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Ashdoc's Movie Review---Mr Church

ashdoc

Movie Critic
SPNer
Jul 19, 2011
391
219
49
Review has spoilers

Young Charlotte and her mother ( who is dying of breast cancer ) get a new person in their house all of a sudden---a person ( Eddie Murphy ) who comes as a cook , but soon turns into the caretaker of their life . He has been hired by the mother's ex lover for cooking as long as she lives , and that means an expected six months . After that Henry Church ( Eddie ) will get financially free due to a large monetary settlement he will get for working those six months .

But six months turn into six years , and the mom is still holding on---though she has weakened down . And the amazing thing is---Henry does not show an ounce of desperation for being free from his commitment and being able to go his way . Instead , he relishes coming and helping these people as also he likes making delicious dishes for them to savour . It is obvious that he is doing so and feeling so because he has no family to call his own .

Charlotte has already gone from resenting this black man's presence in her life to depending on him for everything . And she wants to know more about him---where he goes after he completes his job in their house , and where he lives . But that is one topic which rouses the wrath of Mr Church like nothing else . He is not ready to discuss that .

Years pass by , and the mom dies ; but not before she has had the joy of seeing her daughter go to dance with the best looking guy in school at prom . The scenes of caring for her as she nears death were agonising for me to watch---brings the spectre of similar scenes witnessed in personal life . I was shamelessly waiting for the mom to die so that my agony could end....

Charlotte ( played by Britt Robertson ) who has grown up has no money to continue her education , but Mr Church is again the angel of her life---he has saved money from coupons which her mother gave him and thus the education is funded . But she wastes her college opportunity . For she is the daughter of a mother who was free enough to give birth to her outside wedlock . And , like mother like daughter....one day Charlotte arrives at Mr church's door pregnant .

As he opens his heart wide enough to take care of her , her curiosity in his life increases . Why does he go at night to some nightclub ? Why does he come home drunk blabbering to himself ? What is his past and has something dark happened to him in bygone years that he lives all by himself without woman or family just taking care of her ? And this leads to confrontation that nearly costs Charlotte her baby's life....

But as the years roll by , she has to come to terms with the fact that the answers to the questions in her mind are not important and they may never be answered ; that she should be thankful for having such a father figure in her life . And like a daughter takes care of her father , she will be called upon to take care of him in old age .

As Mr Church slid towards a dignified journey towards mortality , this time death was not agonising for me to watch....I was just wrapped in the sentimentality of the scenes and just was not able to stop a tear from coming my eye....

Both Eddie Murphy and Britt Robertson do justice to their roles , and music and photography and colours are appropriate for the situations . There is case for saying that the character played by Eddie Murphy is shown only through Charlotte's eyes and his feelings and his life ( which doubtlessly had an unhappy past ) are not shown . But isn't it better to remember that he redeemed it all by helping another family survive ?

Verdict---good .

Three stars
 

ashdoc

Movie Critic
SPNer
Jul 19, 2011
391
219
49
the movie has got poor ratings from critics for two reasons .

one i largely missed . mr church is probably gay . but i missed out on that one because he is not shown to be openly gay at all . i did get a faint suspicion because he is without a woman . but to an ordinary viewer like me it is not clear at all . what the highbrow critics are saying is that charlotte is shown saying that she has heard rumours about the nightclub he goes to . and the critics are saying that mention of the rumours could mean only one thing---the nightclub is a gay nightclub .

the other point is that the movie shows a black man serving a white family as if all black men are born to do that . his life and it's struggles are not shown at all ; probably he has gone through worse than charlotte because he is black , but no importance is given to that because he is black . however i dont live in the united states and do not fully understand this living in india .

as an ordinary viewer the film is likeable for me . i am not a highbrow critic to fully understand the finer nuances of the film .
 

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