best film

Every year there are various films that are nominated by the "Academy" and through votes they select which one is the best in different categories (best picture, best soundtrack, best actor, best actress, etc) in a ceremony called the "Oscars".

I am not an expert movie critic, and I know a few friends who can analyze movies in much deeper ways that I do. I do enjoy watching movies a lot.

Perhaps it's because as a child I started to watch movies with my parents (whether at home or at the theaters). But I do enjoy it and I am usually opened to watch various types/genre of movie (action, comedy, drama, suspense, psychological). Depending on the genre, there are different aspects of appreciation towards the film.

This year I made a point to try to watch as many movies as possible from the list of nominated films for the 2017 Oscars. First reason of this is mainly to spend time with friends who share this interest. Second reason is to learn to appreciate the films that the "Academy" selects. Third reason is purely for entertainment.

So I watched most of the nominations for best picture, and I am going to write a few sentence to describe my thoughts on those films:

• Arrival: I like Amy Adams, and she was the center of the film. The pacing and storytelling was pretty good to keep the audience in suspense.
• Fences: Denzel Washington and Viola Davis showcased their acting skills in a movie that looks more of a play. It's very conversation-driven, slightly difficult to follow.
• Hacksaw Ridge: a pretty inspiring story of a man who stood firm on his beliefs. The start is a bit slow, but the final battle scenes are intense (probably comparable to Saving Private Ryan)
• Hidden Figures: complete package of a satisfying movie: great story with themes of good cause, a main character who we can cheer for, and a strong supporting cast, 
• La La Land: it's very pretty, it's attractive and nice, flashy but lacking a bit in substance. The ending was very well done.
• Manchester by the Sea: sad, dramatic, but real and acted masterfully.
• Moonlight: it's an unique film with an unique theme and unique storytelling. It was very well done as a film, but it is difficult to be entertained by the story.

I personally think "Manchester by the Sea" is the best film of this list, but my favorite is "Hidden Figures".

After watching "Hidden Figures" I was very happy. The story has many good themes to fight for, including civil rights, equal treatment, and merit-based reward system. There are many elements from the story I could relate to, including overcoming obstacles, being part of a minority ethnic group, feeling of being an underdog, overworking and underappreciated (lol), and of course the appreciation of mathematics! The movie is so nerdy, and I can't help but to laugh and reminisce my days in undergrad

The movie is centered on conflict between a system (NASA workplace policy) and the people who are fighting against this system (African-American who are treated as inferior in this workplace). And I think some of us can relate to that, as we are Christians, and we hold fast to a set of principles that are in constant conflict with the system (the world) that surrounds us, whether it is the school environment, the workplace, or family.

I appreciate the ways that the African-American "fought" the system, as it did not incite any violent rebellion in midst of the unfair treatment, but they still submitted to the system and committed to hard work with the hope that their good results will change the situation for the better. In some instances, the characters were smart to find creative ways to "gain favor" from the system without incurring to any violent activity.

I find myself sometimes fighting a system in my workplace, and sometimes I kind of want to just leave or flip the table. But that is not necessary the right way to express my disagreement with the system. We are called to submit to our authorities and to submit to our bosses. And looking at examples of Joseph or Daniel in the bible, it is encouraging because they were put into very difficult systems that were contrary to their beliefs, but they persevered, they worked hard, they found favor, and God blessed them.

That's one of the beauties of being a Christian, that my ultimate boss is God, and that if I work hard to honor Him, He will indeed take care of you.