So, there has been a lot of talk around the “The Help” by folks in certain quarters about how it’s an offensive and possibly racist look at civil rights because it uses a white woman as a pinwheel around which black stories are told. This writer disagrees somewhat and after watching the trailer for “Machine Gun Preacher,” this movie comes off far more patronizing and condescending, if not outright ridiculous.
Oh sure, the Marc Forster directed film may be based in fact but it’s basically “The Blind Side” with hundreds of small African children instead of a football player and a bazooka instead of Sandra Bullock. Gerard Butler plays Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing Hell’s Angel who found God, set up an orphanage in Sudan in the 1990s, and then formed a militia to prevent the children from being turned into child soldiers. It’s actually a great premise but too bad it comes off with all the subtlety of the many explosions, yelling and Butler firing off eye-rolling and cliched one liners. It seems Sam forgot to pack a bag of nuance before flying over to Africa. But the worst crime of this trailer? How do you show a very brief glimpse of Michael Shannon, and not at least give him a line? Throw us a bone here people!
Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker and Souleymane Sy Savane also co-star in the film that will premiere at TIFF before opening on September 23rd. Trailer below or in HD at Apple.
Gerard Butler is ridiculous. Fangirls who claim they aren\’t fangirls are ridiculous. If you believe the Butterball is a \”phenomenal actor\” why the hell wouldn\’t you be a fan of his?! How does that make any sense? Do you shun those you deem magnificently talented? How does that work?
If I am going around touting someone as \”Phenomenal\”, you can be assured I am a monster fan of that someone. But I\’m no fan of the Butterball.
so Ryan, therefore if he or she is not proud of it, it\’s save to stay anonymous – [i]good idea[/i]…
@jimmiescoffee: So what if he isn\’t the first person to make that connection? It doesn\’t make it right or correct. It just smacks of ignorance and lazy journalism.
What is up with this site? It really seems to have the snobbiest bunch of writers sometimes. This movie looks awesome and I\’m no Gerard Butler fan but no unless it\’s some uber art house nonsense with a director who has been hipster approved it\’s not up to snuff. This isn\’t the first time a writer here has acted as a holier than thou film critic with an axe to grind. Come off it, stop with all this oh so too cool for school posturing and just dig the trailer man. It looks uplifting as heck in my opinion. There are some real dumb comparisons made in this article, not to say the writer is a dummy he just wrote a dumb article bashing a movie that hasn\’t been seen yet also let’s remember Michael Shannon although awesome isn\’t the star. Butler can be a really phenomenal actor when he wants to be and here he seems to be at the top of his game.
I think everyone should use their full names while commenting on this site. If you\’re proud of what you write, then acknowledge yourself fully.
That being said, I think this movie looks like a fine distraction, I didn\’t find it particularly offensive.
he isn\’t the first person to make the connection. i hate people who find racism where it isn\’t. that\’s racism. but frankly this \’blind side\’ feel good movie plot line is tired as shit.
I think it\’s offensive and patronising of the writer of this article to find the two films comparable just because they both contain black people with white people helping them. A fictional story about domestic workers in 1950s Mississippi shouldn\’t be compared to a biopic about a real person helping real children in war-torn Sudan in the 90s. The issues and circumstances are very different.
As for the trailer, this film isn\’t my thing but if they market this to the right crowd it will probably do well.
I watched the trailer before reading Kevin\’s write up. I had the exact same feelings he expressed while watching it. This is repulsive! Depressingly I know this will be a big hit just like the blind side. This movie seems like a right-wingers wet dream. I would rather watch a doc on this story than have this garbage made. I\’m tired of Hollywood insulting my intelligence. Unfortunately the majority of this country will eat this spoon fed shit up and lick the spoon afterwards.
obligatory hackneyed \”You got no idea what I\’m saying, do you?\” scene CHECK
also child DENZEL or what!?