Mr. Church (2016)

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

What do professional critics know? Nothing about good writing or cinema it seems. This movie kept me interested from minute 1 to the very end. Murphy was stunning. That simple. The story itself doesn't get twisted and contorted with flashbacks and riddles. It's unusual, which may bother some critics but it feels real. Sans violence, blood, overdrawn drama , it speaks to a human heart in a tender natural way. An absolute must see movie. Now, Rotten Tomatoes and Meta Critic, maybe someday you will be lucky, like the Grinch. Think about it.

Oh, I discovered that I can produce manly tears too. And I did so for about an hour, during this movie. Very recommended.

Pleasantly surprising and good. It's obvious what you're getting into before seeing Mr. Church. A black man becomes a prominent figure in a white family. What the writers and actors do from there decides how the audience will react. They nailed it. There's so much depth to the two main characters. In the end you love them both. This movie did everything set out to do, except probably make more money at the box office.

A film about everyday human beings relating to one another in extraordinary ways. It's quite refreshing to find filmmakers willing to make movies like Mr. Church during an era in which they are quickly lost among the sea of big-budget, CGI Action Adventure, Sci-Fi and Comic Hero flicks.If rated on the merits of Mr. Murphy's considerable talents alone. This movie rates a solid ten. Eddie Murphy subtly imbues the character with a dignity and grace that would be over-played by others. I have long believed that Eddie Murphy's skill as an actor is a largely untapped resource. This film begins to scratch the surface of his capabilities. Additionally, Natascha McElhone delivers a beautifully-nuanced performance as Marie. The remainder of the cast are, while not exceptional, solid in their roles.The film is occasionally overtly sentimental and more than once drifts dangerously close to "After-School Special" territory as it did in both a hospital and wedding scene that attempt to force an emotional reaction from the viewer, responses that otherwise come naturally as the story progresses. I am surprised, though perhaps I shouldn't be in today's cynical world, at the many negative reviews this film received. It is competently scripted, well-paced with characters who are relatable, likable and portrayed by a solid cast. Avoid the tendency to look for some deeper societal meaning as some critics have. Focus instead on what the film sets out to accomplish, the telling of a story about the humanity at its best and the resulting triumph of love and friendship. It seems like that is a story that needs to be told and told well in today's angry world. Mr. Church accomplishes both.