10/10 (+1)

I had a hunch that this movie was going to be good. Not only do I have incredible faith in Joss Whedon and his storytelling abilities, the trailers showed plenty of action packed scenes, so at the very least it would be no worse than most of the comic book movies recently produced. And let’s not discount the box office and some of my favorite critics and their tweets after seeing a preview of it.

With all of that in mind this movie still managed to BLOW ME OUT OF THE WATER. I’m pretty sure people around me may have been annoyed by my constant girly shrieks of joy, laughter and cheer at some of the best comic book storytelling I’ve ever seen!

So, it’s pretty obvious by my statement above that this movie entertained me. There is no shortage of entertainment in this movie and if that is all you are looking for in a movie, then this is a movie you must see. The action scenes and intermittent jokes, gags and one-liners should please most of the people who watch movies like this.

If you are looking for a movie with a little substance, well guess what…you’re going to get it with this movie as well. Some of you may retort back, “but Lyf, the premise and plot of this movie are nothing shy of ridiculous.” If you are the type of person who would say this, then this movie and 90% of the movies in this genre are not for you. So don’t bother reading this review and don’t bother going to see this movie. For the rest of you, this movie is so technically proficient and artistically excellent that I will only touch on a couple of the elements that really made this stand out for me. If I were to touch on every element, well, I would be here all night and so would you

The most outstanding elements of The Avengers are the storytelling elements: the story, the script, the dialogue, the characters, the characters arcs and development. If you’ve ever watched anything that Joss Whedon has done before this, then you know that he has a gift for developing interesting characters. These characters, while not his own creations, have very real and wonderful interactions with each and are all surprisingly human and vulnerable. I was wondering throughout the movie how you could make characters like Thor and Loki vulnerable as they are “gods” so-to-speak, but he manages to, and in a very believable way. The personalities of all the Avengers are handled almost perfectly. Add to all of this the careful and sincere direction Whedon gives the actors, and their equally sincere performances, and you have a recipe for a very lively and excellently crafted movie.

If, like I said above, you don’t care for those finer elements of moviemaking, then you will be happy to know that Joss Whedon can also direct the heck out of the action sequences, and has a good eye for special effects as well. Absolutely OUTSTANDING!

There you go, my obviously glowing review of the most entertaining comic book movie I’ve seen since Scott Pilgrim vs The World!

9/10 (+1)

Well, I was curious about this movie. I had about a dozen or more people recommend this movie. And they all said the same thing, that they couldn’t tell me anything about the movie, that I just had to go and see it. A friend of mine also warned me that she wished she hadn’t watched the trailer, it gave too much away.

Well, I didn’t watch the trailer. I simply went to the theatre and watched it.

wow

that’s really all I can say….

wow…

Now, some of you who read this may wonder about my response. I’m not a fan of horror movies. That still hasn’t changed. I did enjoy quite thoroughly though the Scream movies from Wes Craven. Those movies played on their genre with an attention to detail worthy of any fanboy. And to have been made by the director, who came to define the genre, made them even sweeter.

So, to have this movie penned and co-directed by another fanboy who has helped define a genre made it even that much sweeter.

Indeed, I too can’t say too much about this movie without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. What I can say is that the technical aspects of this movie are outstanding. The direction, acting (which really is delightfully cheesy and intentionally so), story, script, special fx (which aren’t the best I’ve seen but do the job well), and overall production values are well above par.

If you don’t like horror movies then don’t watch this movie…it’s bloody and violent, as a horror movie should be. If you like horror movies, then this is a must-watch.

There you go. My brief and obscure review

7/10 (+1)

Some of you reading this may be surprised by my rating. In a way I am too. However as I was watching it, I was reminded by previous conversations with people, that movies are primarily about entertainment. In this light, The Hunger Games succeeded. It was entertaining, it was well paced, the action sequences were edited and shot well so that young audiences could watch it without being too offended. But for me, that’s where the good ends.

You may recall my review of the books. If not, then read it here –> http://stolteclan.ca/lyf/2012/01/21/hunger-games-trilogy/. Don’t worry it doesn’t give anything away…except that the books are glamorized pulp-fiction.

