Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Movie Reviews & Previews

Critics » Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Official Websites:
spiritualityandpractice.com

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
Publications:: Spirituality and Practice
Critics' Group:: New York Film Critics Online, Online Film Critics Society

Total Reviews:: 5072
Total QuickRatings:: 197

Location:: New York, New York

Listing Of All Reviews & Articles

Showing 1 - 50 of 5072

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
2/5	47%	The Great Gatsby (2013)	" Yet another screen version of the 1925 novel where style trumps substance, leaving us yearning for some characters who can engage our emotions." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 8, 2013
0/5	47%	Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf's (2013)	" An obnoxious documentary asking us to bow down in homage to a temple of the very rich where conspicuous consumerism is worshipped." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 3, 2013
5/5	80%	One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das (2013)	" An emotionally wrought documentary about the spiritual journey and immense love story of chant master Krishna Das." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 2, 2013
4.5/5	83%	What Maisie Knew (2013)	" A mesmerizing screen adaptation of a Henry James novel about parenting and the importance of a tender and nurturing love." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 1, 2013
4/5	92%	Future Weather (2013)	" A top-notch drama about a 13 year old who is a lover of science and a passionate activist determined to save the planet." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 1, 2013
4/5	——	Free The Mind (2013)	" An enlightening documentary about using mindfulness, breathing techniques, and yoga to reprogram the brain and ease the mind." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 1, 2013
3.5/5	78%	Iron Man 3 (2013)	" Robert Downey Jr. carries this superhero saga with his wit and clever improvised quips." — Spirituality and Practice Posted May 1, 2013
4/5	100%	You Will Be My Son (2013)	" A powerful father-son psychodrama with plenty of emotional fireworks in its depiction of the toxic power of high expectations. " — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 30, 2013
4/5	75%	Love Is All You Need (2013)	" An enchanting romantic comedy set on the Italian Riviera where two middle-agers find their lives in turnaround. " — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 24, 2013
3/5	24%	Arthur Newman (2013)	" Road movie about two unhappy people who take on new identities only to find they still have to face their problems." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 23, 2013
4.5/5	98%	Mud (2013)	" A fresh coming-of-age tale with an impressive performance by Tye Sheridan as a sensitive, kind, and caring teenager with a good heart. " — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 23, 2013
4.5/5	62%	Paradise: Love (2013)	" An engrossing and creative Austrian film about the yearnings of a lonely middle-aged woman seeking adventure at a vacation resort in Kenya." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 23, 2013
4/5	58%	At Any Price (2013)	" An engrossing drama about a farm family struggling to survive in a time when big business, new technology, and genetically modified seeds are the name of the game." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 23, 2013
4/5	44%	Midnight's Children (2013)	" An ambitious film conveying the complicated and violent early history of India and Pakistan through the stories of two boys born on independence day." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 23, 2013
5/5	87%	Herman's House (2013)	" A compelling and enlightening documentary about the important role creativity can play in the pursuit of justice and the spread of compassion." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 18, 2013
1.5/5	56%	Oblivion (2013)	" A sci-fi action drama whose muddled and weak plot leaves us baffled" — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 17, 2013
4.5	68%	Disconnect (2013)	" Three compelling dramas about lives shattered by thieves using the tools of technology to steal things of great value to their victims. " — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 12, 2013
3.5/5	60%	American Meat (2013)	" A hopeful and enlightening documentary on the baby steps being taken to offer alternatives to big industry farming." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 12, 2013
4/5	76%	It's a Disaster (2013)	" A character-driven drama that mixes humor and seriousness when eight people are forced to take stock of their options as a nerve-gas cloud heads their way." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 12, 2013
5/5	42%	To The Wonder (2013)	" A bold and ground-breaking film by Terrence Malick that is a mystical meditation on the many manifestations of the spiritual practices of yearning and love." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 8, 2013
5/5	68%	Trance (2013)	" A mesmerizing movie that is a heist flick; a psychological thriller about loss of memory and the powers of hypnotism; and a provocative parable about human desire, greed, sexuality, paranoia, and betrayal" — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 3, 2013
3/5	84%	Bestiaire (2012)	" A meditative movie that turns into a call for compassion for all the animals exploited for entertainment in zoos, safari parks, and circuses." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Apr 2, 2013
