Spike Jones’ sci-fi-romantic-comedy-drama (there’s a mouthful) Her is a captivating film set in Los Angeles in the near future. Despite, or maybe because of, its quirky premise of a man falling in love with his operating system, it raises profound philosophical questions about relationships and technology, about reality, love and death.All the philosophical discussion in the film can make it sound cerebral, and it’s certainly intelligent, but this is a very emotional film.

You’ve heard/seen the Oscar nominees announced today. Now it is time for Third Way Café’s almost-as-famous round up of favorites—paying little heed to what “the academy” will vote on.These reviewers pay heed to viewing films through an “Anabaptist values” lens. Favorite this and share on Facebook and Twitter or wherever you hang out.Here, each in their inimitable style, not standardized in format, in the order our reviewers submitted them, are the Third Way Café Top 10 for 2013.Vic Thiessen’s Top Ten Films of 2013Counting down from 1010. The East – This quirky suspense drama from Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling […]

Just a few years after the 1935 publication of Mary Poppins (written by P.L. Travers), Walt Disney promised his daughters that he would make a film of the book. Unfortunately for him, Travers had no interest in allowing Disney to turn her book into a sweet children’s film or, even worse, into an animated film. But Disney persisted for twenty years and, in 1961, when Travers was experiencing financial struggles, he persuaded her to fly from London to Los Angeles to talk about purchasing the rights to film Mary Poppins.A funny, touching, tragic, profound, beautifully-told film and should not be […]

Rated RAfter the buzz fades, of being “had” by one more movie, there are a number of interesting questions that can be explored.

Here are the films making it to the top of Third Way Cafe’s annual “Top 10 Films of the Year” list. We don’t give away Oscars or have red carpets, (and these are not films our reviewers are nominating for Oscars or Globes) but films worthy of mention which either uphold Mennonite/Anabaptist approaches to looking at the world, or, at least tell a whopping good story or make an inspiring and excellent film. For our website fans, our reviewers also have created a great list (28 in all) with succinct descriptions around which you can make your Netflix or other queues, or plan a quarter of great […]

Compare to your own favorites or save this for when you want quick descriptions in picking a film to view or discuss in a group.

A good summary of many of the worthwhile and noteworthy films of the year for your own list of “must sees.”

Our Media Matters reviewers have done it again: brought you not only their picks for top 10 films of the year (in keeping with the Oscar awards’ move to having 10 nominees for each category for the first time this year), but handy short descriptions that you can use to make your own queue for Netflix or other list, or even use in choosing flicks to use for youth or other film discussion groups. After reading their choices, go to our Poll to register your own favorite films of 2009. There were fewer outstanding films to consider as the year’s best, but surprisingly […]

Altogether 23 different films are listed which makes a fine “recommended” list for your Netflix or other queue!

Here are our Media Matters reviewers’ picks for favorite films of 2007. Yeah, yeah, we know they are not necessarily Oscar contenders—which is why we do Third Way Café anyway: to offer a little different voice and view. Here, without editing, are five of our reviewers’ picks, with top film first. You can vote for your own favorite film of 2007 in the Media Poll to the right of this page. Jerry Holsopple For my first two picks I am choosing movies with strong female leads. Both actresses took challenging roles and did superb work. 1.  Juno. Rarely do you get a comedy about a teenager […]