Movie Review: "Hanna"

This film is an action thriller about a 16 year old girl, played by Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), who is raised by her assassin father in an isolated wilderness near the Arctic Circle. After being separated for the first time from her father, their reunion takes her on a mission across Europe. Cate Blanchett plays an evil, formidable CIA officer who is bent on the destruction of Hanna and her father. The choreography is creative and violence, which occurs often, is not vulgar.

Movie Review: "Of gods and Men"

This recently released film recounts the real life drama of eight French Trappist monks living in a remote monastery in the Algerian Atlas Mountains. The monastery serves an impoverished Moslem village. They offer free medical care to the villagers and sell produce and honey. During the Algerian Civil War of the 1990’s, the monks are called on to treat villagers and terrorists alike. After other foreigners are murdered, they are urged by the Algerian government to evacuate to France. They decide to stay in the monastery, despite the danger of being killed by the Islamic terrorists.

Unlike many films, this story line holds very accurately to the actual events, setting and rituals of the characters- monks and villagers alike. Dialogue is fairly sparse, but not needed. The faith of the monks is fairly accurately expressed by the characters.