Greetings readers! Another weekend is upon us and of course, this always means for me it’s time to make every possible attempt to view the new and recent theatrical releases I have on the ever-growing list for 2014. So, first up is a film that actually came out LAST weekend, but have just last night finally had the chance to see. And so, let’s get right to it…..I present to you….”Left Behind”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
Directed by Vic Armstrong, one of Hollywood’s more prolific stunt men/coordinators (having worked in several of the industry’s biggest films), the film starts us off with the arrival back home of college student Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) for her professional airline pilot father Rayford’s (Nicholas Cage) birthday. After a call to her mother Irene (Lea Thompson) advises that her father was called in to work and won’t be present, Chloe waits at the airport for his arrival to board his flight, in the meantime getting caught up in a verbal confrontation between a woman and popular journalist Buck Williams (Chad Michael Murray) in regard to the concept of God, something of which we find Chloe’s mother has also become engaged with in her own life, much to Chloe’s distaste and annoyance. After conversing a while with Buck, Rayford appears and an awkward conversation ensues with him and Chloe, giving a sense that their overall family life is not heading in a good direction since Irene’s “conversion”. After another run-in with Buck (and the airing of more frustrations to him) Chloe heads to the family home where her little brother Raymie (Major Dodson) excitedly awaits and things seem good until the subject of God once again comes up via Irene, to Chloe’s anger. In the meantime, we see Rayford has his own issues to deal with, including the not-so-subtle advances of one of flight’s attendants, Hattie (Nicky Whelen), as they prepare to head to London with a plane full of people. Back at home, Chloe decides to head out to clear her anger and reluctantly taking Raymie with her, the two head for the local mall. Rayford’s flight takes off for London and for the moment, things seem to have calmed. And then….the event occurs….at the mall, in a moment, Raymie vanishes right before Chloe’s eyes, so fast that it initially doesn’t truly register. Then all around her, chaos breaks out as the realization that a LOT of people have just disappeared in the same fashion, unexpectedly, and leaving clothes and personal possessions behind, has not only happened here, but all over the world. The same thing occurs on Rayford’s trans-Atlantic flight, the remaining passengers also thrown into an state of total panic and terror, including Buck who is on the flight to London as well. As everything on both the ground and the air turns to disbelief, conspiracy theory, fear, anger, and complete breakdown, both Chloe and Rayford begin their respective journeys towards attempting to discover what has happened and re-connect with each other, all while having to battle their OWN sense of understanding that however impossible it seems, an event they and so many others have doubted, or written off as religious drivel, has just come to pass….and a new fight to survive and prepare for what is coming next has just begun. Per usual, more details would be spoiler central, and I stand by the choice to NOT do that. And so….that is that.
The film is the second attempt to bring this story of the Biblical Rapture to the screen, based on the novel series “Left Behind” by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. As one would, sadly, guess, this film got panned pretty much across the board by critics, and it has been my OWN experience that often, Christian-based films tend to have low budgets and the writing, acting, and visuals are not always up to par, even compared to indie film standards. HOWEVER, this said, I personally did NOT see things that way with the film. Yes, we aren’t looking at a scope like this year’s “Noah” or the upcoming Ridley Scott effort, “Exodus: Gods & Kings“, BUT that really wasn’t in itself the POINT or INTENTION of this film anyway. What strikes me the most is the actual depiction and concept being conveyed OF the Rapture and the ensuing circumstances that unfold once it’s happened. I feel the film effectively brought across the straight-up fact that once the event has occurred, the rest of the world is freaking out…complete and total panic as I mentioned above in the review…when those not taken are suddenly awakened to the reality of something they’ve HEARD about, most likely dismissed, and now find themselves actually having to FACE it. And then it becomes, amidst the chaos, a personal journey of reflecting what one believes in, or DOESN’T believe in, coming to terms with it, and then making the choice to get prepared for what is going to happen next while making the changes in thinking and belief that will soon become totally necessary. Visually, the film’s big event was the most impacting, I grant you. The rest of it was simple and illustrated effectively enough the images of a world coping with the unexplained, or really, now being faced with its own unbelief. Acting-wise, everyone does their part well enough, I mean, I honestly did not go into this expecting Oscar-level performances. Is it the GREATEST acting ever, of course not, but that shouldn’t take away from the efforts made and the success in bringing out what is needed for the story. It should ALSO be understood that this story you see is just the BEGINNING of a larger one to unfold, which of course we will only get if the producers choose to make more films in the series. Otherwise, it’s about reading the book series then. I didn’t feel the overall execution of the film was anywhere close to as POOR as so many critics would make you believe, as even if certain aspects of quality are not present here, the bigger questions that ARE present here about God, faith, the Rapture, being READY for things beyond our understanding, and how we each try to think, or be challenged TO think, about eternity and what CAN and will come in the blink of an eye. I am a Christian, I believe in this concept, but even beyond that, I think it reminds us ALL to consider the unseen and where we stand in this all too mortal life we have.
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Permalink