Now, I hope you’re ready to read for a bit, because this could be one of my longer posts about a movie…oh, and at the very end there is a tiny spoiler towards the end, just in case you care about that sort of thing…

Technically speaking, this movie is on par for what it is: a summer blockbuster. The direction, while nothing to write home about is more than competent. Gary Ross does a good job of capturing some really stellar emotional moments. The script is subpar, but you’re going to get that when you have a subpar source to draw from. The script could have been better had the writers and the director understood the difference between mediums. Ross does understand the difference enough to be able to weave in some important moments from outside the books first-person narration. And that is important especially for any director that comes along to develop books 2 & 3 into movies. Ross has set the stage well.

The production values are money, and it kind of works. The production design was inconsistent, but when it was spot on…wow! it was spot on. I really liked the interpretation of Katniss’ dresses for the Capitol shows – those were very well done (not what I imagined in my mind’s eye when I read the books, but nothing in this movie was). The costumes, apart from the tributes show outfits, were hit and miss. Caesar, Effie, Seneca, Snow, Prim, Katniss’ mom, these costumes were good. Also, the majority of the outfits for the background actors were great. But Katniss, Peeta and Gale, just poorly designed. Instead of being true to the universe, they go for sex appeal.

The score were exceptional. The score was subtle and deliciously underscored the whole movie.

One bone of contention that I have had with the movie since I saw the trailers is the casting. I think that this is where Ross really missed the boat. Sure, the actors are all good actors, but that doesn’t make them right for the roles. My biggest beef is with Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. Part of it is that Harrelson just doesn’t look like Haymitch looked in my minds eye. And also his personality doesn’t fit with Haymitch’s. I was though pleasantly surprised as Harrelson did a decent job throughout at least half of the movie, and gave some interesting flavor to Haymitch.

Jennifer Lawrence is a good actor. She became Katniss as the movie progressed however I really feel that her opportunities to give the character more depth was incredibly limited by the script and style. Katniss isn’t my favorite character to begin with and this movie did nothing to help that. I like Jennifer Lawrence and I think she did the best with what she was given. An element that would have helped was in the production design department: they should (and, yes I know, that’s a dangerous word) have made her look less pretty. Her and Peeta and Gale all needed to look more like they came from District 12 as opposed to the Capitol. Those three looked completely out of place in their home district, and that was a major failing for me.

Another character that I felt was poorly cast was Cato. Now, I’m not sure if it was his acting, the direction he was given or simply that he didn’t look the way I thought Cato should look, but I really felt that he wasn’t a threat at all. He didn’t have that bad guy vibe that they tried to give him.

And President Snow. Let me say, like with Harrelson being Haymitch, Donald Sutherland as President Snow was a huge hurdle for me as I pictured Snow more like Morgan Freeman from Lean On Me. The pleasant thing though is that Sutherland had some great moments in the movie which helped me to get over my picture of him. That is how casting should work. There was this great moment between him and Seneca which was just so understated and perfect….mmmmmm delicious!

The best casting choice they made though was by far Elizabeth Banks as Effie. A pitch perfect casting choice and an actress who gave a pitch perfect performance. Excellent! (Interesting side note: Effie’s name is never said in the movie.)

Let’s look at something a little more subjective: the tone and theme of the movie and my opinion about it.

The theme of the books is split between oppression and the desensitization of our culture to violence. The movie handles these themes absolutely poorly. First of all, to translate a movie to film, one has to completely understand the difference in mediums and that to convey the same story and themes and such, different devices must be used. The writers of the film I don’t think understood this as well as they needed to. Sure, they ditched the first person narrative for a more omnipresent one, but even in that they failed to truly run with it as they needed to. To see a book adapted almost perfectly into a movie, read Coraline by Neil Gaiman then watch the movie by Henry Selick. You will then understand how a master storyteller can use the different mediums to tell the same story.

