Yet
another faith-based indie that upended the expectations of box office
prognosticators by scoring a bountiful opening-weekend gross, “War Room”
is by far the most slickly produced and insistently evangelical movie yet from
the sibling team of Alex and Stephen Kendrick. Unlike their previous
“Fireproof” (2008) and “Courageous” (2011), which wove uplifting messages of
contrition, redemption and transformative Christianity into tales about morally
challenged first responders — firefighters in one, police officers in the other
— their new drama is pretty much undiluted prayer rally from beginning to end.
The emphatic proselytizing doubtless will resound with ticketbuyers who feel a
drama focused on the possibility of spiritual salvation can be every bit as
compelling as a spectacle that pivots on the question of whether Loki can pull
one over on the Avengers. But it remains to be seen if there’s crossover
potential for a wide release so bereft of alluring plot hooks for mainstream
audiences.
Elizabeth
Jordan (Priscilla Shirer), an attractive wife, mom and real estate agent, has
grown weary of constantly quarreling with her inattentive husband, Tony (T.C.
Stallings), a hard-charging, frequently traveling pharmaceutical company rep
who may have cheating on his mind. But before she can consider a visit to a
divorce lawyer, she has the good fortune — or, perhaps more accurately, the
miraculous fortune — to cross paths with Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie), a feisty
old lady whose Bible-thumping zealousness is so pronounced that even Tyler
Perry’s perpetually extroverted Madea might find her to be, well, a bit much.
(All the major characters in “War Room” are black, which may be another reason
why some underestimated the movie’s ability to draw flocks to megaplexes.)
Miss
Clara is unashamedly and indefatigably curious, if not downright nosey, and
quickly divines that all is not right in Elizabeth’s life. So she advises the
younger woman to pray, pray and then pray some more, preferably in the
seclusion of a closet converted into a spiritual “war room” where she can paste
Bible verses, wish lists and other inspirational material on the wall for easy
reference. As Miss Clara sees it — and Elizabeth soon comes to agree —
Elizabeth should not spend her time dwelling on Tony’s many failings as a
husband, or his neglectfulness as a father to their daughter, Danielle (Alena
Pitts). Rather, she should be fighting alongside, not against, her errant
husband, forging an alliance to battle the one responsible for their
unhappiness: Satan.
In
the world according to the Kendrick brothers, miracles start to happen just as
soon as someone starts praying. Indeed, sometimes all it takes is a few
entreaties to the Lord for a losing high-school football team to begin a
victory lap. (Check out 2006’s “Facing the Giants.”) In “War Room,”
manifestations of divine intervention are rather more prosaic, but every bit as
helpful: When Tony dines out with a cutie during a business trip, and considers
her offer of herself as dessert, he suddenly is stricken with an upset stomach
that requires a hasty rush to the men’s room. Cineastes, take note: This may
qualify as the funniest prevention of a close encounter since Doris Day
conveniently contracted a nervous rash to disrupt Cary Grant’s amorous plans in
“That Touch of Mink.”
But
Tony doesn’t start to see the light and share prayer time with his wife until
he’s fired from his job — for skimming samples and then selling the merchandise
— and discovers, much to his surprise and shame, that Elizabeth will continue
to stand by him. (Spoiler ahead.) One thing leads to another, for what seems
like a much longer time than it should, and everything leads to a climactic
double-dutch jumprope tournament where a team led by Tony and Danielle claims a
trophy. No, really: That’s what happens.
It’s
easy to laugh at the arrant contrivances and heavy-handed dialogue in the
script penned by Alex and Stephen Kendrick. But it’s even easier to admire the
persuasive sincerity and emotional potency of the lead performances by Shirer
and Stallings, who do not transcend their material so much as imbue it with
conviction. As a director, Alex Kendrick still has much to learn about
pacing — “War Room” could be nearly a half-hour shorter after judicious
trimming of repetitive or unnecessary scenes — but there can be no gainsaying
his ability to bring sufficient power and credibility to key scenes involving
expressions of faith and supplications to God.
The
production values indicate that the Kendrick brothers continue to raise larger
budgets from project to project, and, more important, they know how to spend
their money wisely. The soundtrack showcases apt contributions by various Christian
recording artists — most notably, Stephen Curtis Chapman’s “Warrior,” the kind
of closing-credits theme guaranteed to give audiences a satisfying rush as they
leave the theater or turn off their TV.
(culled from variety.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment