anger, and foolishness, or buried by his own deeds and retribution. Buddha-nature cannot be lost or destroyed; and when all defilements are removed, sooner or later it will appear.

- The Buddha

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, I’d heard so many negative things about it. It is unfortunate that because of the cursing and racism, it is unsuitable for younger people. The message behind it all is quiet beautiful.

Clint Eastwood plays Walt, a bitter widow who holds strong opinions on how life should be. He has no real relationship with his sons and their families but advertently develops close ties to the Asian neighbours. By mentoring Thao, a shy, intelligent Hmong young man, he redeems himself for failing as a father. Walt has also carried great guilt since the Korean War about what he did without being ordered. In the end, his sacrifice also redeems his dark past.

Movie Review of The Lovely Bones (2009)

Both the young and the old, whether they are foolish or wise, are going to be trapped by death. All beings move towards death.
They are overcome by death. They go to the other world. And then not even a father can save his son, or a family their relatives.
- Sutta Nipāta 578-579

I loved the book by Alice Sebold so I was hoping the movie would do it justice. Considering that the book is told through the thoughts of a murdered child, the movie did a credible job of translating it to film.

The story is about a murdered fourteen year old girl, Susie Salmon, who is unable to let go of her attachment to her family, her budding romance, and her desire for revenge. This prevents her from passing on into Heaven. Saoirse Ronan is perfect as Susie, both beautiful and innocent, bursting with life and potential.

It is also a suspense/thriller in that the murderer targets Susie’s sister, Lindsey, for his next victim. Lindsey and her father (well played by Marc Wahlberg) are both driver to solve the mystery of Susie’s disappearance. The violence is not shown, and there is no mention of rape, in order to make the movie more palatable for family viewing.

Susan Sarandon skilfully portrays the bigger than life grandmother who is placed in the unfamiliar position of primary caretaker as the rest of the family disintegrates.

This movie will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Bring a lot of tissues.

Movie Review of Is Anybody There? (2008)

Buddha told a parable in a sutra:

A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

- Paul Reps, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

Edward (Bill Milner) is a melancholy eleven year old who lives with his parents in a large house they use as a senior’s rest home. His Mum (Annie-Marie Duff) is perpetually exhausted and his Dad (David Morressey) is going through a pre-midlife crisis. The story takes place in the early eighties.

Edward is fascinated by the concept of ghosts, determined to discover if there is life after death. He resents having to give up his larger bedroom to a senior and is unhappy with his home environment. Clarence (Michael Caine) an aging ex-magician arrives and the two of them develop an unpredictable relationship. At times heartbreaking, often funny, this movie examines grief, loss, regret, yearning, and the process of aging. Everyone in the story has much to learn about living in each precious moment.

The acting is superb, but for an English Canadian, the British accents were a challenge; subtitles would have been appreciated.

Movie Review of Departures (2009)

Review of the Movie Departures

Most people are unwilling to face the reality of impermanence and death. They forget that life is transitory. They quarrel with each other as though they are going to live forever. But, if they would face the fact of death, their quarrels would come to an end. --- The Buddha
This is a Japanese movie with English subtitles. It is a deeply moving and powerful story dealing with difficult topics, death and relationships between husbands and wives, parents and their children. Masahiro Motoki portrays the cellist Daigo Kobayashi whose dream of living as a professional musician are dashed. He moves his wife back to his northern village and inadvertently takes a job as a coffinman, one who ritualistically prepares the deceased for cremation. His experiences with the dead, the horrifying and the beautiful, open his eyes to the wonder and preciousness of life.

The images of salmon spawning, swans scrounging for grass, and the employees lustily devouring fish and chicken bring home the sanctity of life and the realities that all things that live, must die and that to live we must consume the lives of others. All we can do is live each day with gratitude and deep compassion for all.

Once he has forsaken his ambition to become a professional cellist with an expensive instrument, he is able to play his childhood cello with deep joy and connection to life and nature.

Like the untouchables in the time of the Buddha, Daigo is shunned, first by an old friend and then by his wife. He tells his wife, "We are all going to die." The movie gently leads us through the different ways people deal with grief, each family helped by Daigo’s respectful and tender process of preparing the body.

Daigo also has an anger towards his father who abandoned him as a child. By accepting life as it is and death as it is, by forgiving and living with compassion, Daigo and his wife learn to live a full, happy life. When he lets go of the anger, his vision clears and he is able to see his father clearly.

Throughout the movie characters keep referring to "fate" as having brought them to their circumstances. They could have just as easily said karma in most instances. More than once, Daigo's decision to keep secrets from his wife, violating "Right Speech" has negative consequences. But of course, the karma of their actions is never black or white. All experiences provide the opportunity for growth in wisdom and compassion.

Have a lot of tissue on hand when you watch this movie. The theatre was often completely silence except for the sound of sniffling. It will touch you profoundly.

This movie is based on the book Coffinman: A Journal of a Buddhist Mortician. Although most of the death preparations include some Buddhist rituals or items, Daigo’s religion is never mentioned in the movie. The Hongwanji (Head Jodo Shinshu Temple) in Japan was disappointed in the removal of much of the Buddhism. However, the movie gets across its messages beautifully. I plan to read the book and will then add any further comments.