When I think of how to tell our culture that they are desensitized to violence, I don’t think that a “movie” that entertains them is the way to go. A direction I would have gone myself, would have been to have more of the Games themselves as the districts see them. Show the people in the Capitol cheering over the deaths, show the people in the other richer districts do the same; then have the reactions from the poorer districts contrasting those. And if you’re really daring, show the districts that would represent the “middle class” and their reactions. I imagine then you could have a compelling movie that shines a light on our culture’s consumption of violence.

To add to the poor translation of the book and the equally poor handling of the themes, the choices that director Gary Ross makes in regards to camera movement is confusing and inconsistent. Shaky camera does not equal drama. And this is a comment that I’ve read in plenty of other reviews of the movie. I could understand that choice if Ross then contrasted it with über smooth camera movements in carefully chosen places. But the choices for camera movements seem completely random and in the end are very ineffective overall. They don’t help the tone of the movie. To give the movie some consistent tone that would be helpful, I would try selecting different camera moves for different districts or for the Games, or for a character arc or something. But the camera moves and shots are random and, so, are randomly effective,

[SPOILER ALERT]
Now, the final clincher for me, the moment the movie builds toward and is ultimately about, the moment that fuels the sequels: the double suicide attempt. Ross does not handle this moment well at all. Up to this point he uses close-ups almost indiscriminately, and so when a close-up would draw the audience in and give them a connection, he opts for a medium shot of the two and then calls cut about a second too early. I know that may be nitpicking, however it is such an important moment and the gravity is completely lost…at least to me it was.

In conclusion, while I give the movie a 7/10 for entertainment value, it gets a 4/10 for everything else it may have been trying to do.

8/10 (-1)

This movie is fantastic, which is no small feat considering the scope of the story and the relative obscurity of the director. For all of it’s amazingness: the acting, the direction, the editing, the script, the f/x, my biggest pet peeve is that the main human character doesn’t sign ONCE to Caesar and yet communicates with him by talking…AAAARRRGH!!! It could have been such a perfect movie otherwise. I’m sure there were reasons, but I can’t help but think that it’s because they were lazy. A great way to revisit a classic sci-fi franchise!

Dodge Landon: Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!
Caesar [ape]: NO!

Nausicaä

8/10 (=)

I sincerely enjoy everything I have watched by Miyazaki. And this was no different. The Princess is a great character who is a great role-model for young girls, well actually for all of us really. I don’t have much more to say…just watch this movie. It’s good Oh, and I’ve been told my friend @Elumir, that the manga series expands on the universe in a truly fantastic way. Must find them!

Yupa: [about Kushana's arm] An insect did that?
Kushana: Yes, and whatever lucky man becomes my husband shall see far worse than that.

Sherlock [BBC Season 1]

9/10 (+2)

So, told my friend Whitless that I needed a geeky media night. She agrees and I tell her that she gets to choose what we watch and she brings over the new BBC version of Sherlock. I was skeptical simply because I think I was in the mood for something else, something specific and it wasn’t that. Well…wasn’t I pleasantly surprised!

Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch are simply brilliant as Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. This is a very fresh and nicely realized update to a great classic series. The cheekiness and quirks abound and are executed with hilarious and meticulous precision. If you are a fan of the originals then these, I think, will provide you with a great re-introduction. Watch out for Moriarty though…his characterization may throw you off. Don’t let it. He’s important and the way he is portrayed is important too!

Sherlock Holmes: I’m not a psychopath, Anderson, I’m a high-functioning sociopath, do your research.
…
Jim Moriaty: If you don’t stop prying, I’ll burn you. I’ll burn the heart out of you.
Sherlock Holmes: I have been reliably informed that I don’t have one.
Jim Moriaty: But we both know that’s not quite true.

John Carter

8/10 (+1)

Disney took a huge chance on this movie and I have to admit that I am utterly grateful that they did. I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. In fact, here’s a treat for you all…a video review from myself, Whitless and Errol!

Matai Shang: We do not cause the destruction of a world, Captain Carter. We simply manage it. Feed off it, if you like.

