Mr. Church

Mr. Church is sweet and authentic from the first word to the last. It is well-paced and devoid of drag with steller performances turned out by all players. Mr. Church demonstrates that while we may be on a linear path from birth to death, within that trajectory are full circle loops taking us from one gestalt to the next. It reminds us too how we make a difference in the lives of others and they in ours. Mr. Church was Eddy Murphy's movie to deliver and that he did. Unlike books which are meant to be read from beggining to end, sometimes the stories are better understood when we start from the end and work our way back.

I guess I have come full circle when it comes to Eddie Murphy movies. It was 1984, I was a newly wed and Eddie was a slightly racy movie star, but, perfect for a couples evening at the cinema! And we cried with laughter. I would never have believed that some 30 plus years later I would be watching an Eddie Murphy movie and crying in a different way. This is a fairly simple movie, easy to follow, no special effects, just the type of movie Hollywood used to do so well. I guess there is still hope. Along with Eddie there are a couple of known actors,no spoiler alert - but Eddie has aged very well! Full circle - I watch movies on my own now..

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.

I usually write those reviews for "extreme" reasons. If everybody hated a movie and I didn't. Or the other way round. Turns out there is another reason. When an actor who was once a star "comes back" with a stellar performance. Mr. Church is that film.

Murphy delivers a heart wearming performance. He is the soul of the movie. I guess we will never know why Murphy so rarely appears on the screen but If you watch him here you can't help yourself wanting to see him more often.

Don't get me wrong. This movie has problems and it is corny, sometimes a bit too much. But it is a film for families about families and a heartwarming one at that. Thats why it surely is no 10 rating but also no 4, 3, 2 or even 1 rating. If you want something for the family, if you like films like Forrest Gump and if you like Murphy, this is your movie.

One thing I wanted to say when I read the official critics. They complain about an Afro-American being the servant. If you think that, you clearly didn't get the movie at all. He is basically father, husband. grandfather in one person. So if you saw him as a servant, you should really think about what that says about you.

"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.

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