5/5	94%	Stories We Tell (2013)	" A groundbreaking documentary written and directed by Sarah Polley about family secrets, memory, forgiveness, and reconciliation." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 28, 2013
3.5/5	50%	You Don't Need Feet to Dance (2013)	" An inspiring documentary about a disabled West African drummer whose music and dancing enable him to transcend his woes and rejoice in the gift of life." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 25, 2013
3.5/5	15%	Dorfman in Love (2013)	" A romantic comedy about the changes that transform a young woman with low self-esteem." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 25, 2013
4/5	100%	Blue Caprice ()	" A chilling psychological portrait of the two men behind the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 21, 2013
5/5	100%	A Hijacking (2013)	" A poignant and powerful drama about the hijacking of a Danish cargo ship and its seven member crew by Somali pirates. " — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
5/5	100%	The Act Of Killing (2013)	" A startling wake-up call to the pornography of violence and its major role in crimes against humanity." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
4/5	73%	Violeta Went to Heaven (2013)	" A well-acted and well-directed musical biodrama about the life and career of the Chilean singer and songwriter Viola Parra." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
4.5/5	54%	The Company You Keep (2013)	" An old-fashioned drama about ethics, conscience, and zeal with one of the best ensemble casts ever assembled" — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
4/5	80%	Eden (2013)	" A compelling indie film inspired by a true story about a New Mexico woman who is kidnapped and forced into prostitution in a sex trade operation." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
3.5/5	56%	Hunky Dory (2013)	" An appealing drama set in Wales in 1976 about a high school rock opera version of Shakespeare's The Tempest." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 20, 2013
3/5	38%	The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)	" A rollicking comedy with three zany performances by Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, and Alan Arkin." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 14, 2013
4/5	96%	War Witch (2013)	" An astonishing drama set in Africa that vividly depicts the courage and resiliency of a 12-year-old girl whose spiritual gifts enable her to survive." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 11, 2013
4/5	43%	Admission (2013)	" Engaging dramedy about a college admissions officer who suddenly finds herself adrift on a sea of difficulties which test her identity and deepest values." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 7, 2013
4/5	31%	Emperor (2013)	" A powerful and thought-provoking drama about war. peace, and the challenges of cross-cultural understanding." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 7, 2013
4/5	89%	A Place at the Table (2013)	" A documentary about the shocking extent of hunger in America, affecting 1 in 4 children." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 5, 2013
3.5/5	——	Me, You and Us (Un Enfant De Toi) ()	" A talky French film where a woman, her present boyfriend, and her former lover do a dance of desire and disdain as they each try to work out what they really want" — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 1, 2013
4.5/5	80%	Augustine (2013)	" A psychological thriller that explores fresh territory in its depiction of sexual politics." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Mar 1, 2013
5/5	65%	A Fierce Green Fire (2013)	" A lucid and prophetic documentary that will rekindle your passion for making your small contribution to saving the planet." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 28, 2013
5/5	52%	The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013)	" An emotionally vibrant story of the scourge of terrorism, the nightmare of fundamentalism, the dangers of zealots of all types, and terrible results of xenophobia." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 27, 2013
5/5	81%	Renoir (2013)	" An exquisite and sense-luscious French film about the great artist and his last muse." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 26, 2013
4.5/5	78%	Thérèse Desqueyroux (2013)	" Portrait of a wealthy woman with a sharp mind who struggles to find her way out of passionless marriage into a life of her own creation." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 25, 2013
4.5/5	87%	In the House (2013)	" A bold and refreshingly original French film about story, writing, imagination, creativity, sexuality, and breaking rules." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 25, 2013
4.5/5	92%	11 Flowers (2013)	" A compelling Chinese coming-of-age drama about a young boy's initiation into the adult world of violence and mystery." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 22, 2013
2/5	45%	Beautiful Creatures (2013)	" A garish supernatural story." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 14, 2013
2/5	20%	Identity Thief (2013)	" A waste of the talents of Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 9, 2013
3.5/5	64%	Ferlinghetti A Rebirth of Wonder (2013)	" A tribute to poet and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti as a creator and nurturer of wonder." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Feb 7, 2013
4/5	46%	Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary (2013)	" A documentary charting the extraordinary life and work of Mumia Abu-Jamal from his prison cell over the last 30 years." — Spirituality and Practice Posted Jan 31, 2013

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