The Guardian

There's this game called Lifeboat. In the game, you imagine that a ship you were on sunk and now you're in a lifeboat with four other people. The others are something like a doctor, a lawyer, a crippled child and a sanitation engineer. The problem is the lifeboat can only hold four people, not five, so you have to decide who gets kicked out of the lifeboat. The game is supposed to reveal who we value in society or something along those lines, but I really think that's a farce. There's only one right answer to that game, and it's an answer that's readily displayed throughout The Guardian.

Kevin Costner has been on the comeback trail for quite some time now, without much success. I don't know if I would call this film a "comeback role" for him, but it's definitely one the best roles he's had in recent years, and one of the better ones of his career. He brings an edge and gentility to his character that's truly engaging, and for the first time in recent memory, it doesn't seem like he's bored with what he's doing. I've never really liked Ashton Kutcher, and I had a hard time seeing him as anything other than the doofus from That Seventies Show, and at first it seemed his character in this film was just another version of that role. However, a little more than halfway through the film there's a seen that totally reversed my opinion and I suddenly realized it wasn't just the usual Ashton Kutcher on screen, but a talented actor bringing to life a complex character.

The Guardian is a film that's driven by the characters and their dialogue, which means that the leads roles absolutely have to work, and they have to work well together. Costner and Kutcher do a solid job of carrying this film. Their characters are well developed, and not only do we care for them, but we also empathize with them; a rare feat in today's flash-bang film industry. The story of The Guardian is fairly simplistic, and in many ways entirely predictable. However, it's the characters that carry this film, and they're developed in such a way that a simplistic and predictable story becomes surprisingly emotional and engaging. Add to that some beautiful cinematography, some nice use of unique filming techniques by director Andrew Davis, solid special effects, a solid soundtrack and a great supporting cast, and you have the makings of the one of the better films released this year.

Earlier, I alluded to the game Lifeboat and the fact that there's really only one right answer to that game. That answer is on display, and indeed is the central theme, in The Guardian. The motto for the rescue swimmers of the United States Coast Guard is "So that others may live." The new recruits are repeatedly told that they have to be willing to give their lives to save another. That is their mission. That is what they train for. That is what they serve for. The right answer to the Lifeboat game isn't who else you choose to get out of the lifeboat, it's you are the one to get out; so that the others may live. That's not an easy choice to make, nor does the film make it seem it's something that always comes natural to the new recruits of the rescue swimmers. Our natural tendency is to cling to life, our own life; not to give up our life in order to save someone else, let alone someone that we don't know. And yet, that's what the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard do on a daily basis; but even the best of the best can't save everyone. The truth is we are all drowning, although we may not realize it. The boat we're sailing through life on may not have sunk yet, but it is taking on water. For some of us, the boat has already sunk and we are flailing about in the waters of life, trying to keep our heads above water, waiting desperately for someone to come rescue us. It may reach for us on the sunny decks of a ship not yet capsized, or it may reach for us in the darkest moments of life's worst storms, but there is a nail-scarred hand reaching out for all us, urging us to grasp hold so that we might be pulled out of death and into life. That hand belongs to the one man who truly died so that others might live, the only one who can save everyone, but only if we choose to be rescued. He doesn't just rescue for a moment, but for all eternity. He is the epitome of self-sacrifice, of getting out of the lifeboat for all the others, of the motto "So that others might live." However, to be rescued, we have to take that nail-scarred hand. We have to grab hold and cling to it for our life, and once we do, He will never let go. There is hope in the stormy seas of life, there is rescue from the chilling depths of death, but it is our choice whether or not we accept that rescue. We are thrilled when we see stories of such self-sacrifice on the big screen. We think it heroic and noble, but the fact is we are all in such story, and it's up to us to decide what role we will play; will you be one who inexplicably chooses not to be saved or one who chooses to be rescued so that you too might become someone who helps the rescuer.

The Guardian isn't without its flaws. There's a scene at the end that seemed like it was added perhaps after test screenings revealed that audiences wanted a happier, more Hollywood ending. It's not necessarily a bad scene; it just didn't seem to fit. There were a couple other moments that seemed added on to help with exposition that felt oddly placed, but by no means disrupted the film. Despite its very few flaws, The Guardian is a rousing movie, causing the audience I viewed with to burst into applause on several occasions. This can be solely attributed to the adept story-telling that blends humor, drama and tragedy in just the right proportions and to the wonderful portrayal and depth of the characters. It's also a film that will have you asking the question just how much a life is worth and how much you might be willing to sacrifice in order that others might live.

