MR. CHURCH 3 stars Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Natascha McElhone, Mckenna Grace, Lucy Fry, Xavier Samuel; PG-13 (thematic elements); in general release
There are several things to like about a quiet drama like Mr. Church. But the thing that feels most notable about director Bruce Beresfords story of a young woman and her unique father figure is the presence of Eddie Murphy in the title role.
Anyone who saw Murphys Oscar-nominated turn in 2006s Dreamgirls knows the actor has range. But its still a pleasant surprise to see the man who cut his performing teeth as a comedian on "Saturday Night Live" and through 1980s comedies such as Beverly Hills Cop emote such a quiet and noble character.
Murphy plays Henry Joseph Church, a multitalented man who earns his living as a cook. Church is assigned to a cancer-stricken woman named Marie (Natascha McElhone) and her young daughter Charlotte (Natalie Coughlin) on a six-month assignment by an interested third-party (Maries ex-lover), but when she survives her terminal prognosis, Churchs position lasts several more years.
Over that time, he develops a close relationship with Charlotte (played as a teen and adult by Britt Robertson), teaching her to cook, cultivating her love of literature and becoming something of a father figure as she navigates adolescence and enters adulthood. But even as Church becomes integral to Charlottes life, he remains fiercely private about his affairs, though Charlotte knows that his evening activities involve a nearby jazz club called Jellys.
The tension created by Churchs mysterious past is the only obvious conflict in Mr. Church, which is more character-driven than anything else. Along the way, we also get to know Larson (Christian Madsen) a friend of Charlottes who is trying to cope with having killed a 4-year-old boy in an auto accident, and Charlottes childhood friend Poppy (Lucy Fry), whose inferiority complex drives her to a glamorous but shallow life of wealth.
The opening credits claim that Mr. Church was inspired by a real-life friendship, which might explain part of its organic, laid-back pacing. But while the pacing works, Susan McMartins script is often too reliant on Charlottes expositional voiceover narration, which frequently restates the very things the film is already showing us.
Set mostly in the 1970s, Mr. Church hints early on at the potential for racial tension, but Beresford never really wanders far from the relationship between his two leads. At times his film strains against the confines of its time period, celebrating the art of cooking and Churchs love of music and literature in a way that transcends the culture of the 1970s.
Murphy plays Church as a man of quiet, wise dignity in a performance that becomes more poignant as we realize how he uses that dignity as a mask. Robertson also does well as Charlotte, benefiting from her unique ability to play any age from about 16 to 30 (the actress is 26 in real life).
In spite of some flaws, Mr. Church is a valuable exploration of the nature of friendship and how genuine friendship often requires you surrender those things you are reluctant to share.
Mr. Church is rated PG-13 for thematic elements; running time: 104 minutes.
There are several things to like about a quiet drama like Mr. Church. But the thing that feels most notable about director Bruce Beresfords story of a young woman and her unique father figure is the presence of Eddie Murphy in the title role.
Anyone who saw Murphys Oscar-nominated turn in 2006s Dreamgirls knows the actor has range. But its still a pleasant surprise to see the man who cut his performing teeth as a comedian on "Saturday Night Live" and through 1980s comedies such as Beverly Hills Cop emote such a quiet and noble character.
Murphy plays Henry Joseph Church, a multitalented man who earns his living as a cook. Church is assigned to a cancer-stricken woman named Marie (Natascha McElhone) and her young daughter Charlotte (Natalie Coughlin) on a six-month assignment by an interested third-party (Maries ex-lover), but when she survives her terminal prognosis, Churchs position lasts several more years.
Over that time, he develops a close relationship with Charlotte (played as a teen and adult by Britt Robertson), teaching her to cook, cultivating her love of literature and becoming something of a father figure as she navigates adolescence and enters adulthood. But even as Church becomes integral to Charlottes life, he remains fiercely private about his affairs, though Charlotte knows that his evening activities involve a nearby jazz club called Jellys.
The tension created by Churchs mysterious past is the only obvious conflict in Mr. Church, which is more character-driven than anything else. Along the way, we also get to know Larson (Christian Madsen) a friend of Charlottes who is trying to cope with having killed a 4-year-old boy in an auto accident, and Charlottes childhood friend Poppy (Lucy Fry), whose inferiority complex drives her to a glamorous but shallow life of wealth.
The opening credits claim that Mr. Church was inspired by a real-life friendship, which might explain part of its organic, laid-back pacing. But while the pacing works, Susan McMartins script is often too reliant on Charlottes expositional voiceover narration, which frequently restates the very things the film is already showing us.
Set mostly in the 1970s, Mr. Church hints early on at the potential for racial tension, but Beresford never really wanders far from the relationship between his two leads. At times his film strains against the confines of its time period, celebrating the art of cooking and Churchs love of music and literature in a way that transcends the culture of the 1970s.
Murphy plays Church as a man of quiet, wise dignity in a performance that becomes more poignant as we realize how he uses that dignity as a mask. Robertson also does well as Charlotte, benefiting from her unique ability to play any age from about 16 to 30 (the actress is 26 in real life).
In spite of some flaws, Mr. Church is a valuable exploration of the nature of friendship and how genuine friendship often requires you surrender those things you are reluctant to share.
Mr. Church is rated PG-13 for thematic elements; running time: 104 minutes.