21 Jump Street

8/10 (+1)

Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend this movie. While I found it funny for the most part, there were two separate little shots that just weren’t necessary that leave me unable to recommend this movie. Sorry. I laughed and I enjoyed some of the very clever moments which clearly separates this movie from others like it. It knows what it is, doesn’t apologize for it, but also doesn’t ham it up too much…it’s just enough. And the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum is surprisingly dynamic. But I can’t recommend it.

Deputy Chief Hardy: [from trailer] You forgot to read him his Miranda rights.
Jenko: It obviously goes something like… you have the right to remain… an attorney.
Deputy Chief Hardy: Did you just say you have the right to be an attorney?
Schmidt: You DO have the right to be an attorney, if you want to.

The King’s Speech

9/10 (+1)

I totally understand why this movie got all the attention that it did…it is simply FANTASTIC! The acting, the directing, the story and the script itself, the production values…everything is stunning. I very much enjoyed the times when the King was being given exercises to try…it killed me If you haven’t seen this movie, I can’t really recommend it enough right now. It’s FANTASTIC!!!

Lionel Logue: You still stammered on the ‘W’.
King George VI: Well I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me. .

You will find a link here to the homily to my friend Wayne by his friend Nola. I am including in this post though several quotes and sections that resonated with me when I heard them spoken. Dear Wayne, you are missed my friend!

Nola’s homily for Wayne McKenna

Excerpts…

Two days before he was to move in, he died with his friend Kevin, close at had: still unfettered by possessions and a roof to call his own!

And how he filled those 45 years!

Un-apologetically to be sure. He was so full of plans and projects: for himself and others. So full of getting people together. Plotting what could be accomplished when he got the right combination together. Dreaming of what could be done for his friends. Scheming to defeat the hypocrites.

He was a doer. He never seemed to stop moving, never knew the meaning of relaxation…always on the go. Moving about, touching lives, challenging the phony. [emphasis mine]

He could be angry, bigoted and his mouth regularly would have been washed with soap had my mother been about! But his friend, Lyf, from Sanctuary, compared him to St. Damien, a man who lived and worked alongside the Lepers of Hawaii until his death and was accused of being dirty, bigoted and coarse. Well, Wayne did have some things in common with Damien: he was a man who was indifferent to what others thought of his life choices and lived his life, his faith so internalized that he directed his anger against those who victimized others and bigoted against those who spoke the Word but didn’t walk the walk… It was as if he had taken up Christ’s instructions to his Apostles when he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God… “Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, for scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.” Like them, Wayne travelled light. But Wayne travelled with the Spirit. Possessions, what he wore, where he slept was of little import. What he did, and for whom, and with whom…that was what mattered.

Wayne has gone before us. We are not here to say good-bye: rather, we say, “…Until we meet again, walk with God.”

I met Wayne roughly 5-6 years ago, and it was definitely not your typical beginning of a close friendship. Let’s just sum it up by saying that we both told each other where to go and how to get there. Why? I still can’t remember. We were both being very pig-headed about something and neither of us gave an inch. For the next 6 months, if he came into our drop-in, I left; if I came into the drop-in, he left. It was not pretty. After 6 months something inside me was telling me to settle the account because he wasn’t going anywhere. So, I went up to him, apologized for being a stubborn [mule], and asked him to forgive me.

Well, he didn’t.

He instead scolded me for asking for forgiveness because he appreciated my stubbornness as it showed him that I had beliefs and I was willing to stick with them.

Over the course of the next 5-6 years, we had countless more yelling matches (sorry fellow staff members and thank you for your patience with us!), and while I did have beliefs, and he had his, we were able to speak to each other in ways that, even if the other person didn’t change their view, they at least understood the other’s view and could live with it. There were also many times where Wayne educated me and opened my eyes to things that I am forever grateful for.

One of my favorite times with Wayne was attending the Fringe show “Green” by Beaver Theatre Co….

