Home | Sisters | Associates | Friars | Laity | Nuns | Link to Groups | World OP| DLC

2010
Main Movie
Page

True Grit

The King’s Speech

The Fighter

Black Swan

Fair Game

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

The Social Network

Get Low

The Kids Are Alright

Winter’ Bone

Inception

City Island

Toy Story 3

One Came Home

The Secret in Their Eyes

How to Train Your Dragon

The Ghost Writer

Crazy Heart

The Young Victoria

A Single Man

Avatar

Gospel
in Action


The Princess
and the Frog


Up in the Air

Film Reviews
from 2009
Film Reviews from 2008
Film Reviews from 2007

Film Reviews
from 2006


Faith and Film
Thumbs up for True Grit, The King’s Speech

True Grit: Why remake a largely forgotten Western? To my surprise, the eccentric Cohens (No Country for Old Men) have made a rather traditional, highly entertaining movie. The King’s Speech successfully combines history with a story of personal struggle… I suspect it will be a contender for many Oscars next month, including best picture and Colin Firth as best actor. Reviews by Tom Condon, OP

 

Faith and Film
The Fighter ‘entertaining’; Black Swan ‘bizarre’

“Black Swan” tells the story of promising young ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman), who is cast in her first leading performance, “Swan Lake.” Nina begins to become unhinged by all the pressures in her life, physical and emotional. “The Fighter,” based on the true story of Micky Ward and his half-brother Dicky Eklund of Lowell, Massachusetts, is much more than a boxing movie: it tells a story of family, reconciliation, truth telling, and redemption. Reviews by Tom Condon, OP

 

Faith and Film
Fair Game

“Fair Game” tells the true story of Valerie Plame, who was an actual covert CIA agent. Her true occupation was known only to her husband, Joe Wilson, and to her parents. All this changed when Valerie was “outed” by her own government. The headline-grabbing story took place in June 2003, a few months after the outbreak of the Iraq war. Review by Tom Condon, OP. READ MORE

 

Faith and Film
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

If you have followed the adventures of the Boy Wizard at all, you know by now that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book of J.K. Rowling’s extraordinarily successful series, has been made into two films. The bad news is that you will have to wait until next summer to see the final episode. The good news is that there is more of Harry and his friends, and more of the story, to enjoy. Review by Tom Condon, OP. READ MORE

 

Faith and Film
The Social Network

The Social Network chronicles the inception of Facebook, the enormously influential social networking site. The film tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard undergrad, who came up with the original idea behind Facebook as a way for Harvard students to connect with each other. The great irony exposed by the film is that Zuckerberg, the man behind social networking, has very limited social skills himself. Review by Tom Condon, OP. READ MORE

Faith and Film
Get Low

Get Low is a surprisingly moving film about the power of confession and reconciliation. It stars Robert Duvall as Felix Bush, a mysterious, reclusive man who has lived for many years in a cabin outside a small Tennessee town in the 1930s. Review by Tom Condon, OP. READ MORE

Faith and Film
The Kids Are Alright

The Kids Are Alright is a film about an unconventional family. Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a lesbian couple in a long term committed relationship. They have two teenage children by artificial insemination. The film explores what happens when the children decide to discover the identity of their biological father. Review by Tom Condon, OP.

 

Faith and Film
Inception, Winter's Bone

Inception is the new hit movie from acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight. It’s a mixed bag of a movie, technically brilliant, with many clever touches, but overly long and dramatically confusing. Based on a novel by Daniel Woodrell, Winter’s Bone is directed by Debra Granik, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Anne Rosellini. They get all the details right in this harrowing tale, especially the haunting faces of the mountain people. Reviews by Tom Condon, OP.

 

Faith and Film
Toy Story, City Island

Pixar is back with Woody, Buzz, and the gang in Toy Story 3. In this funny, touching, and poignant film, Andy, owner of the toys, is preparing to leave home to go to college. City Island is a wonderful family “dramedy” starring Andy Garcia as Vince Rizzo, a New York correctional officer who longs to be an actor. Reviews by Tom Condon, OP.

 

Faith and Film
One Came Home; The Secret in Their Eyes

One Came Home” is a small, independent film that will probably receive little attention and a very limited release. While not a great film, it is a story of grace and redemption that’s worth seeing. This year’s Oscar winner for best foreign language film from Argentina, “The Secret in Their Eyes,” is an intriguing film centered on the investigation of the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in the 1970s. Reviews by Tom Condon, OP.

 

Faith and Film
How to Train Your Dragon

It’s been a pretty dismal spring at the movies. Nothing has looked intriguing enough to spend my time and $10+ in months. Over the course of the last few weeks, I began to hear some good things about an animated 3-D movie called How to Train Your Dragon. If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know I have enjoyed the resurgence of animated movies over the last few years. So I decided to check it out. READ THE REVIEW by Tom Condon, OP

 

Faith and Film
The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer is a suspense thriller about a young writer, simply referred to as “the Ghost” (Ewan McGregor), who is hired to be the ghost writer for Adam Lang, a retired British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan). Directed by Roman Polanski.
READ THE REVIEW
by Tom Condon, OP.

 
Faith and FilmFaith and Film: Crazy Heart, The Young Victoria, and A Single Man
Crazy Heart: Jeff Bridges won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of a faded country music musician who is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. The Young Victoria: A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert. A Single Man: A story that centers on an English professor who, after the sudden death of his partner, tries to go about his typical day in Los Angeles.
 
AvatarAvatar

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. READ MORE
 

Gospel in ActionGospel in Action

In a departure from reviewing mainstream movies from Hollywood and beyond, film critic, Tom Condon, OP, recommends a production from the Dominican Order, Gospel in Action. READ MORE

 

Princess and the FrogThe Princess and the Frog

A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. READ MORE

 
Up in the AirUp in the Air

With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him. READ MORE