The Arts & Faith Ecumenical Jury — 2021

For a juror’s appreciation of one of the listed films, click on the appropriate link:

Jury: Kenneth R. Morefield; Gareth Higgins; Wade Bearden; Aren Bergstrom; Steven D. Greydanus; Evan Cogswell: Noel T. Manning II; Thomas Manning.

Jurors’ Honorable Mentions:

The Card Counter — Paul Schrader’s latest is another in his long-running examination of “God’s lonely men,” individuals who are wracked with guilt and have turned their back on humanity as a form of penance. In this film, the lonely man is Oscar Isaac’s professional gambler, who atones for war crimes by living a life of modest routine in casinos, isolated from human connection. Like Schrader’s previous film, First Reformed, The Card Counter seems skeptical of the notion of redemption at first glance, but paired with its pitch-black vision of human frailty is a confidence in the notion that no matter the depths of sin, divine grace can be all-forgiving and its light can shine into the deepest darkness. — Aren Bergstrom.

The French Dispatch – Possibly the most Wes Andersonesque film ever, this smorgasbord of characters, sets, costumes, and stories revels in Anderson’s typical quirkiness, but it also provides a wider lens for viewing the world and learning about other cultures as each reporter brings their unique voice to each segment. Tying everything together is the joy Anderson finds in his eccentric collection of characters and scenarios—a joy that is refreshing and infectious as Bill Murray’s editor’s love for his titular magazine. — Evan Cogswell.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts — A compilation of newly restored concert footage, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts chronicles the legendary group’s two performances at Madison Square Garden in September 1979. Like Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense (1984) and Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace (2018), Thom Zimny’s and Richard Namm’s film captures an iconic musical act at the apex of their powers. As Bruce and co.=mpany sing, dance, and shout, viewers are offered a glimpse of contagious joy—joy drenched in lyrics of community, love, and the possibility of faith. — Wade Bearden

The House of Gucci — Like Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Riddley Scott’s film frightens and enthralls us in equal measure by depicting how easy is the path of moral compromise and decline. It is not so much that sin has a decadent allure, although it does. Rather, it’s that it has its own internal logic and justification that makes each step of an unthinkable journey seem eminently justifiable. There is a lot of talk about valuation in the film, and it thus forces viewers to wrestle with the reasons we value things differently rather than simply allowing them to demonize those whose valuations are different. — Kenneth R. Morefield