Michael Ledo
This review contains some plot points, but the film is not really plot driven per se.The movie opens with a narration by Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie). Her husband, who had worked in a war room had died. She creates a prayer closet which she calls her "war room." Tony (T.C. Stallings) and Elizabeth (Priscilla C. Shirer) have martial problems. Elizabeth is a real estate agent who is selling Miss Clara's home. Clara has decided to take Elizabeth under her wing.I don't need to go any further at this point. You pretty much know the rest as God answers all prayers to those who know how to prayer correctly according to the Bible. There are themes of "paying it forward" and that "God is in control."The film is inspirational and my African-American friends thought if I watched this film, I would become a believer. My sister believes if everyone listens to country music, America would be great. This is another re-invent Christianity production complete with a church campaign kit, just like "Do You Believe" where a pastor ponders the cross for the first time in his life... and please buy the church kit which always give me mixed feelings on people profiting off the Bible.The end of the film closes with a prayer for America, while having good intentions and being inspirational, doesn't leave much room for religious diversity. 5 stars as a spiritual film.
MisterWhiplash
Hmm... so is this worse/more-offensive than God's Not Dead? Well, it depends how one looks at it: God's Not Dead has multiple story lines so there's more places to look at as far as offensive and THIS IS NOT HOW *THINGS IN THIS UNIVERSE WORK*, but War Room has level of concentrated bat-***t insanity going on. I don't even mean the whole 'well if your husband treats you like poo then what you have to do is go in a closet and pray that Satan gets out of him because that's what the problem is and that's IT'. I mean things like how working at a Pharmaceutical company would function if, say, someone *steals* from the company (and while the movie doesn't really acknowledge characters race, which may or may not be seen as a 'ok, well, fine, whatever' aspect of the story for the most part, a black man stealing tens of thousands from his company, whether he was "honest" enough to fess up to it is besides the point, he's going to jail, end of story), or about what happens when a mugger with a knife comes across an old woman (hint, usually what happens in this movie in *real life* doesn't happen, like, ever), or how adult parents join in on... children's jump-rope competitions(?) The point is, War Room is another in a blatant series of films over the past few years that is out to further brainwash the already converted (and God help you if you find this to be powerful stuff in a positive way), and make those who aren't perplexed out of their minds. This is a movie creating its own reality to fit its own agenda - propaganda's textbook definition I know, but it gets worse than that here by the message that women don't have agency over their own lives, or, ideally, shouldn't. Why concern yourself with marriage counseling or trial separations or, gasp, divorce in this second decade of the 21st century when you can simply pray the abuse away (okay, he doesn't physically hit her or anything but mentally speaking he's abusive)? It's ironic that a movie that features black characters fairly prominently and (with the exception of the stunningly throw-back stereotype of the Magical Mystical Negro trope with Miss Clara, yes, even in a movie with a mostly black cast I think it counts) doesn't call attention to the race of its characters should set back the *feminist* movements of this country several decades.This is simply a monumentally terrible script by the Kendrick brothers - think the inverse of everything the Coen brothers are good at - both philosophically and in its execution of both character development (there are no clear arcs or dimensions, the husband is a jerk from minute one until the script says it's time for him to look around a couple of his families rooms and realize the error of his ways and get the devil out or some such nonsense) and "plot" whatever that might be. It is two hours long (with credits), which is one of the more insane things about this. The movie's story practically ends at the 80 minute mark but then it suddenly has to become a sports movie, kind of, sort of, and loose ends that are not even that loose need to be tied up. So even if by some miracle, no pun intended, I managed to agree with what the movie was selling me on its moral points about how to submit to your man and that prayer, not actual, *existential* acts that make changes in your and other peoples lives, will solve all the problems of the world (and don't get me wrong, if you want to pray for yourself, fine, have at it, but at the risk of doing nothing else it's a foolish message deep down), I would still find the movie to be atrocious on the grounds of it not being entertaining in the ways that it intends (though I was entertained at times in the ways it decidedly did *not* intend), and how sloppy and idiotic it thinks human beings are.So like God's Not Dead it is a dangerous movie at least for those susceptible enough for its message - I hate to find the news story one day where some poor woman is found dead because she didn't do anything to really force change in an abusive relationship - and for others it's all the same a ludicrous piece of would-be filmmaking made for the budget that a typical Lifetime movie would have (and has acting either on or *below* those standards) that someone wasn't so much released but escaped on to screens through a major distributor like Sony and got to #1 at the box office during one of the worst weekends of the year (Labor Day). Oh, and there are stinky feet jokes thrown in for good measure! Because this is a FAMILY MOVIE after all! And by that I mean keep your families away from this if you care about their mental well-being!
betsyb-930-893865
Absolutely the best movie I have seen in years. Prayer is such an important subject and nothing illustrates that more beautifully than this movie . The acting was outstanding. We could all use an uplifting movie without Hollywood gimmicks. No car chases, no murders, no sex scenes..how refreshing. Sometimes I think they only make movies for teenagers now. We know being a Christian is not a very popular thing to be for this generation. Most movies make fun of Christianity but this movie shows there is another way to live, these characters illustrated how God can fix our lives if we would but learn how to communicate with Him.. This is a pure plot with wonderfully drawn characters. I can't wait to see it again. LOVED it
Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"War Room" is an American 2-hour film from last year and before I go a bit into detail on it, let me elaborate a bit on my personal stand when it comes to religion. I am not a man of religion, I never go to church, never pray or have other connections to Christianity or any other religion. But I am also not one of these who strictly oppose it. I respect people who have a strong faith and I would never mock them. And this position between both parties is why I believe I did not manage to appreciate the film really. Devote Christians may love it, people very critical about religion may hate it, but both sides will feel something. I myself felt almost nothing, neither positive nor negative watching this one. It is a very mediocre outcome in regards of Alex Kendrick's writing and direction and also in terms of the performances. There are good moments, there are bad moments, but I personally must say the core elements of the story in terms of how the 2 adult protagonists have to find their way with God in order to overcome their struggles were not entirely convincing and even for my neutral taste, the film, at times, became too preachy and focused on God ignoring better ways to elaborate in a more convincing manner on the story. It is perfectly fine that God is the center of the movie, but there were really no "sub-centers" for almost the entire film and too much focus on one component and one component only is never a good thing, regardless what that component is. Funny to say a film with a predominantly Black cast lacked in the diversity area. Who do I recommend this film to? Really only devote Christians. Neutral observers like myself won't get too much from the experience and religion critics will only see their hate increase. No need to fuel negativity. "War Room" (also the war reference that is elaborated early on is really vague and feels irrelevant for the majority of the film) is not a good film. Thumbs down.
