Two Afternoons at the Movies

I really enjoy going down to Edinburgh! It is not often that I get down
there, but when I do have an opportunity, I go by bus. It takes 90 min-
utes to go from Cupar to Edinburgh. The bus is much cheaper than the
train, is not as crowded as the train, and allows me the precious oppor-
tunity to chill out. I know right where the seats with extra leg room are,
and they are usually vacant, but not always. However, that is ok. In
many bus trips to Edinburgh I rarely have had a person in the seat next
to me. On the bus I can leave the driving to the driver and enjoy the
Scottish scenery passing by, or read, or listen to my iPod, or nap, or do
nothing!

I was down in Edinburgh for two meetings on two separate days last
week. I decided that each day I would go to my meeting and then
treat myself to a movie and a good meal. One of my favorite places in
Edinburgh is the FilmHouse,with its excellent selection of films from
around the world. The cafe serves homemade meals at a very reason-
able price. I have often lingered in the cafe after watching a film, sip-
ping on a hot chocolate and writing my reflections in my journal. I had
a lot to ponder last week after seeing The Road, a newly released film
about the travels of a father and his young son through a post-apoca-
lyptic America. It is a disturbing film that is both horrifying and beau-
tiful at the same time. Survival is a daily struggle for the pair. It is a
film that will stay with me for a long time to come.

On the other day last week I went to another cinema to see The Book
of Eli, a film that is also set in post-apocalyptic America. I had read
about both this film and The Road, and was interested in them. Plus
both films were showing at matinee prices. I try to see films at reduced
prices if I am able. I often consult Rotten Tomatoes online to read re-
views of movies that interest me. It is a resource that I have found
very useful in discerning which movies I see. Despite the negative re-
views of The Book of Eli and its poor ratings among movie reviewers,
I went to see it anyway. I figured that if so many reviewers trashed it,
it must be good. And it was.

Denzil Washington excels in the role of Eli, a man called by God to guard
the last Bible on earth. He protects it through a 30-year journey over a
violent and bleak post-apocalyptic landscape. All kinds of bad guys
threaten to keep Eli from fulfilling his God-appointed mission, but they
all meet their death in all kinds of wildly-creative ways. The violence was
a bit much for me, but I hung in there. What I especially appreciated was
an underlying Christian message that gradually seeped onto the surface
of the film. The ending was ingenious and intriquing, one that I will pon-
der for a long time to come. The movie definitely had its faults, but it did
not deserve the bashing that so many critics gave it.

I thought a lot about The Book of Eli after I left the cinema. I had some
time before I caught my bus to Cupar, so I sought out a place to eat. I
don't go there often, but I always enjoy going to the golden arches, to
MacDonalds. I am certain that many of you do not know that it is a fine
Scottish eating establishment that has spread all over the world, and is
especially strong in North America. Every so often, a Big Mac and gold-
en fries make my day!

Blessings to you and yours,