It started out like any other day with Jenn and the boys away, getting into work a little earlier than normal, making plans to see a play in the afternoon and then getting home after supper time. I’m in the office and I hear a knock at the door and I open it. Who was it? good ol’ Wayne. He stood there and went on and on and on and on about something (he did that a lot…we let him just vent for the most part, at least until it got too rowdy, then we asked him to calm down and he would). After about 10 minutes of ranty-ranty talk, he asked me if I had time for a coffee? I tell him that I’m heading out anyway and that I have time for more than a coffee, I have time for a walk. So we walk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and…well, you get the point. We end up at the venue for my friends’ show and, well, I don’t know what possessed me, but something must have for the next words out of my mouth once we got there was, “Hey Wayne. Wanna join me?”

What the [bleep] was I thinking?!?!?! Well, I was honestly thinking that he wouldn’t accept as these events were usually too “artsy” “leftist” bull for him. But what does he say…”Sure Lyf.” WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!

Well, I think to myself, “ok.” We bought the tickets, during which I noticed that it was an audience participation piece (inside I was weeping), and then we sat on the steps and chatted some more.

The doors opened, we took our seats and the show began. The show ended and Wayne, well, Wayne LOVED IT! I was surprised. He enjoyed it so much, that from time to time he would mention it again and reflect on how much fun it was. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a sappy remembrance, it was a true Wayne-remembrance! After the show, I asked him what he wanted to do; you see, Jenn and the boys were out of town and so I didn’t have any plans that night and I decided to spend some more time with Wayne. The next 3 hours ended up being the most relaxing, enjoyable 3 hours I had ever spent with Wayne. You see, I think it was that he got his ranty-rants out by the time we got to the play that, afterwards, he was able to talk about more “normal” things and take me on a tour of Toronto – Crazy Wayne-style. It was good.

So, that’s my fondest memory of Wayne. A 6-hour long afternoon date.

He was a good man. He was an honest man.

One thing I regret though, about my friendship with Wayne, is that I didn’t poke around too much into his past, his personal life. I know he lost his wife some time ago to a disease that took her very slowly away from him. I know that he has a daughter. I don’t know their names. I don’t know much about them. I do know that he loved them with all of his heart, that I am absolutely sure of. I hope that I get to meet his daughter, and I wish I could have met his wife.

Personally, I just hope that when they greet him wherever he lands, they don’t put him in the time-out box too quickly

Wayne, I love ya man. I’ll miss you.

Go get ‘em!

Megamind

8/10 (+1)

Here’s a perfect 2-liner about the movie, “The supervillain Megamind finally defeats his nemesis, the superhero Metro Man. But without a hero, he loses all purpose and must find new meaning to his life. [source IMDB.com]“. What I enjoyed about this movie was the character of Megamind, especially as Will Ferrell embodied him. The excellent thing about voice acting is that the actor is given so much more freedom to explore the truth of the character, providing opportunity for very deep and intense emotional reactions. The story is interesting as well and I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to like it; seemed a little too post-modern for me. But I felt the writing was ok and the direction worked well for me. Score another one for Dreamworks!

Megamind: [answering a cell phone] Ollo?
Minion: Uh, it’s “hello”, sir.
Megamind: Oh… Hello?
[to Minion]
Megamind: Like that?
Minion: [gives him a thumbs-up]

Moon

9/10 (+1)

Very easily compared to 2001: A Space Odessy. However, it’s not, and that’s a good thing. “Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems. [source IMDB.com]“. Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell who is pretty much the only person in the movie. Rockwell delivers an outstandingly precise performance in what is basically a one-man show; that is no small feat, especially in this age of blockbuster action movies with huge casts. The f/x are wonderfully simple. I very much enjoyed watching Sam Rockwell, he commanded my attention the whole time without any contrivances.

Sam Bell: Listen, why don’t you relax. Why don’t you take a pill, bake a cake, go read the encyclopedia.

Attack The Block

9/10 (+1)

The first trailer I ever saw totally made me want to watch this movie. Then I read Mick Lasalle’s review and I wanted to see it even more! (I have determined that Mick Lasalle is my anti-critic…most movies I like, he does not get in any way shape or form).

