Bond has been stripped back. A gun and a radio are all he’s given. His cars are relatively standard models too. So what makes a different in this instalment? Someone believes in him.
007 has died, and is seeking to return to active duty. He’s broken, he’s failed the tests, but he is sent because M believes he’s the best man for the job. Along the way he is aided by young and old, experienced and inexperienced, believers and doubters, old friends and new acquaintances…
Ultimately he proves himself and finds himself alive and supported, ready for the next instalment.

Questions:
What does it mean to you when someone says they believe in you and what you can achieve?
How can you overcome self-doubt or past failure to become all you can be once again?
What do you have to offer the world around you?


M... (!)

Disclaimer:

I wanted to see Skyfall. The wife and I decided to take some friends and we booked their tickets online, expecting to queue for ours to use our unlimited cards at Cineworld. Following a fairly average lunch we raced across town in my Agila in a Bond fashion only to discover that it had sold out. Out friends had their tickets but there was no room for Suz and I. Our friends went in to see Skyfall while me and the Mrs went to see the only other film that fitted time-wise: Rust and Bone.

I have nothing against foreign films (the French, perhaps) but this one didn’t grab me.
The dialogue was simple enough for me to rarely need the subtitles, the plot thin enough for me to know what was coming next, the characters dry enough that I felt I didn’t need to know them…
Nonetheless, she fell in love with him, he fought, sought pain and sex as an attempt to find thrills, neglected his son and took his sister for granted, until he nearly lost it all.
Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got…


Questions:
How much does your mindset effect your engagement with a film?
Has a film ever grown on you when you’ve given it a second chance?
Have you ever missed what you’ve had, even though it’s been staring you in the face?


M

A flabby, overlong and episodic 'rom-com' starring Jason Segal and Emily Blunt who, as the title suggests, take a very long time to get married. There are some interesting relationship observations in there and the arguments and struggles between the couple are well realised but the constant shift in tone grew tiresome.

1) do you want to get married some day? why/ why not?
2) How do you deal with disagreements in a relationship/ friendship?
3) what defines a good relationship/ friendship?

Ridley Scotts return to the sci-fi world that he explored in Alien is a muddled, silly and overblown action movie which is saved by some interesting ideas and gorgeous set design.

A group of scientists go in search of the Creator after being led by a series of cave paintings. What they find is far from what they hoped. They find their creators but the creators are less than pleased to see them.

1) Would you rather know with all certainty that God does or doesn't exist?
2) does believing or not believing in a creator change how you live?
3) if you could talk to God right now, what would you ask?

Iron Man, Hulk, Captain American and Thor must unite alongside other SHIELD agents to stop Thor's brother Loki and his alien army destroying the world in this exciting and hilarious action movie.

In the film, Bruce Banner learns to channel his anger so that he can control the Hulk.

1) what makes you angry?
2) what do you normally do with that anger?
3) how could you harness that anger for good?

Once again the earth is searching space for new life-forms to interact with, desperate to further our knowledge of what is beyond, yet this film focuses on the relationships that we have with each other on the planet we have:

Friends and family – Hopper is told by kith and kin “You’re a disappointment. You’ve got so much potential but you just keep messing up.”

Internationally – the film is based at an international navy competition

Generationally – how we appreciate those who have been there before.

And we’re surprised when we can’t play nicely with Aliens when they respond to our communications?!!?


Questions  

What will it take for us to live up to our potential?

What relationships do we need to sort out before we start looking at interaction with other planets?

What does the church need to fix before it can effectively communicate with the outside world?


Marc

A faithful big budget adaptation of the immensely popular novel which pits 24 young people against one another for the entertainment of the rich. The 'shaky' cam gets a little irritating but does not detract from this being one of the most gripping teen movies in years.


Questions
What would you have done if you were Katniss?

Is violence ever justifiable?

Do you see any similarities between Panam and our world?



Steven

In this subversive post-modern horror, five college students take a trip to a cabin in the woods where they are picked off one by one by a family of zombies. But is there something much darker at work? The film offers a number of twists and turns but does not quite come together as a coherent movie but is still a worthwhile watch.

Questions

Have you ever encountered a ‘thin place’ where Heaven and Earth appeared to collide? Where things felt different?

What stops you encountering these places more often?

What can we do practically to see the Kingdom of Heaven spread wider?


Steven