Critics » Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat » Fresh
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Agrees with the Tomatometer 74% of the time.

Biography:
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat have been discovering spiritual meanings in films for 40 years. We are always on the lookout for movies that "speak to our condition" (a Quaker phrase) and reveal new possibilities for our lives. We love dramas that touch on universal experiences, knock down barriers between people, and evoke our compassion. We are enriched by stories that touch our hearts and send us out of the theater rejoicing. A truly good film is not only thought-provoking and entertaining, it also leaves the viewer with a sense of what it means to live deeply and fully every day. We are the authors of two books, Spiritual Literacy and Spiritual Rx, in which we frequently use movies to illustrate spiritual "takes" on everyday experience. We also regularly prepare "Values & Visions" Discussion Guides for film clubs. You can read about our approach to movies in "Befriending Films" and "Spirituality and Films" in the Spirituality & Film section at our website.
Favorites:
We publish an annual list of the "most spiritually literate films of the year" (see "Other" section). Some all-time favorites are: Gandhi, My Life as a Dog, Babette's Feast, Wings of Desire, Forrest Gump, Dead Man Walking, Babe, Enchanted April, Jesus of Montreal, The Last Wave, Grand Canyon, Sunshine State, In America, Brokeback Mountain, American Beauty, Little Miss Sunshine, Water, Lars and the Real Girl, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Visitor, and Slumdog Millionaire.
Publications:
Spirituality and Practice
Critics' Group:
New York Film Critics Online, Online Film Critics Society
Total Reviews:
4873
Total QuickRatings:
197
Location:
New York, New York

