Movie Review of The Owl and the Sparrow (2007)

If you go more deeply into your own spiritual practice, emphasizing wisdom and compassion, you will encounter the suffering of other sentient beings again and again, and you will have the capacity to acknowledge it, respond to it and feel deep compassion rather than apathy or impotence.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “The Little Book of Buddhism”

Thuy a ten year old Vietnamese girl, played by Han Thi Pham, works in her uncle’s blind factory. Her parents are dead and her uncle is critical and demanding. She does not attend school and receives no money for her work. Seeking a better life, she runs away to the city and tries to survive selling postcards and then flowers. Hungry and poor, she meets two kind and lonely people, a stewardess, Miss Lan (Cat Li) and a zoo keeper, Mr. Hai (The Lu Le) both of whom show compassion. But her uncle is determined to find her and bring her back.

Thuy’s situation gives us a glimpse into the life of street children but this movie is one of hope.

Review of The Vampire Diaries Television Series 2009

And what, monks, is Right Action? Refraining from taking life, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from sexual misconduct. This is called Right Action.
- The Buddha

This review is based on the first three shows of the season.

Although it is difficult to come up with new angles on vampire mythology, this series doesn’t even try. It is unfair to compare it to the groundbreaking movies like Blade, Interview with a Vampire, and so on, it is fair to compare it to other vampire television series such as Forever Knight (1989-1996), Buffy (1997-2003), and Angel (1999-2004). In doing so, The Vampire Diaries comes up short on intelligent writing, depth of character, innovation, wit, complexity of plot, and surprise but heavy on clichés, overt sexual flirtation, and jump-out-at-you moments. Diaries is a third-rate horror/melodrama.

My biggest objection to this series is that it takes place in a high school when it should at least be a college. Casual rampant sex, pervasive alcohol consumption, violence, and drug abuse are constantly in the forefront. There is very little ethical behaviour and most of that is trite and formulaic. This is not the kind of show I would want my teenager to watch steadily. Studies have shown that girls who watch television shows regularly with sexually active young people have twice the rate of teenage pregnancy.

In the first three episodes, I saw no redeeming value in this series. It seems an unimaginative attempt to cash in on the popularity of the Twilight Series.

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 2012 (2009)

Movie Review of 2012 (2009)


Beings are owners of their actions…heirs of their actions, they originate from their actions, are bound to their actions, have their actions are their refuge. It is action that distinguishes beings as inferior and superior.
- Culakammavibbanga Sutta, in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, tran. By Bhikkhu Bodhi

The story is based on the belief that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon Nasa has a good selection of questions and answers based on this rumour. http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/intro/nibiru-and-doomsday-2012-questions-and-answers

This is a movie where special effects are the star. However, the characters are also interesting and engaging. It is a movie about family, birth family, broken family, fathers and sons, grandmother and grandsons, but even more so, about the family of man. John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis http://www.farewellatlantis.com/ an idealistic, divorced father who rises to amazing levels of courage and ingenuity in order to save his ex-wife and children. Tom McCarthy plays Gordon Silberman, a “nice guy” stepfather who also rises to the occasion. Spliced into Woody Harrelson plays a small part as a crazy but correct conspiracy theorist http://thisistheend.com/ , the key to our central family’s survival. It is refreshing to see a movie where courage, sacrifice, love, and humanity are prominent.

There are a few moments where the viewer doubts the decisions made but this is a movie about people under tremendous pressure trying to decide who and what to save at the end of the world. Rationality would undoubtedly be a challenge. The science may be shaky, but the propulsion isn’t; suspense is held for the entire length of the story. The movie is mostly large scale destruction, but there are wonderful pauses throughout. With all the knowledge available on the Buddha’s Teachings, I’m not sure they chose the most relevant one to detail between the Tibetan Buddhist monk and his Teacher.

