The Song of Bernadette (1941).

Without doubt one of the best religious films of all time. Jennifer Jones plays Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen-year-old who lives in Lourdes, France, where she visions the Blessed Virgin Mary. The film circulates Bernadette and her family and the poverty they live in. Her father wakes up everyday before dawn in his quest to find what’s available for him to work. Bernadette’s sister Marie and her friend Jeanne are summoned to do an errand, Bernadette tags along wanting to become part of the circle of friendship. When the three encounter a river, Marie and Jeanne walk barefooted across the river.


Marie and Jeanne demand Bernadette to stay put because Bernadette suffers from Asthma because of the chilly waters would drive Bernadette to illness. As the two girls ventures further in search of fire woods, Bernadette is alone. A woman appears claiming she is the Immaculate Conception. Bernadette believes her word because she is the only one capable of the visions; the town accuses Bernadette of her sanity. Miracles begin to blossom in the town, and love, happiness and health soon become the nature of god’s work that people begin to follow and are inspired by Bernadette’s vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Jennifer Jones won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

The Edukators (2004).

For the past decade, Germany has been producing masterful films. One of my favorites is Hans Weingarten's The Edukators. The story revolves on three anti-capitalists activists living in Berlin, Germany – Jule (Julia Jentsch), her boyfriend Peter (Stripe Erceg), and his best friend Jan (Daniel Bruhl).


Jule is waitressing to pay off an enormous debt that has been depressing her life ever since she ran a red light and crashed into a Mercedes-Benz S-class. Expired registration, no insurance and she is billed US$95,000. Jule’s boyfriend leaves for several days to an activist convention held in Spain. Jule and Jan begin to flourish a friendship which soon evolves into love.


Jan informs Jule about his and Peter’s deepest secret. Jan and Peter break into wealthy homes never stealing one thing, but the purpose is to inform the owners of the home to be aware that money doesn’t buy everything. Their trademark is rearranging furniture and leaving a note with a phrase “the days of plenty are numbered.” Jule is dumbfounded by the acts committed by her boyfriend and Jan, but soon she is convinced and becomes part of their activity. Its fun and games living life at its fullest until one of them is caught.


The Edukators is pure adrenaline and without argument the best ensemble cast produced from Germany.

In the Valley of Elah (2007).

Paul Haggis’ In the Valley of Elah is based on actual events. Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) is a retired army military sergeant with the experiences in criminal justice. The film begins with a young man’s voice, Hank’s son. Although, there is no visual images but the sound illuminates brilliantly of what the experience could be serving in Iraq under difficult conditions. The film is arguably controversy in its own rights. After not receiving no emails from his son, Hank suddenly packs up for what it seems for several days and drives to the army base where his son is stationed in Texas. Through many emotionally scenes that Jones performs masterly, Hank receives a video from his son days prior to his missing through email.


The video uncovers bits of pieces of Hank’s son experiences serving in the streets of Iraq. Turmoil and no answers to be given by the United States Army, Hank researches every possible detail of his missing son. Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) becomes involved in Hank’s missing person case when body remains are discovered near the army base. Detective Sanders investigates thoroughly; she soon predicates that Hank’s son was murdered by his own comrades on the jurisdiction on the city’s property and not the army base, which gives the right to law enforcement to inspect on army’s jurisdiction. The film is utterly brilliant and intense.