Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Shoes of the Fisherman (1968)

If you followed the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the installment of Pope Francis with interest, then you should check out this 1968 film based on the 1961 book of the same title.

Anthony Quinn stars as a Ukrainian archbishop and former political prisoner who is brought to Rome, made a Cardinal, and upon the sudden death of the Pope, elected to the Papacy. He must then deal with a host of problems including a famine in China (brought about by U. S. trade restrictions) and the potential for World War III.

In addition to Quinn, the film boasts a strong international cast including John Gielgud, Oskar Werner, David Janssen, and Laurence Olivier. At 162 minutes the film is too long but it has its compensations. The film is well photographed and edited with an appropriately reverential yet stirring score by Alex North and it raises political issues that are still very much with us today.

What really makes the film of interest for Catholic and non-Catholic alike is the detailed recreation of how a Pope is elected from the death of the previous Pope through the beginning of the conclave of the College of Cardinals to the white smoke issuing from the Sistine Chapel chimney. It’s an extended sequence but well worthwhile especially in light of the extended coverage of the recent events at the Vatican.

The film will not be to everyone’s taste as it deals with a variety of thought provoking issues including several crises of faith. But if you enjoy old school epic style filmmaking (think of it as a Catholic version of Gandhi) then The Shoes of the Fisherman is well worth your time.

Michelle Keenan’s Pick: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

After watching Ginger & Rosa, I was reminded of a recent coming of age movie, last year’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and it seemed a fitting DVD pick for the month.

Based on Stephen Chbosky’s popular novel by the same name, Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a shy and troubled high school freshman. When he is befriended by a couple of seniors, who happen to be step-siblings, their lives are changed forever.

Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) are not the popular kids in school, but they are super cool in their own way. When they take Charlie under their wing, what we see next in their small group of friends is a series of defining moments in each of their lives. Some of the defining moments, or what it takes to get to those moments, are profoundly sad, but the movie is not a downer. If anything, it is a testament to the friendships that help us through life and is refreshingly affirming.

The film takes place in the early 1990’s, though based on the music, I’d have placed as being several years earlier. Regardless of when it takes place its emotional appeal is universal and timeless. I confess I was genuinely moved by this film, by the friendships, vulnerability and honesty of its characters. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an unexpected gem of a movie and is not to be missed.

Part of what creates the film’s universal appeal is its connection to music. Regardless of generation, music plays a huge part. Here it’s all about the art of the mix tape, an essential element for those of us who came of age in the mid 1980’s (a la High Fidelity). The music is astoundingly good and figures prominently, adding color and tone to the proceedings.

But it is our three young leads who really deliver. Logan Lerman (known to some for the Percy Jackson movies) and Emma Watson (known by everyone as Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films) both prove they’ve got more acting chops than perhaps previously thought. But it’s Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk about Kevin) who is the show stopper. He pours his heart and sole into Patrick, a young gay man in love with the closeted captain of the football team.

There is a dignity and honesty to this story that, in the wrong hands, could easily have been lost. The Perks of Being a Wallflower may not rock your world, and it may not even be a particularly important film, but I dare you not to be moved by it.