Colossal is Quirky in all the Best Ways

I didn't have much context for Colossal when I went to see it. I had high hopes for Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis' chemistry and I was expecting the film to have a quirky and fun vibe to it, but it surprised me. And in this case, the surprise was good. 

It might be hard to piece together what the movie's premise actually is from the trailer alone. Is it a monster movie? Is it a drama? A comedy? Nacho Vigalondo is ambitious and tries to give us all of the above. But the question is: does he pull it off? I guess you could say that's up for interpretation, but I for one thoroughly enjoyed this fresh story during a bit of a feature film lull (which isn't out of the ordinary for this time of year).

The movie opens on a young Korean girl roaming a park in the dark at night, trying to find her lost doll with spooky music playing in the background and her mother not too far behind. Flash forward a couple of decades and the film shifts gears when sweet-looking Anne Hathaway returns home to her shared apartment with her boyfriend. She's nursing a hangover (or possibly still drunk from the night before) and is clearly a mess. Her posh Brittish boyfriend (played by Dan Stevens) has had enough and kicks her out of their New York apartment and she goes back to her hometown and her parents empty rental home. 

What you think might be a step towards recovery ends up being a situation that propels her even more into the spiral that is alcoholism. She gets a job at a bar after running into a grade school friend, Oscar, (Jason Sudeikis) who inherited his dad's bar and virtually runs it on his own. We learn over time that Oscar isn't who we think, but it's not exactly clear until the end if he's friend or foe.

Meanwhile, a monster appears in Seol, South Korea and terrorizes the city, causing panic world wide. Gloria comes to realize she is connected to what she initially believes is a random event and what follows is a process of her facing her demons and deepest struggles. 

This story reveals the destruction that alcoholism leaves in its wake. It makes us ponder, does abusing alcohol (or any substance really) make you into a monster, or only reveal the monster within? It seems like a film that can't decide what genre it is wouldn't be able to provide us with any answers, but as I mentioned before, this film is ambitious. If it accomplishes anything we can at least come to sympathize with Gloria's battle to defeat her addiction and the film does with this with a splash of feminism, making you pump your first at the end. 

This story is quirky with a touch of magic and an honest portrayal of life's struggles. If you can suspend reality a little bit, I think this film has a lot to offer. And for all of your movie theater options right now, Colossal is not a bad way to go.

Food & Film: Hell or High Water

Talking about a film while eating good food with people I love is possibly my favorite thing ever. I've got the perfect movie and meal combo for a date night in or get together with friends, so consider your weekend plans made.

Hell or High Water is a movie that besides its Oscar nomination, in my opinion, didn't get enough attention last year. It's set on the dusty roads of West Texas where wide open skies, beautiful sunsets, and cowboys are not in short supply. Chris Pine and Ben Foster star along with Jeff Bridges. 

The story follows two brothers (Pine and Foster) who team up to save their family's land by robbing the banks that have taken advantage of their dying mother by trying to repossess it because of its valuable oil. Bridges, along with his Native American partner, are the lawmen trying to anticipate their next move and bring them to justice.

This film touches on themes of brotherhood, sacrifice, and justice with excellent performances as well as writing from Taylor Sheridan who knows a thing or two about West Texas, being from there himself. I watched this movie for the first time after having moved back to Texas myself. 

I have the easiest Tex-Mex chicken stew recipe to share. My husband hadn't seen the movie yet, so we warmed a big bowl of Tex-Mex stew and watched it together. Here's the recipe, inspired by this Texas tale:

Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Stew

Ingredients:

- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, chopped
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped 
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon canola oil

To start, chop all of your veggies:

Combine all of your veggies in a bowl with the tomato paste, chili powder, and oil and microwave for 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Once the chicken is easy enough to shred with a fork, remove the chicken and set the slow cooker to warm. Shred the chicken like so:

Skim the fat off the top of the chili in the slow-cooker and rinse your black beans. Add the shredded chicken back in, black beans, and corn and let it heat through for 5 minutes or so. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and any other fixin' of your liking! 

And of course, serve your favorite corn bread on the side!

I'm hoping to make these Food & Film posts a regular thing, so stay tuned for more good movies and yummy recipes inspired by them!

Why Ben Hur is the best religious film of all time

The first time I watched Ben-Hur was at my favorite movie theater, Cinerama - a gorgeous mid-century theater in downtown Seattle. The presentation was a 70mm format, which basically means an even crisper movie-going experience. For a movie that came out in 1959, the quality was amazing, making the showing that much more memorable.

My expectations were pretty low because to the chagrin of some, I'm not someone who loves old movies (with a few exceptions). Even though I'm a movie buff, I'm not enamored with old Hollywood like many cinephiles. I went to see the film with my husband and in-laws. My husband and I had never seen it, but we tagged along because it's a classic and they wanted to share it with us. I'm so glad they did.

I really enjoy The Passion of the Christ. I was thirteen years old when it came out and I remember being very moved by it. As much as a young girl seeing her first R rated movie with her church friends can be I suppose. I think it's a fine film to watch around this time of year. It invites contemplation and reflection. I know many people enjoy watching it, especially on Good Friday when as Christians, we have an opportunity to remember Christ's death on the cross and its importance to our faith.

I'd argue Ben-Hur is a better choice if you're looking for a religious movie to watch this Easter weekend. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best religious film made to date. The Passion is an accurate portrayal of the life of Christ and it's very well done. I think there was a lot of heart and conviction that went into making it, but that's just it. It's a portrayal. A portrayal of the most perfect man who ever lived, and so by default it falls short. 

At the end of the day an interpretation of the last days of man who actually lived and died in one of the most horrific ways possible is a tall order. An artistic representation of a man who claimed to be God and died for the sins of the world is a very dim shadow of the reality of that event over 2,000 years ago.

Ben-Hur is fiction. It follows a wealthy, Jewish man set in the days of Christ who suffers betrayal at the hands of a friend, enslavement, starvation, poverty, a thirst for revenge, and eventually victory and vindication (via an epic chariot race/battle). The truth is, Charleston Heston's character, Judah Ben-Hur, faces much of the same suffering as Jesus himself, but unlike Jesus, he's not perfect. In fact, his sins are presented very honestly through much of the movie. Even though he's a man who has been deeply wronged, we don't get the impression he is justified in his actions. Judah Ben-Hur is a character we can identify with. 

And yet, in one of the most beautiful pictures of redemption in any one piece of art, Judah has an encounter with Jesus. Several encounters actually. Judah's life parallels Jesus' life and he hears of this Messiah, but it isn't until the end of the film when he comes to the end of himself and has lost everything that he has that he recognizes his need for a savior. And that's when Jesus shows up. Like he always does. I've never seen this beautiful reality portrayed so well. And that's why, in my opinion, this is the best religious film of all time. I know there was a remake this last year. I wouldn't waste your time. It's pales in comparison to the original.

I'm not alone in my admiration. This film won 11 Academy Awards making it one of the most awarded films of all time. This is a long film with a running time of over three and a half hours, so it's a commitment, but well worth it.