Films

One advantage of the last couple of days has been that I've got to watch a few films, which is always a good thing. Even if they're bad, (and they sometimes are) at least they tell me what not to watch next time!

However, I have been fortunate, in that most of the films I've watched have been good ones. The night before last, I saw '13 Conversations About One Thing', and I LOVED it. It reminded me in some ways of '21 Grams', although the conclusions were obviously different. '21 Grams' in one of it's many sub plots, broaches the subject of forgiveness, transformation and faith, and 13 Conversations covered the issues of materialism, happiness, and faith. Both also portrayed the effects and consequences of guilt, which is the main subject of Christian Bale's film 'The Machinist'. All these and also the issue of racism is covered in 'Crash', which has got to be one of my all-time favourite films.

These are my four favourite films of all time, because they provoke a response in me as a human being. All of these films try to look at the way that even though we don't realise it, we are all connected to each other in ways we can't begin to comprehend, and they all point to something greater behind it all. I love the way these films make me think about my own life, and the opinions, prejudices and choices I own everyday.

What started me thinking on all this was the taxi driver I was talking to on the way to the doctors to get my prescription. Somehow (and I don't remember how) we got onto the subject of why things are like they are, and he started down a road I didn't want to go down. He made a comment about "immigrants" bringing change into Britain, and making things worse, and causing delays in lot's of things, needless to say I don't want to repeat it here partly because:

a. I don't want to be accused of mis-representing him, and ;

b. I didn't agree with what he said.

Yes immigration is a problem we have to deal with, and I'm not pretending there are easy answers, but surely we have to see people as people, not bringers of problems or misery or disease or "lowered standards". The people we talk about when we use the word "immigrants" or "assylum seekers" are flesh and blood just like you and I, and what separates "them" from "us" is very little. They ahve families, they have dreams and goals, they have hard and joyful times, they need love and acceptance just like us. Whenever one group of people or race blame another for their problems, I believe God is saddenned. Evil is a lack of goodness, not the other way round.

Yes, there are those who are not genuine, there are those who play the system to get all they can, but there are people who were born here and have lived all their lives here who do that, I can see that in a few (and i mean a few not lots) of the customers who come into my mum's post office for their benefits. I know Immigration is a big issue, and I don't want to be a bleeding heart liberal, or a staunch stoic conservative, or a bomb throwing radical for that matter. What impressed on me most from these films is that we're all connected. Whether we realise it or not. And the sooner we realise that, the better we can work together.

Ok I know that sounds a bit simplistic, and in a way it is, but if we start to aim for the impossible, we can at least go some of the way to achieving it. As A Christian, I believe God's Kingdom will be the greatest multi-racial/multi-cultural event ever. We'll be amazed by who's there and who's not. The amazing thing for me is, that I don't know who will be there and who won't, only God does, so I can give up trying to label and judge. He only gives guidelines that it will be those in Him. And that's a label big enough to include everyone if they want it.

Sorry to get deep and sound like a softie liberal, but ignore what I say, go and watch these films and make your own conclusions. When Jesus gave the parable of the Two Sons, the film 'Crash' immediately reminded me of it.

Anyway, time to finish, I've rambled on for long enough.

What are your favourite films and why?