Mr. Church

Then this is it.

I seriously do not know what film the critics were watching but, this is an absolutely fantastic film. You will see a performance from Eddie Murphy you haven't seen since Dreamgirls. In fairness, I think his performance in this film is a country mile better so, If you enjoyed him in Dreamgirls, You will be floored by his acting in this film.

Its an actual crime he got no Academy nomination for this film.

No spoilers here. I implore you to give this film a view. Emotions you thought you might have lost, will all of a sudden come back to you.

If you are still reading this review .....Why? Go watch Mr Church right now!

"The wise son seeketh the father's instruction, but the scorner heareth not rebuke. I don't give a sh*t."

The quote above is, believe it or not, pronounced at a given moment by Mr. Church (Eddie Murphy) while he was drunk. Apparently alcohol has such an impact on him that he starts to use a vocabulary in such a way, an ordinary mortal can only guess the ultimate significance of what he's saying. This was also the first time I totally didn't understand what Eddie Murphy was talking about at that very moment (maybe it's due to my limited knowledge of English). In "Mr. Church"you'll see a totally different Murphy at work. No smooth talking and witty one-liners. Don't expect to hear that catchy, infamous laugh from him. Not once it'll echo through the living room. Nope, here he puts himself in the shoes of a gentle, helpful and warmhearted cook who tries to accomplish a given task with conviction and empathy.

This task was entrusted to him by Richard Cannon. He was once the lover of Marie Brody (Natascha McElhone) who left him after discovering that he was already married. However, he promised that he would always take care of her. Even after his death. If it turns out that Marie is terminally ill and only has six months to live, her daughter Charlie (Natalie Coughlin) discovers one morning there's a "black man" making breakfast in their kitchen. And from that day on Mr. Chruch conjures delicious dishes out of his culinary magic hat. So, you can expect a whole series of hunger-arousing images. It's almost similar to a Jamie Oliver TV show. Afterwards we come to know that Marie is still fighting her terminal illness after six years. Church's role as family cook slowly disappears into the background and over time he becomes the paterfamilias and acts as a father figure to Charlotte (Britt Robertson).

Here, where I live, the remark after watching this movie would be "Wow, what a lovely film this was!". Granted, it's packed with cliché elements as used in any melodramatic coming of age film. The course is extremely predictable. Not much imagination is needed to realize that the roles will be reversed at any given time and how it's going to end. Both at the beginning and at the end they used the same text fragment "Henry Joseph Church could have been anything he wanted. He chose to cook.". A subtle clue pointing at the cyclical nature of the film. But despite being a typical tearjerker, this film was able to captivate and fascinate me. Maybe because from time to time I need to watch a more positive film. Most films are about the evil side of a person. This film is about loyalty, affection, offering some help during hard times and the importance of family ties. You can start whining again about the possible racist tone and thus seeing Mr. Church as the happy, cheerful house negro who serves a white family. A kind of modern "Uncle Tom" in other words. It didn't feel like that for me. And I'm convinced you missed the essence of the story.

But what's Mr.Church's big secret, anyway? He loves jazz. That's clear from the first moment. He's probably a jazz pianist. I noticed that he was pretending to play a piano on his knees while smoking a cigarette outside and listening to a jazz song in the background. He also mentioned it in a subtle way to Marie. And his visits to the nightclub Jelly (Charlie discovered this by accident when she was driving around the city with Poppy), a neon-lit bar you instantly have feelings about that it's a jazz club, seemed to me the appropriate place to find an audience for his talent. He paints, reads literature and uses secret ingredients while cooking. But are these really such big secrets that one should remain silent about it? Hearing what Mr. Church said when he came home drunk ("Yeah, that's right! I'm a sinner! Who's a fagot? You the goddamn fagot. "), I have a feeling it's more about his sexual orientation.