The premise of the movie is utterly simple, “A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion. [source IMDB.com]“. It is in this simplicity where the movie truly succeeds. The characters are free to be themselves. For me, I enjoyed the characters and their growth and development during the course of the events in the movie. The dialogue was enjoyable too as the characters definitely communicated in a realistic and naturalistic fashion; I think this is both due to the script and the unaffected nature of the young actors.

If you want a much more in-depth and fantastic review, then check out Film Crit Hulk’s review here. It’s long but well worth the read

Jerome: This is too much madness to explain in one text!

Underworld: Awakening

6/10 (-1)

What can I say. I got what I expected. I mean, when you’re premise is as dumb and, well, frankly, stupid as this, “When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind. [source IMDB.com]“, then you dare not expect much.

The action was ok and that was all that I wanted or needed from this movie. Can’t say I recommend it though.

Selene: My heart is not cold. It’s broken.

Captain America

8/10 (+1)

Of the superhero movies of late, this is definitely my favorite (Iron Man still tops my list though). The characters, while, for the most part pretty darn 2-d, Captain America himself is deliciously deep. Before I go on, here’s the summary, “After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending the USA’s ideals. [source IMDB.com]“.

Chris Evans totally pulls off this character which, I gotta admit, I had a hard time imagining. The director, Joe Johnston, definitely has a mixed bag of a career, but he manages to pull this one off fairly well. The overall comic-y feel of the action helped because they were consistent all. the. way. through., which doesn’t always happen.

I can honestly recommend this. If you see a superhero movie before you see The Avengers this summer, be sure to see this one…it’s worth it!

Abraham Erskine: [about his choice] Why someone weak? Because a weak man knows the value of strength, the value of power…

I recently attended Jumblies Theatre’s Arts 4All Essentials 6-day workshop/conference here in TO. It was a very full and buys time of discovery, networking and art creation.

If you are an artist in Canada who engages with a specific community, or not, this is an incredibly valuable experience that gave me a refreshing breath of creative air and also some wonderful new tools to take back to my community. You also get to meet people from all different artistic disciplines and places; there were attendees from Sioux Lookout and Red Lake, Halifax, Regina, Kingston and Toronto.

One thought just to end this post (there will probably be more as I process the whole event):

…throwing an exercise or a play together on the fly is an insult to everyone, but most of all an insult to the terrible beauty and staggering potential that art offers, should we be willing to meet her on her terms. The problem is that the world is a confusing and scary place, and we need every ounce of imagination we can muster, together with the skills to put that imagination into form.
[by Julie Salverson, "Imagination and Art in Community Arts"; alt.theatre journal, Teesri Duniya Theatre, Montréal. 2006]

I’m not going to end with that quote though (sorry), I really want to end by thanking Ruth Howard of Jumblies Theatre for organizing this conference and getting all the incredible artists to come together and be part of such an inspiring event!

Hey there all. So, my latest newsletter will be hitting your mailboxes soon (if you’re on my mailing list that is). If you just happen to be by the site and want to read it now without waiting (who could blame you after all *wink*), then download it here –> LyfLet 2011: a year in review

Now, I must warn you it is rather long, so if you’d prefer, you can listen to an audio version of it instead! Yep, you read that right…there is an audio version of my newsletter, read by none other than yours truly! It’s my first time so be gentle

LyfLet 2011: a year in review by stolteclan

[ song provided by Kevin MacLeod at http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=finding+the+balance&Search=Search ]

Thank you for listening. If you like what you’ve read or heard, and you don’t already receive my newsletter (released on an unsuspecting public 1-3 times per year) then please fill in the form below (or at the side)

[a remembering of friends]

This year has not been easy. As I write that I think, really, is any year here at Sanctuary an easy year; this one though, for myself, has been especially trying. I often think of the song by Keith Green “Asleep in the Light”; when I hear it I ache inside. The song really speaks to the heart of why this has not been an easy year for me.

“‘Cause Jesus came to your door and you’ve left him out on the streets.”

