Pablo Vila

Two Days, One Night (2014)

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two_days_one_night

In the Dardenne Brothers’ 2014 film “Two Days One Night” (Deux jours, une nuit), we are treated to a very personal, gritty drama which speaks to some of the challenges working families face in the world of today. Sandra, played by Marion Cotillard is a wife and mother who works at Solwal, a solar energy company in Belgium. She suffers from depression and after recently enduring a nervous breakdown is about to return to work. During Sandra’s absence, there were discussions amongst management about her ongoing role at the firm. It was decided that her co-workers would vote whether the protagonist should remain employed or made redundant. The twist being that if the vote is in favour of Sandra staying, they lose an attractive financial bonus. The vote is to be taken on the coming Monday, Sandra’s first day back to work.

To Read The Full Reflection by Pablo Vila, Click Here…

Rome Open City (1945)

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Rome Open City
Based on real people and real events, filmed within months of Rome’s liberation as WWII was coming to an end, capturing on film the ruin of the city in a rough but electrifying style, Roberto Rosselini’s Rome, Open City brought Italian Neorealism to the attention of the world. Tense, passionate and naturalistic, the film uses its documentary style to melodramatic effect bringing us the story of individuals connected to the Italian resistance as they attempt to outmaneuver the Gestapo and survive the war. Rossellini, being one of the most ‘Catholic’ of filmmakers, creates a masterpiece that invites all who encounter it in a “thrilling call to conscience and hope” (Kristin Jones, Wall Street Journal).

Pope Francis cites it as one of his favourite films, and after watching it, we trust you will applaud his choice.

IN THIS POST

*The Choice To Live Well in Rome Open City by Benard Chedid

*A Reflection on Don Pietro by Pablo Vila

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Paths of Glory (1957)

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Paths of Glory

paths of glory

A war film that gives us one of the strongest anti war sentiments ever. If war is Hell, then we see true evil at work in the corruption of those in power and in a system that treats the human person as a mere object, as means to the greater end of victory. It is a film that is truly shocking it its depiction of moral bankruptcy and the persecution of the powerless. Grandly crafted, its technique serves to create a bold vision and captivating story, and then fills the frame with incredible performances from all the actors. A film that has no women until the last scene possibly speaks the loudest about the power of the feminine genius and its necessity in bringing man back to humanity. The spellbinding and rather strange finale offers an exploited woman as a figure of hope and a reminder of the higher nature that mankind is called to, and all too often forgets.

IN THIS POST

*A Reflection on Evil in ‘Paths of Glory’ by Pablo Vila

*A Catholic Imagining of ‘Paths of Glory’ by Fr. Peter Kwak

*The Casualty of War by Benard Chedid

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Diabolique (1955)

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Diabolique (1955)

diabolique

A French horror film that still packs a wallop in entertainment, style and performance… It is a study of human evil and its all too real spiritual effects. Who the ‘devils’ of the title actually are, is debatable, but what we witness is an evil plotting that outdoes itself in psychological malevolence. The Director cleverly subverts Catholic imagery to create what is anti-Catholic, in other words, a parody of the good. Water, thus, has great significance in this film, but from the opening shot, it is water that is dirty, murky, and unclear. Evil is made present in different levels and to different degrees within the characters but we only realise the full extent of it at the climax of the film. Along the way we are thrilled, captivated, horrified – and finally, grateful to have had the experience and even more grateful that we can leave it behind.

Warning: The reflections below are full of spoilers. The aim is to share these insights with all who are inspired to watch these films and help to draw out even more from the experience. So watch the films first and read the reflections afterwards…

IN THIS POST

*Temptation and Evil in ‘Diabolique’ by Pablo Vila

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Leo McCarey in 1937

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Make Way For Tomorrow & The Awful Truth

Make Way For Tomorrow and The Awful Truth

Make Way For Tomorrow and The Awful Truth

In the year 1937, Leo McCarey directed two films. One flopped and disappeared for seventy years. The other won him the Academy Award for Best Director. When receiving the Oscar, he said “Thanks but you’ve given it to me for the wrong film…” This double-header was a chance to see both films together and the cinema club audience unanimously agreed with McCarey; that while ‘The Awful Truth’ may be an entertaining comedy, it is ‘Make Way For Tomorrow’ that is the masterpiece! A film
about an elderly couple was never destined to do well at the box office, however, its power should not be underestimated, because by the time the last frame melts away, don’t be surprised if you feel like your heart has just been wrenched out of your body. It is a traumatic film, and yet a rich one, with vivid characters, pulsating with honest beauty. What does one do with the elderly when there is nowhere for them to go? What do their children do and at what cost? The film holds up a mirror to all those watching it where, although we may feel disgust at the behaviour of the grown-up children of the elderly couple, we also feel discomfort at the fact that we understand the children and even may identify with them. The film challenges us in a way that demands a response. It is a difficult challenge, one that most would prefer to ignore, but one that invites us to look into ourselves and what we believe in to hazard an answer.

The Awful Truth appears like fluff after such an experience, but this fluff won McCarey THE Academy Award. And it is rather impressive that a screwball comedy could affirm marriage through its depiction of the lead characters’ ‘divorce’. Witty, elegant, romantic, and funny, this seems the perfect definition for what “comedy” should be. Leo McCarey was a practicing Catholic who would later give us films like “Going My Way” and “An Affair to Remember,” but in these two films of 1937, we already see a master at telling great stories, be they comedy or tragedy, yet in both the ability to reflect themes crucial to building a culture of life.

Warning: The reflections below are full of spoilers. The aim is to share these insights with all who are inspired to watch these films and help to draw out even more from the experience. So watch the films first and read the reflections afterwards…

IN THIS POST

*Marriage in McCarey by Pablo Vila

*A Reflection on ‘Make Way For Tomorrow’ by Benard Chedid

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