A Festival Of Love In Lourdes

For three years in the late 1990’s I had the great privilege of going to a small town in the south of France called Lourdes, a place of Catholic pilgrimage for the crippled, weak and weary. I went as a helper with HCPT (Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust). Each pilgrimage was an unforgettable experience, touching me in a special way.

On all three pilgrimages I travelled and stayed with the Scottish Youth Group, made up of young people from all over Scotland. In Lourdes two or three youth group members are allocated to different individual groups, sharing in the life and activity of the group for the rest of the week. The youth helpers are a unique blessing to the pilgrimage, offering a special energy and enthusiasm to the week. This is particularly evident in the parties they help to organise for the children, giving them the time of their lives.

The first thing to strike you in Lourdes during an HCPT visit is the wonderful atmosphere. Any doubts or inhibitions soon evaporate and you are carried away by a spirit of joy and friendship. The sight of five thousand children and helpers singing and dancing to ‘Rise And Shine’ at the huge Trust Mass, amidst a sea of bright colours and upbeat music, is very uplifting. The music, colour, activities, prayer and interaction between the children and the helpers are instrumental in creating a great atmosphere. This is turn encourages the children, some of whom might be shy or cautious, to come out their shells and over the week you can see them beginning to relax and enjoy themselves, growing in confidence and trust.

Each group is like a family. The adult helper fulfils the role of a parent for the week, bringing stability and instilling a sense of unity and belonging in the group. As a family we share in everything we do and in this I became strongly aware of God’s love and presence. This awareness wasn’t just confined to mass, but it was there in our daily living. It was there in spending the day at the beach, climbing the Stations Of The Cross, having lunch and dinner, and also in the frequent café stops and sing songs. In all of this God’s love was truly experienced and shared because He was alive in each one of us. It was in the other person that God most powerfully revealed himself. The gift of friendship was experienced in a special way. It was very touching to see a special bond develop between the child and adult helper. As the week passed they would grow in trust and intimacy and it showed, in a very real way, the deep need in each of us to love and be loved in return. This is what we are made for.

The children are the stars of the show, a great gift and blessing. They have something unique to offer in just being who they are and in the loving environment of the group they blossom and grow. They feel respected and lover for who they are. They are very much the centre of attention. This is not something they consciously seek, it is their innocence, simplicity, humour and trustfulness that make them very attractive. In these loving relationships you can see more clearly the dignity of the human person regardless of their ability or appearance. It is an opportunity to see Christ in each person. Due to their disability, mental or physical, they can be a challenge to love, but this can be fruitful depending on the response of the carer.

Of all that we experienced together, the torchlight procession stands most vividly in my mind; the outline of the Basilica against the evening sky, masses of pilgrims bearing banners and candles pouring into the large square, singing and praying in many different languages. There is a wonderful calmness and peace in the air; the faces around me are softened by the candlelight, the children sit contently. There is a wonderful presence of God.

The effect of Lourdes in my own life has been profound and, in some ways, transforming. I was given new hope and strength at a time in my life when I was weak and doubting. I have been made a better person through reaching out to others, helping them and offering the hand of friendship. There is a great freedom in living for the other person; in sharing, giving, serving, loving. Great peace and joy await those who choose to live in this way.

 

Minority Report

My cousin, a self-proclaimed film junkie, once told me that he never watches a film twice. There is a part of me that adheres to this approach, that film watching should be kept fresh and innovative, but another part of me really enjoys going back to an old favourite and appreciating its different facets or discovering a new layer of meaning. The very best films can be watched again and again. I would not put Minority Report in this elite category but last night I sat down in front of the television only intending to watch the first 20 minutes of this sci-fi action flick before bed and ended up watching it through to the end. The main reason for keeping me glued to the box was the original and interesting premise to the film and the way the story unfolded with all its pleasing twists and turns. The year is 2054 and Tom Cruise is a detective who heads a law enforcement department called Precrime, the idea being that with the help of three psychics they can stop a murder before it happens. Tom Cruise soon finds himself on the run when the psychics predict that he will commit a murder and feeling that he has been set up Cruise must prove his innocence and get to the bottom of the mystery. Spielberg does a good job of balancing the intricate plot with character development, while dealing with such themes as free will, fate, guilt and loss. Tom Cruise carries the film well, as he usually does, and is aided by a strong supporting cast of Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow. Minority Report goes to show that with an intelligent script and good acting not all films have to rely on special effects to score points. 7.5/10

