Friday, December 01, 2006

Rant or Review?

I was reading several movie reviews today, when I came upon this article in which the author gave the movie Nativity Story 2 stars out of 5. It wasn't the numbers that caught my attention, but the manner in which the review was written. It doesn't take an exceptionally intelligent person to discern that the author's critical and sarcastic comments weren't directed so much at the film as at the biblical account itself.

He makes the following statements throughout his "review":

Without faith, then would a movie like this make any sense? What does it tell us about a loving God who murders little children in Bethlehem?

Unless you are of faith, the plot holes stick out like a sore thumb. Why would Joseph have to go to Bethlehem for the census? Why would Aunt Liz know about who Jesus is going to be and not Mary's parents? Or even worse, why would the Angels, who are screaming to the local shepherd that JC is born, not warn the parents of all those little kids that Herod's troops are coming to kill them?

I want to have a conversation with this man about prophecy fulfilled; I want to talk with him about God's sovereignty and His amazing plan extend grace to the undeserving people He created. About the fact that in this fallen world not everything makes sense (to us) - innocent people suffer and injustice seems to take the upper hand, and yet somehow God is glorified in the midst of it all. How I wish I could encourage him to find a Bible and actually read the account(s) of the nativity, and related passages. He obviously has a bone to pick with God, and I pray that He finds some resolution, and some answers.

I can't help adding that I also find it ironic that he does enough emoting in his review to make up for the alleged "lack of emotion" in the film; and I wish I could (nicely) ask him to refrain from writing "reviews" until he can take a more professional approach.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As with King Herod, just another form of God-hate? Hmmmm! Today's 'critics' are certainly putting a Holy God on trial and finding Him 'guilty.' Boy do they have a surprise coming. When I read things like that, I have to bow my head and pray that God will bring the Truth into theirs lives in the form of loving, non-argumentative Christian friends who are patient enought to keep cultivating and planting!

Mom