“Conclave,” a fictional film about the political struggle of electing a new Pope replaces faith with a worldly agenda. “Venom: The Last Dance” can be funny. But it’s packaged in a vulgar, violent narrative which might not leave you laughing. Michael Keaton stars in “Goodrich,” about a workaholic dad who discovers what really matters when his drug-addicted wife goes to rehab.
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Conclave – In Theaters
From its cinematography to its engaging sound and set design, it’s evident early on that “Conclave” is a very well-crafted film. And Ralph Fiennes is equally vivid and excellent in his portrayal of the story’s protagonist, Cardinal Lawrence.
If those notable elements had been used to simply portray the twisting and turning political struggles behind the scenes of a Vatican papal conclave, this likely would have been a compelling film.
But “Conclave,” based on the 2016 book of the same title, isn’t satisfied with just portraying an interesting depiction of the struggle between men, God and faith. No, this film has an agenda tucked away in its vestments.
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“Conclave” not only focuses on the sexual and power-hungry scandals of the cardinals at its core, but it takes pains to slap at every conservative, faith-foundational aspect of the Catholic church itself.
The movie declares that the church will not survive unless it tosses its “antiquated” traditional values (translated as Scripture-focused and thereby “hate-filled” tenets) to the curb. It’s repeatedly proclaimed that the church should, rather, embrace the progressive gender, sexual identity and social ideals of the contemporary moment.
Even that slanted ideology could have potentially worked in this pick-a-Pope pic’s favor except for the fact that the filmmakers make one glaring mistake: They treat God as an afterthought.
There are Latin homilies, religious posturing, heavy crosses, richly garbed church officials and human conflicts here to be sure, but any focus on God’s life-transforming grace is in absentia. And many believing moviegoers—Catholic or not—will find the absence of faith and the abundance of agenda to be Conclave’s biggest moviemaking sin.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Venom: The Last Dance – In Theaters
Sure, Dr. Strange never gets the girl. And yeah, Spider-Man always loses some variation of his favorite relative.
But those are good days in the eyes of Eddie Brock, who always seems to be one more bad day away from becoming Sony’s most down-on-his-luck character.
The poor guy can’t seem to catch a break. Scientists want to kill him — or at least chop him into little pieces to study how they move. Other symbiotes want to kill him. The United States military wants to kill him. And now, the so-called God of the Void has it out for him, too.
All of that yields a story with more emotional moments than previous installments in this series, so “The Last Dance” hits a little harder than you might have suspected. Whether it’s a quiet moment comforting a child or Venom reflecting on all the fun the two have enjoyed together, we find tiny gems of hope in a trilogy that makes Eddie somewhat of a glum punching bag who can hit back.
But as the previous movies also illustrated, even glum punching bags can hit hard, which is why their opponents strive to hit harder still. And the xenophage are some of the most violent yet, reducing any sentient life that falls into their maw into something like cherry Fanta spewed from an overactive humidifier. And whether they’re dodging certain death or just talking about their circumstances, you can be sure Venom and Eddie will toss a crude word or two in for good measure.
“Venom: The Last Dance” can be fun. It can even be funny. But it’s packaged in a vulgar, violent narrative, one that might not leave you dancing by the time the credits roll.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Goodrich – In Theaters
“Goodrich” writer and director Hallie Meyers-Shyer told The New York Times, “I wrote it 100 percent with [Michael Keaton] in mind [for the character Andy Goodrich], to the point where if he had said no, I would have buried it and myself in the backyard.”
I can see why. Keaton has enjoyed a lot of critical praise for a number of his recent films, and “Goodrich” adds to that resume. He’s utterly believable as a well-meaning but clueless workaholic who gradually awakens to the harsh reality that he’s done real damage to his closest relationships.
I suspect that many fathers and husbands could, at some level, relate. Yes, in some ways it’s a stereotype we’ve seen onscreen many times before. But Keaton’s portrayal here—even in Andy’s headshaking cluelessness—still hits close to home. I found myself relating to this story both as a son of a father who worked very hard and as a father and husband who now grapples with the same temptation: namely, missing out on life’s most important relationships because we’re too focused on our tasks and passions outside of the family.
Cue up Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle,” if you would.
Not unlike a good Hallmark movie, there aren’t too many surprises here. We know where the story is headed, yet it’s effective nonetheless because Keaton’s Andy is a man many of us could relate to.
Because of that, it’s disappointing that the film indulged in enough language to earn an R-rating — a decidedly unnecessary, if “authentic,” indulgence that might limit this story’s audience. Ditto the culturally requisite gay character’s storyline, though Terry is pretty sympathetic as a heartbroken single dad.
As the credits roll, I’ll confess that I got a bit misty-eyed. As men, sometimes we miss the mark. “Goodrich” reminds us of that, and it suggests — redemptively — that even if we’ve missed that mark for a long time, there’s still a chance to make a redemptive course correction before it’s too late.
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.”
Reviews written by Paul Asay, Adam R. Holz and Kennedy Unthank.
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