I found it interesting that the monk, in attempting to save his family, inadvertently is the cause of the possible deaths of hundreds. On the other hand, it is only when the potential (billionaire) survivors extend their hand to others, is Jackson Curtis able to succeed in the final act. It was a great relief to see an End of the World movie devoid of mass scale butchery and brutality.

Interesitng ending about the cradle of humankind.

Movie Review of 3,000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

3,000 Miles to Graceland (2001)


Making their deeds the field for their egos, using the working of discrimination of the mind as seed, beclouding the mind by ignorance, fertilizing it with the rain of craving desires, irrigating it by the wilfulness of egotism, they add the conception of evil, and carry this incarnation of delusion about with them.
- The Buddha

Kurt Russell plays Michael Zane the hero/robber and Kevin Costner plays Murphy the villain/robber, part of a gang that robs a casino during Elvis week. Murphy believes he is the actual illegitimate son of The King.

At one point Murphy explains to the child that although he is a really bad guy, Zane is also a bad guy. At one point Zane says, “Guys like me die caught.” It seems the writers forgot this. Courtney Cox plays the type of mother who makes most women cringe.

This movie is a giant love affair with guns and bad guys with a little Elvis on the side. Slow motion murder backed by heavy music takes up much of the story, what little story there is. We are expected to like the hero(?) because he goes back to save a child. That is supposed to make us overlook his contribution to the slaughters.

I think the continuous hail of bullets is a distraction for the boredom in between. The only bright spot is during the end credits when Kurt Russell lip syncs to an Elvin song.

This kind of movie has no redeeming value and fills the mind with violent callous images. There is no karmic justice. Not at all suitable for family viewing.

Movie Review of Dostana (2008)

Movie Review of Dostana

To what end should the thought: “I am the result of my own deeds, heir to deeds, having deeds for matrix, deeds for kin; to me the deeds come home again; whatever deed I do, whether good or evil, I shall become its heir,” be contemplated often by man or woman?
The Buddha

Dostana in Hindi means friendship. Kunal and Sameer, two straight guys who pretend to be gay in order to get a Miami apartment with Neha, certainly put friendship to the test. Although they both profess to love Neha, their motives are completely selfish. But, this is a Bollywood movie, so expect a just and happy ending.

There are some very funny, though not politically correct scenes, and some pretty good dancing and singing. The body shots of John Abraham as Kunal are definitely evocative. The movie drags a bit and is awkward at times.

The English subtitles are the worst translations I’ve ever seen. Not only do they substitute T for R turning very into vety, but some words are unrecognizable and the grammar obfuscates the meaning. By listening to the tone and watching the actions you will grasp the plot better than struggling through the terrible translation.

Movie Review of Adoration (2008)

Movie Review of Adoration (2009)


Because speech is so predominant in our lives, and because our words are so consequential, learning the art of skilful communication needs to be a significant aspect of our Dharma practice.

The Buddha emphasized the importance of this when he included right speech as a distinct part of the path to awakening. Although there is great elaboration of right speech in the texts, it all condenses into two general principals: Is it true? Is it useful?

Practicing these principles in our practice fosters increasing sensitivity. We become attuned to subtleties of truth, or exaggerate in some way? And are there times when our words may be true, but it is not the right time, place, or situation for them to be useful?
- Joseph Goldstein, Insight Meditation

Atom Egoyan uses a teenager’s dramatic method of exploring the death of his parents to open us into a wider vista in this intriguing movie. The story takes several twists before we understand what Simon is actually doing in his response to the French teacher’s assignment. It explores point of view as reality. Simon’s grandfather, his teacher, and his uncle, all have opinions about his mother’s death.

A theme running throughout is how modern technology (video camera, internet chat rooms) both connects us and extends our understanding of others and yet alienates us from the truth. The film raises several questions in response to Simon’s story. How do we know our viewpoint is correct since it is simply what we have been exposed to in our family/culture? Is killing ever justified? How do we know if someone is telling the truth? It is sure to generate discussion.

I have no idea why the movie was titled Adoration. Perhaps someone could enlighten me.