Review

The God Delusion is one of those books that polarises the readers - either you agree with it or you don’t. Its premise is that the half-way position cannot conscionably be held without some compromise, and ultimately the issue of religion is a divisive one in any case. Its topic? Why, that’s simple: God doesn’t exist and religion is a dangerous lie. Dawkins doesn’t just argue that god doesn’t exist; indeed, he dispenses with that argument very quickly. The primary focus of this book is not God - it is that the role religion has played in society has not been a positive one, and here he departs from what many in the middle ground hold - which is to say, God might not exist, but there’s nothing wrong with religion. Perhaps this is the only way to argue the case of God convincingly, given how tied up the question is with religion, but as you can tell, this strident position is sure to make many a little uncomfortable accepting Dawkins’ message. ...

Sepia-toned does not a period flick make, but this one did use it well to set the tone. The illusions are well crafted, though you’d struggle to believe they weren’t CGI. The setting isn’t entirely convincing either, but the underlying story could be set in any century (which is a complement). Paul Giamatti is excellent in so many ways - his performance has just the right mix, and his character ultimately drives the story along. Ed Norton and Jessica Biel, despite being the leads, really don’t get lines or action, surprisingly - their characters are by and large almost static, introduced at the start of the movie and that’s more or less where they remain. Giamatti on the other hand moves along, going from innocent bystander to key protagonist, restrained subtext expressed carefully - he wants to be loyal to the prince, but he’s also fascinated by the Illusionist of the title and his awe-inspiring magic. Ultimately it’s him you’re cheering for - perhaps that is the intention after all? I’m not entirely certain, but The Police Chief of Vienna might not have been such a enticing title. ...

(spoiler free - I’d never do that to you!) Why is it that by the third of a trilogy, the producers feel like they have to stretch things out just that liiiiiiiitle bit more, as though to reward the loyal fans? They did it to The Matrix, with its umpteen final gasps, to Spiderman, with its unnecessary villains, to Lord of the Rings, which admittedly is more Tolkien’s story, to Star Wars (both times!)? Is it a way to “wrap up” somehow? ...

Despite this being an excellent movie, in terms of acting and script writing and the message it has to carry, it depressed me. Despite the naturally upbeat attitude of Will Smith as Chris Gardener, despite his son’s great performance, despite all the amusing lines and situations, despite the happy ending that is real and shows that you can get ahead in the face of adversity… it made me feel a little angry at the system, and at how little we care for the poor in society, and even a little guilty of my own easy path, and a little personally terrified of how I’d handle the situation. ...

Mother’s day special - Anne Hathaway is cute, Meryl plays dead straight on the boss-from-hell type, and the rest is largely forgettable fluff. Maybe one for the ladies if you’re out to spot fashion. ★★