Looks can be deceiving
in many forms. What looks nice, shiny, and bright on the outside can actually
be dark, sad, and gloomy on the inside. This illusion that haunts many must be
addressed before it bursts out and consumes you. If remained unchecked, this
daunting curse can redefine who you are, turning you into a beast no one would
want to be around. You can find light at the end of the tunnel through prayer,
and that’s where the film’s main focus is. Not taking the acting into
consideration, it can be said that ‘War Room’ has a powerful message regarding
what the power of prayer can really do. The delivery of this message is a
little abrupt, but it’s easily understood by the believers of Christ. However,
the non-believers may have a harder time making sense of it.
Even from the trailers,
it’s clear this production is only concerned with delivering the message. Yes,
any film wants financial success, and to be praised for its story and superb
performances, but that wasn’t this film’s main goal. The acting was extremely
questionable, but knowing that wasn’t the point of focus, this aspect hasn’t
interfered with my overall assessment of the film.
Even if you have a
powerful message to share, you will still need good characters to convey that
point. So I was turned off when the husband Tony Jordan (T.C.
Stallings) appeared on screen for the first time: as angry as hell.
His character tries to create tension, without any valid reason for his
tantrums. His wife Elizabeth Jordan (Priscilla C. Shirer) is a
sweetheart who makes you laugh with her smelly feet, but that joke gets old far
too quickly. Alena Pitts who plays the daughter Danielle
Jordan has delivered the best performance by far. During one scene
in particular, she stole the show both shocking me and convinced. I was blown
away by this young actress and I look forward to her future performances. Miss
Clara (Karen Abercrombie) had the most important role of all.
She was a lighthearted, sweet woman playing the vessel of God to spread his
word. She knew her material well and was ever ready for any obstacle, but her
intrusiveness early on is an annoyance, and an example of why some
non-believers may be turn off from God.
Some of my favorite
foods on the planet are chicken cheese nachos, stuffed crust pepperoni pizza
and Ben and Jerry’s strawberry cheese cake ice-cream. If I’m having a terrible
day, knowing these are at home waiting for me will motivate me to get through
the day. I like to take my time to savor the flavor with each bite when I eat
these. Sometimes, I may want it all at once or I take my time to make the
savoring last. I definitely don’t want someone standing over me, shoving it
down my throat. Miss Clara has a very difficult time understanding this notion.
I understand she had a mission from God, but during the first half of the film,
she’s asks too many questions that don’t concern her and quotes scriptures in
every other dialog of hers. Yes this is one of the main responsibilities of a
Christian: to bring people to Christ; but there is a right and a wrong way to
do so. She had the perfect message, but she would ring your doorbell at three
in the morning to deliver it (I don’t mean that literally).
The overall story is the
best part. It’s clear, straight forward and doesn’t waste the audience’s time.
The power of prayer is amazing and the film does a great job of making that
clear. It’s a good representation of forgiveness and the weight being lifted
off one’s shoulders from confession. It’s simple, suggesting one to treat
others the way you want to be treated, and gives examples of how you can benefit
from this. As mentioned before, while the acting wasn’t the priority, one scene
during a marital confrontation nearly brought me to tears. Everyone else in the
theater had beaten me in reaching for their tissues.
I think the main goal of War
Room was the message it intended to convey. It did that and more, and
I enjoyed every moment of it. This is Alex Kendrick’s fifth
time as a director and I can say he’s done it again. Each film is better than
his last and I applaud him for all his efforts. The movie’s message came across
strongly and I’m sure it will reach a number of people; however, it still
pushes some themes a little too roughly. While a part of the conclusion was
nearly everything I wanted it to be, it was too much of noise with all the
believers reaching for heaven. There’s nothing wrong with this action, but
within the movie’s context, it seemed out of place. I would completely
understand if a non-believer couldn’t connect with the happenings on screen at
this final point. I’m not giving this a letter grade based on the resources and
goal of the production. It may be hard for non-believers to understand the
message, but with little effort, some clarity may arise.