Flyboys

According to Wikipedia, there are only fifty-seven verified veterans of World War I still living; two of them live in the United States. We live in a generation that is truly forgetting The Great War. We have tons of reminders about World War II in the form of countless movies, TV shows and of course video games, but as for the first World War, it is fading into obscurity, myth and legend. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed Flyboys, simply because it was about The Great War, and I haven't seen many films in recent years that focus on that tragic and horrifying period of history. It may be a flawed film, but Flyboys has such sincerity and heart that it still manages to shine through the tarnish of its flaws.

One of the biggest problems with the film is that it's all so predictable. Flyboys is a typical outcasts/misfits overcome their shortcomings and fears as the bond together to become heroes/champions. We're told that the events were inspired by a true story, so I can't really say how much of it is Hollywood formula and how much of it really happened, but Flyboys treads a familiar path regardless. However, despite being so familiar in structure and so predictable, it executes those familiar conventions so well that it's still very enjoyable.

The other thing working against this film is the music. Instead of adding to the tension, drama, action or romance, it becomes far too revealing. The music is dangerous when someone is in danger, it's ominous when the bad guys are on screen, it's heroic when someone is heroic and it gives all of this away before you see any of it on screen. Music shouldn't forecast what's about to happen, it should enhance what's currently taking place. The music for Flyboys reveals far too much and adds little.

There are also several smaller dramatic moments that would have fleshed out this film nicely that aren't resolve after being introduced. I found that very disappointing because despite really not having a lot to do with the overall plot, I was curious to see how some of the minor story lines might have been resolved. Instead they're left to the side, and the film feels less complete because of it.

Although there are plenty of flaws in Flyboys, it's still an extremely enjoyable film. What really carried the film for me was just how much heart it had. Flyboys genuinely wants to show us how the aviators of the first World War were just as much heroes as any soldier from any other conflict, and it's hard not to get caught up in its simple sincerity. There's also a wonderful romance that's so sweet and innocent that it's impossible to resist. It really becomes the heart and soul of the film. Jennifer Decker carries these scenes beautifully as the French maid from the country-side who maintains her innocence despite experiencing personal tragedy in war. The tenderness, genuine love and let me use the term yet again, unabashed sincerity of this romance is wonderfully refreshing and touching in a cinematic climate that equates love with steamy love scenes and lots of skin. The love story of Flyboys is tender and heart rending, and it made the experience all the more worth while…but I'm a sucker for good love stories.

The rest of the cast is solid, if not remarkable. There isn't a lot of depth to the characters, but we get to know them well enough to at least be concerned about them, and by the end of the film, I wound up caring for them more than I really should considering how much (or really how little) depth they were given. I almost feel bad, however, for Jean Reno - who is excellent as always - because it seems whenever a film needs a French guy, he's the French guy they go get and he'll always be remembered as The French guy in movies.

One of the best parts of the film is the dog fighting sequences. The filmmakers use every technique in the book to give us a feel for just what the war in the air of The Great War was like. I'm glad that they didn't just rely on CG for all of these sequences, but that they also used models and blue screens and what appeared to be actual planes in many sequences. My only complaint is there were one too many dog fighting sequences, because by the end of the film they all started to feel the same. Chalk that up to all the planes looking alike and it being hard to tell who's flying which plane when the characters are in their aviator gear with the big goggles, caps and grime all over their faces. The emotional intensity of these scenes would have been significantly increased even if they were trimmed down by one. Still, it's one of the most spectacular parts of the film, and well worth seeing on the big screen. In fact, most of the cinematography is so lush and rich and that this film is definitely a visual treat.

I was also pleased to see that the token Christian character wasn't treated as a joke, but as one of the squad. In fact, much in the same way the Christian character in Saving Private Ryan was the only soldier who slept well at night, the Christian in Flyboys is the only one in the squad who is peaceful before and after each mission as he reads his bible and prays. As the other characters struggle to find a source of courage, and more importantly meaning, in the midst of the horrors of war, how telling is it that the Christian character is the only one with a ready supply of courage, peace and meaning. As we face a modern world that is daily plunging into darkness far greater than any previously seen, people are more and more desperate for meaning, purpose and peace. Perhaps we should take a hint from the way some of these films portray Christians. Not as jokes or cowards, but as the only ones who aren't lost in the midst of chaos. Don't wait for another war to break out before you seriously look for true meaning in life and a constant source of peace; begin looking for that today, and may I suggest you start with the Bible. If you start there, I can guarantee you won't have to look anywhere else.

In the end, Flyboys is not a Saving Private Ryan, but it is an enjoyable and at times surprisingly emotional film. It may lack depth, but with so few alive that actually experienced the horrors of World War I, it's more important than ever that we don't forget, hence the need for more films like this. I admit that a big reason I enjoyed this film so much is simply because it is set in WWI, but it’s also hard to deny the big heart it wears on its sleeve. And who knows, perhaps if this film is successful, we'll see more follow on the big screen, small screen and in video games. We may be almost a century removed for the events of The Great War, but we must not forget it or the lessons it taught us.