Monday, April 16, 2007

"Peaceful Warrior"

Story: A chance encounter with a stranger changes the life of a college gymnast.

Review: Scott Mechlowicz, who plays Dan Millman was excellent in this mediocre film. What I was most disappointed in was the writer's inability to choose which faith doctrine he supported. If your going to do a movie where the core beliefs of Nick Notle's character (Socrates, appropriately named) are so pertinent to the story, you want to make sure you pick and stick with one faith. The story felt like it had Buddhism and Christianity intertwined through out it; and the writer took from the faith buffet of what suited the his palate.

For instance there is a scene where Socrates, picks up Dan and tosses him over the bridge and into the water below. A extremely upset Dan asks Socrates why he did that and Socrates asked him what he was thinking at the time. The whole exercise was to clear Dan's mind of any junk. Now I think that is great. Clearing your mind is amazing thing to do. But I think this movie doesn't address what to fill it with. As much as this move sounds great, for instance "This moment is the only thing that matters. " Socrates. I think living in the moment is very important, something I feel society has lost this way of life. But yet it still left me pondering if this story was meant to relay life is an individualist sport and that you have to find your way alone? I whole hardly disagree. We need each other - life is more about relationships and less about doing it all by yourself. It is to bad the writer couldn't see that as humans we suffer, but we don't have to go through the pain alone. No one does, not even the writer of this film.