
Today I’m going to focus on the top five movies I’ve seen in the past few months. Since our selection of “new” movies at the Nairobi movie theaters is limited, some of these are ones that we’ve had to sent to us from the U.S. or that we’ve borrowed from other missionaries.
5—Batman: The Dark Knight. This one barely made my list. It was so supremely dark and deadly that I felt like it was one drop of blood shy of an R rating. The story was strong and the action great, but it just lacked the redemptive qualities that I loved about the first Bale-Batman pic.
4—Once. This is more like a 90 minute music video than a movie. Simple plot is carried along by unique and good-not-great music which gives it an irresistible quality that you wouldn’t expect to see in a successful film. The 20 seconds of credits at the end symbolizes the simplicity of this piano-guitar laced flick.
3—Hancock. I could’ve done without some of the cussing early on, but once it got past the ‘Hancock is a tortured soul” part of the plot, the movie really soared. Homeless guy with superpowers who is just looking for love. Romance, special effects, superheroes (yes, there are more than one!), and the smug Jason Bateman—nice combination.
2—Lars and the Real Girl. My #2 movie has a sex doll for a leading lady. Got your attention? This premise is supremely odd, but the writing and the acting is otherworldly. Asks thought-provoking questions about what it means to be a man and to love, but it lets you laugh at the crazy concept while you’re thinking. An unexpected gem.
1—Juno. This movie felt like what would happen if Napoleon Dynamite ever grew up. It made me laugh and cry. I loved the music. This is an odd flick to have in your “Top 10 All-Time” but it’s there. (And Dwight Shrute’s lines early in the movie didn’t hurt it either—“It ain’t no Etch-a-sketch. That’s one doodle that can’t be undid, home skillet.”)
Honorable Mention: Wall-E. An existentialist robot spewing environmental conservation to children? Even Pixar’s trash turns to gold.
5—Batman: The Dark Knight. This one barely made my list. It was so supremely dark and deadly that I felt like it was one drop of blood shy of an R rating. The story was strong and the action great, but it just lacked the redemptive qualities that I loved about the first Bale-Batman pic.
4—Once. This is more like a 90 minute music video than a movie. Simple plot is carried along by unique and good-not-great music which gives it an irresistible quality that you wouldn’t expect to see in a successful film. The 20 seconds of credits at the end symbolizes the simplicity of this piano-guitar laced flick.
3—Hancock. I could’ve done without some of the cussing early on, but once it got past the ‘Hancock is a tortured soul” part of the plot, the movie really soared. Homeless guy with superpowers who is just looking for love. Romance, special effects, superheroes (yes, there are more than one!), and the smug Jason Bateman—nice combination.
2—Lars and the Real Girl. My #2 movie has a sex doll for a leading lady. Got your attention? This premise is supremely odd, but the writing and the acting is otherworldly. Asks thought-provoking questions about what it means to be a man and to love, but it lets you laugh at the crazy concept while you’re thinking. An unexpected gem.
1—Juno. This movie felt like what would happen if Napoleon Dynamite ever grew up. It made me laugh and cry. I loved the music. This is an odd flick to have in your “Top 10 All-Time” but it’s there. (And Dwight Shrute’s lines early in the movie didn’t hurt it either—“It ain’t no Etch-a-sketch. That’s one doodle that can’t be undid, home skillet.”)
Honorable Mention: Wall-E. An existentialist robot spewing environmental conservation to children? Even Pixar’s trash turns to gold.