We do our best not to leave anyone out on the streets. So why then, in the midst of welcoming so many people do I feel so uneasy? I am reminded of Jesus’ saying “that you do to the least of these you do also to me” and then I am attacked by the least of these accusing me of my unchristian attitude when I refuse someone entry who regularly physically attacks people. “By this they will know you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another.” (John 13:35). “Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you.” (Luke 6:27, 28). I struggle so much with how to love my enemy…how to bless those who curse me (and believe me, that is no small number when the wind blows right); Praying is easy, but I notice that is the last point that Jesus makes, it’s the first two that I don’t quite know how to process, especially after someone has threatened, punched and tried to strangle people during our worship service.

That in and of itself would be difficult enough on a regular basis, but add to that death. Deaths of friends. Deaths of people whom I’ve known for almost 8 years. To this day, I have grieved over a dozen people, and the process does not get easier; especially when they are people who have touched my life so deeply, friends who have shared so much of their journey, their pain and suffering with me. (I wonder if I’ll ever learn how to grieve properly.) I recently talked with Joe, a pastor friend of mine, and mentioned how I am still grieving certain friends and that it surprised me. He had this interested and puzzled look on his face, “Why would it surprise you?” It was my turn to look puzzled right back. Then I thought about it. The first person I remember losing was my father’s father. That was when I was 7. I did not stop crying when I thought about him until I was almost finished high school. So, if the loss of someone close to me, whom I knew during the first seven years of my life, affected me so deeply, why did I think that the loss of these friends, whom I’ve known for the past 7 years, affect me less deeply.

Gracie was one of the most vivacious, hardy women I had the pleasure of know-ing. She weathered a lot in her lifetime and still she maintained a beauty like the Rocky Mountains: crisp, powerful, cold and yet inviting to the most adventur-ous. I had the pleasure of working with Gracie several times on various projects. She performed her own poetry twice at different arts eXtravaganza’s; her poetry was angry, insightful and vulnerable. I also had the splendidly challenging op-portunity to direct her and another community member in a short humorous play by Shel Silverstein, One Tennis Shoe. The play was a smashing success in spite of half of the script appearing in various places where it wasn’t supposed to. Gracie never let that get in her way though, she always brought herself back and found a way to get to the end and keep the spirit and message of the play. God bless her

And then there was Marcel Metten, a wildly humorous, big hearted, light fingered man. My own first encounter with Marcel was over 7 years ago, roughly a month or so after I first arrived at Sanctuary. He had the lightest fingers ever. I didn’t notice for the majority of our conversation – 5-10 minutes or so – that he had my cell -phone; it wasn’t until he told me to hold on, he had a call coming through, that I noticed he had MY cellphone! The smile he had on his face was huge! The next week he tried to pick my velcro pockets – not so successful that time, and, on two separate occasions, he walked in on his own memorial service. Yep, you read that right. Different churches at different times held memorial services for Marcel; on one of the occasions, he simply walked in, sat in the back and waited until someone noticed. Didn’t say a blessed thing. Just smiled.

Joe Abbey-Colborne, pastor at Parkdale Neighbourhood Church, shared this memory with me that I would like to share with you,

Marcel was one of the guys who taught me that if I had an issue with someone; with the way he was behaving in the drop-in, that I should not come at them asserting “the rules”.

“Don’t tell me what ‘the rules’ are.” he said, “those are your rules, not mine. You guys make rules and then change them, anyway,” he jabbed. “You talk to me about rules, it doesn’t work ’cause that means you think you are above me.

Talk to me about ‘respect’…that’s different.” he explained, “That means we’re equal. We both need respect.”

I still feel like at some point he will knock on the door, or simply appear on the park bench outside, waiting patiently for a little help.

As I reflect on Marcel’s statement about respect, I realize that is something that I feel pretty deeply, especially when it is betrayed and then DEMANDED in the same breath. That is not easy for me. I don’t know how to love my enemy. I don’t know how to lay down my life for my brother. I don’t know how to bless those who curse me. I guess this is the journey I am on. It’s not easy. It definitely ain’t fun right now. But in the midst of all of this I am reminded that this is not the end. That I am as broken as my friends here. That my anger amounts to the same as their violence in God’s eyes and both sadden him greatly. But it doesn’t stop there…

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9