It stays a secret all the way. Nothing but praise for Eddie Murphy who attempts to get rid of his stand-up comedian label. And he succeeds perfectly. It's a pleasure to see him playing the two opposing Mr. Churches. On the one hand a dutiful and human figure. On the other a tormented person who still hasn't come to terms with his past. Also the acting of both Natascha McElhone as Britt Robertson can be called excellent. Especially the moments with Murphy and McElhone are sublime. Maybe it all feels a bit corny and old-fashioned. But it still remains a lovely film.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Continuing my plan to watch every Eddie Murphy movie in order, I come to his last movie to daye, Mr Church (2016)

Plot In A Paragraph: Mr Church (Murphy) goes to work for single Mom Marie and her daughter Charlotte for 6 months. What develops is a deep bond that lasts for years.

If there was a movie worth coming out of retirement for, this was it. He is superb. Of rank this up there with Dreamgirls in terms of his performance, he is that good!! Murphy is ably backed up by Natasha McElhone, who is as reliable as always and Britt Robertson is impressive too.

I watched this with my youngest, and we both enjoyed it!! I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried towards the end, if this is the last movie makes, it is a fitting movie to go out on!! He made me laugh with his first movie, and cry with his last.

I admire the fact that he said he would retire at 50, and with the exception of this movie, he has done it. If he comes out of retirement to make a solid movie like this every couple of years, I'd be happy.

Mr Church only received a limited release in theatres, which is a shame.

This film tells the story of a man who is hired for six months to take care of a woman with cancer and her young daughter. His job is to cook for them, yet he goes way beyond his duties and touches the lives of people around him.

"Mr Church" is an ordinary film without special effects and fancy sets. It stays true to the life of an ordinary hard working man, yet his life is so extraordinary in so many ways. He is multi talented, amiable humble and polite all the time. Mr Church is so likable, that in fact he could be a role model for people. The things he does for the family, without ever asking for anything back, is applaudable. It is a celebration of good qualities of an extraordinary man. Let this film earn your heart.

Normally, I criticize movie previews for either spoiling the story or misrepresenting the genre, but if you watch the preview for Mr. Church, you'll get a pretty good idea of what it's about. You'll see teenager Britt Robinson and her mother, Natascha McElhone living alone in California in the 1960s. You'll see Britt's shocked reaction when she wakes up one morning to find Eddie Murphy, a total stranger, cooking breakfast in the kitchen. You'll find out he was hired to be their cook, and you'll guess that he eventually wins Britt's trust and affection. If you like the preview, you'll like the movie.

I remember reviewers being unduly harsh (as they usually are on Eddie Murphy movies) on this film, claiming it used the "magical Negro" trope and offended audiences. However, their claim held no water. This movie was based on a true story, and was told from the point of view of Britt Robinson's character. She was a teenager, and like most teenagers, didn't really understand or pay attention to other people besides herself. And, the entire point of the story (don't worry, no spoilers) was that she didn't get to know Mr. Church. He was an important fixture in her life, but he didn't let Britt get too close to him. That was the point! It wasn't a cinematic trope.

With those limitations, it would have been easy for the actor portraying Mr. Church to walk through the part without giving him humanity or realism. Eddie Murphy gave a wonderful performance full of layers and subtleties. He fed the audience little tidbits of a mysterious character, making us wonder and guess as to what was really inside him. The more we wondered, the more we cared. He was extremely real - not "magical" without any purpose besides helping out the white protagonist.

There are so many subtleties in this movie, from Eddie's character to his relationship with Natascha, that contrast beautifully with the loud setting of the 1960s and 1970s. Director Bruce Beresford and screenwriter Susan McMartin (who adopted her own true story to the screen) seemed to know exactly what the audience and when they needed it. Laughs, drama, a funky song, and silliness all show up at the right time.

I saw this movie on opening weekend, and it was a treat to see all the details on the big screen. But if you missed this one in the theaters, which unfortunately quite a few people did, rent it on a weekend when you're in the mood for a complex, heartwarming drama.