Lost In Translation

There's not much to dislike about Lost In Translation, especially when the opening scene of the film is a camera shot of Scarlett Johansson's curvaceous bottom. Bill Murray stars as Bob Harris, a jaded 50 something year old movie star filming an advert for Japanese whisky in the bright and bustling lights of Tokyo. He strikes up an unlikely friendship with Scarlett Johansson's Charlotte, a young American staying in the same hotel. As suggested by the film title both are at a crossroads in their life, not sure where they are going or who that are meant to be. This sense of being lost is highlighted by finding themselves in the strange colours and sounds and customs of Japan's largest city. There is a great chemistry between Murray and Johansson. Both give lovely, understated performances and the friendship that develops between Bob and Charlotte is really quite touching. Sofia Coppola's script is funny but also contains a subtle depth, allowing the main characters to find each other in a way that feels natural. There is a nice pace to Coppola's direction and I particularly liked the cinematography which captures both sides of Tokyo and indeed reflects the characters inner state. A bitter sweet film that I think many people can relate to. What is lost in translation is found in friendship. 9/10

Rust And Bone

There's nothing like a bit of French cinema to cheer you up. Rust And Bone is the story about the power of hope in adverse circumstances and the healing that friendship can bring. Stephanie loses both legs in a freak accident and turns to Ali, a bouncer at a nightclub, for support. Both characters are interesting - Ali, a rough diamond; Stephanie, beautiful but vulnerable. Both central performances are very strong; Marion Cotillard in particular nails her part. The cinematography is quite striking, and with the help of some choice music and a thoughtful script the film flows with a natural rhythm that is very powerful. Moving, engaging, and shows you that hope, healing and redemption can come in strange disguises. 8/10

Serpico

Based on a true story, Al Pacino stars as a honest cop in New York City battling against police corruption. Pacino's performance as Frank Serpico is very powerful, earning him an Oscar nomination, and you really feel his building frustration and anger and desperation at the situation he finds himself in. An intelligent script is well handled by director Sidney Lumet, dealing with Serpico's mental and emotional state while maintaining a gripping plot. The music is unusual at times, like something out of a romance, but here it adds further emotional depth to the film, particularly during scenes of Serpico trying to enjoy normal relationships and life while under intense pressure. One of Pacino's better films. 8/10

Django Unchained

In Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino brings his unique talents and style to the cowboy western, maybe trying to breath new life into a genre that was once the staple diet of Hollywood in it's early years. Jamie Foxx stars as Django, an African-American slave who is purchased by bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz, with the agreement that Django help identify certain wanted killers with a bounty on their heads in exchange for his freedom, $75 and a horse. Django shows a certain flair in this line of work, so Schultz suggests that they pair up as bounty hunters over the winter and then search for Django's wife, Broomhilda, who has been sold away as a slave and thus separated from her husband. The pair eventually track her down, learning that a plantation owner called Calvin Candie has bought Broomhilda. Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent as the charming but morally repulsive Candie, and plays the part with great panache, but again, as in Inglourious Basterds, it is Christoph Waltz who steals the show, this time as Dr. King Schultz. How this fine actor almost slipped under the radar is beyond me, but he is now getting the film roles appropriate to his talents, albeit late in his career. Jamie Foxx leads the film well but the other standout performance is Samuel L Jackson as Candie's institutionalised black manservant, possibly Jackson's best role since Lakeview Terrace. The whole issue of race is dominant throughout the film, and Tarantino pulls no punches in depicting the ugliness and inhumanity of slavery, but garnering different responses. Film maker Spike Lee refused to see the film as he thought Tarantino's Spaghetti Western approach to Django Unchained was disrespectful to his black ancestors, while commentator Jeff Kuhner felt that the portrayal of white characters in the film was in a sense anti-white. Indeed the only good white character in the film is Schultz. Another talking point about Django Unchained is the excessive and gory violence. Tarantino continually defends the violence in his films because he feels that it is not realistic or believable violence, his depiction is more operatic and theatrical, and I am sure he uses the same argument in defending Django Unchained. The script is as sharp and original as they come and, although there is nothing funny about slavery, there are some nice touches of humour throughout. It's not my favourite Tarantino film, but it's well worth watching. And you can't beat a good western. 7/10  

David Beckham - most overhyped brand ever?

When the legendary Pele published a list of the greatest one hundred footballers of all time it caused quite a few eyebrows to be raised in consternation and annoyance. I am going to sidetrack all the arguments about what Brasilians should have and should not have made the list, and head for the green fields of England. The fact that David Beckham made the list was a truimph of modern marketing and PR. David Beckham is a good looking guy who can find the net with free kicks. He's a decent player, nothing more. Thus I have been constantly mystified by the success and adulation that he has receieved over the years. In interviews he has the charisma and intellect of a boiled potato. There are much better and more intelligent players who have not enjoyed his celebrity status and earning power. He has become an carefully marketed brand, playing into the hands of our society's obsession with celebrity culture. An example is his recent PR stunt with Paris St Germain. He has made it very vocal to the press that he is donating all his wages to a French children's charity. Now I am glad that a charity will be a few million Euros richer, that's great, but why the need to harp onto the press about it. I am not a natural cynic but the whole situation smacks of Beckham trying to boost his public image and convince us what a wonderful guy he is. It's pretty pathetic.