Best Reviewed Films

Showing 1 - 50 of 4816
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Rating T-Meter Title | Year Add Date
5/5 71% Intouchables (2012) " A playful and compassionate French film about an unconventional caregiver and the quadriplegic man he looks after." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 23, 2012
5/5 98% Moonrise Kingdom (2012) " A wonder-inducing film from Wes Anderson about the authentic quest of two oddball teens who just want to be free." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 23, 2012
5/5 88% I Wish (2012) " A charming and inventive Japanese movie about wishes, questing, friendship, sibling solidarity, and the wonderful support of grandparents when we need them the most." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 10, 2012
5/5 76% The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) " A top-drawer dramady about a band of English retirees in India and the challenges and transformations they undergo." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 2, 2012
5/5 94% Marley (2012) " An astonishing documentary charting the life and legacies of reggae superstar Bob Marley." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Apr 19, 2012
5/5 76% Damsels in Distress (2012) " A most clever and unusual campus comedy about a female crusader and her special missions." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Apr 5, 2012
5/5 87% Bully (2012) " An eye-opening documentary that focuses on five youth who were bullied, including two who committed suicide, and how their families, schools, and communities respond. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Apr 5, 2012
5/5 33% The Lady (2012) " An inspiring portrait of a passionate female freedom fighter and an exquisite love story set in the darkness of violence, repression, and tyranny in Burma." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 30, 2012
5/5 —— How To Survive A Plague (2012) " A documentary on the impact of a passionate group of dedicated and creative individuals in raising awareness of the AIDS epidemic." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 26, 2012
5/5 —— 5 Broken Cameras (2012) " A remarkable documentary which charts the impact on a Palestinian village, and one of its children, of Israeli oppression during the past five years." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 26, 2012
5/5 85% The Hunger Games (2012) " This adrenaline-pumping drama of survival is the most exciting and engaging action adventure since Avatar." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 21, 2012
5/5 41% Where Do We Go Now? (2012) " An inventive Lebanese film about the creative efforts of Christian and Muslim women in a small village to create peace and end religious hatred." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 7, 2012
5/5 68% Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) " A quirky and thoroughly entertaining spiritual drama about the multiple meanings of faith." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 7, 2012
5/5 100% This Is Not a Film (2012) " A clandestine last gasp of freedom from one of Iran's most creative and controversial film directors while under house arrest." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Feb 29, 2012
5/5 100% The Well Digger's Daughter Poster (La Fille Du Puisatier) () " A tour de force remake of Marcel Pagnol's 1940 film about love, loss, class, forgiveness, and transformation that come from the heart. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Feb 24, 2012
5/5 58% Delicacy (2012) " An exploration of the dynamics of sadness and the liberating qualities of love." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Feb 23, 2012
5/5 74% Big Miracle (2012) " A thematically rich drama about the efforts to save three trapped whales that speaks volumes about cross-cultural misunderstandings, media circuses, and the good that can rise to surface when opposing groups work together." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Feb 2, 2012
5/5 77% War Horse (2011) " A spellbinding drama about a heroic horse, the young man who loves him, and the kind handlers who help the horse during the hell he endures on the battlefields of World War I. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Dec 22, 2011
5/5 99% A Separation (2011) " A searing Iranian film about divisiveness as a toxin in relationships." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Dec 15, 2011
5/5 67% We Bought a Zoo (2011) " An emotionally literate film about a grieving family trying to jump-start their lives again by running a small zoo for animals." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Dec 15, 2011
5/5 80% Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (2011) " An astonishing documentary about the life and work of scientist and eco-activist David Suzuki who shares his elder wisdom about science, nature, conservation, and the right path of indigenous peoples." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Nov 30, 2011
5/5 44% Happy Feet Two (2011) " The best animated film of 2011 with its quirky characters, lively dancing, soaring songs, and the heroism of many different animals banding together in face of an eco-disaster that threatens them all. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Nov 17, 2011
5/5 89% The Descendants (2011) " A masterful and emotionally rich movie about the grief of parting and the agony of separation in the life of a father whose losses lead to new and transformative connections. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Nov 15, 2011
5/5 36% In Time (2011) " A winning and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller set in the future that taps into some of the most troubling inequities and problems of our era, the lack of time. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Oct 27, 2011
5/5 70% Oranges And Sunshine (2011) " The extraordinary true story of a social worker who exposed the notorious forced deportation of children from England to Australia from the 1940s to the 1970s." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Oct 20, 2011
5/5 99% Le Havre (2011) " A magical Finnish film about the miracles that a warm heart can work in a world of hatred and divisiveness. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Oct 20, 2011
5/5 85% The Ides of March (2011) " A combo political thriller and morality play that is thought-provoking and brilliantly performed by some of America's best actors." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Oct 4, 2011
5/5 —— Staub (Dust) (2007) " A creative and fascinating documentary on dust." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 29, 2011
5/5 93% 50/50 (2011) " A touching portrait of a courageous young man's journey with cancer and the varied responses of the people around him." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 29, 2011
5/5 86% Journey From Zanskar (2011) " An extraordinary documentary about an educational project instituted by two Tibetan Buddhist monks who want to enrich the lives of 17 impoverished children from their region." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 21, 2011
5/5 30% A Bird of the Air (2011) " Story of a beautiful and talkative parrot who proves to be a miracle worker bringing two lonely souls together for a quest that changes them both." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 14, 2011
5/5 45% Jane's Journey (2011) " An engrossing portrait of the public and private lives of Jane Goodall; one of the Best Documentaries of 2011." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 14, 2011
5/5 92% The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte) (2011) " A quiet, meditative, and spiritual Italian film about the transmigration of the soul." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 14, 2011
5/5 —— David (2011) " A spiritual masterwork about the friendship between a Muslim and a Jewish boy and the ways in which it brings unexpected changes into their lives and faith perspectives." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Sep 5, 2011
5/5 100% Poetry (2011) " A valiant and touching psychodrama about an aging woman who takes on the challenge of writing her first poem from the experiences that stir her heart." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Aug 29, 2011
5/5 81% Higher Ground (2011) " A spiritual drama that challenges viewers to map their own journey of faith, asking questions, having doubts, and seeking a closer connection with God." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Aug 18, 2011
5/5 100% Summer Pasture (2011) " An intimate, rounded, and realistic documentary about a charming, hard-working couple who are Tibetan nomads." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Aug 16, 2011
5/5 76% The Help (2011) " A tribute to African-American maids in the South during 1963 and their courage in telling their stories as a form of grace under pressure." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Aug 10, 2011
5/5 99% The Interrupters (2011) " A riveting documentary about three committed, sensitive, and compassionate warriors for peace whose heroism has made a difference in the lives of people in inner city Chicago." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jul 28, 2011
5/5 73% The Tree (2011) " A beautiful and beguiling Australian film about love, loss, mystery and the resources needed to hold together a grieving family." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jul 13, 2011
5/5 98% Project Nim (2011) " An astonishing documentary about a chimp raised as a human and the calamitous consequences." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jul 7, 2011
5/5 82% Life, Above All (2011) " The engrossing story of the heroism and compassion of a 12-year-old South African who demonstrates selfless love in caring for her very ill mother." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jun 22, 2011
5/5 85% A Better Life (2011) " A touching and authentic immigrant tale that touches the heart and is One of the Best Films of 2011." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jun 22, 2011
5/5 88% Buck (2011) " An extraordinary documentary about a horse-whisperer whose spiritual messages and healing techniques are good medicine for all." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jun 13, 2011
5/5 96% One Lucky Elephant (2011) " A documentary about Flora a retired circus elephant that turns into a complex and compelling meditation on interspecies relationships; one of the Best Films of 2011." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Jun 8, 2011
5/5 85% The Tree of Life (2011) " A bold and challenging film about a journey from stardust to wonder that stirs the soul as it sets the story of the creation of the universe alongside the intimate story of one family in the 1950s." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 21, 2011
5/5 97% Queen Of The Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? (2011) " An inspiring documentary, one of the best films of 2011, about what beekeepers and other sensitive souls are doing to save the bees who have been leaving their hives and dying in large numbers." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted May 18, 2011
5/5 94% Win Win (2011) " An emotionally satisfying drama about sports, family, and money problems in which everyone gets a second chance. One of the Best Movies of 2011!" — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 18, 2011
5/5 65% The Music Never Stopped (2011) " Touching story about the emotional uplift of music, the tenderizing of a family member's heart, and a father-son reconciliation like nothing you've ever seen before; one of the best films of 2011. " — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 16, 2011
5/5 77% In A Better World (2011) " A poignant drama about the universal appeal of violence in our psyches and in cultures around the globe." — Spirituality and Practice
Posted Mar 3, 2011
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