War Room review: Go in Closet and Pray He Quits

Alex and Stephen Kendrick’s faith-based film argues that domestic abuse can be cured by retiring to a bunker and praying. It’s an odd plan of attack

Alena Pitts and TC Stallings in War Room Photograph

War Room, which follows up the Kendricks’ very effective Fireproof and Facing the Giants, is, unfortunately, no place near as entertaining as some other of the recent low quality evangelical Christian films. (Nothing tops The Identical, in which Elvis Presley’s long lost twin brother comes to redeem us all through sin. ) The performers are professional and, whilst it’s set in dull interiors with flat TV illumination, it cuts together okay. The plot is an boring melodrama with a tortoise’s pace, but this does allow the audience plenty of time to scrutinize its odd logic. Elizabeth (Priscilla Shirer, a successful Christian minister in her first movie role) is a hard-working real estate agent aware that her marriage is nearly at its breaking point. Her no-nonsense new client Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie) wants to talk less about marketing her house and more about Elizabeth’s relationship with Jesus. When Elizabeth confesses that she is unhappy, and only attends church when it fits her schedule, Miss Clara describes how she found happiness.

Taking a cue from the girl late husband (who was a battle strategist during the Vietnam War) Miss Clara, who mostly speaks in hosanna soundbytes, discovered she needed a bunker in which in order to configure a plan of action. She turned her walk-in closet into a war room, and there she lay and prayed and prayed. She ignored the problems outside, and only worried about within. This, apparently, does the technique.

After a lengthy period of consideration, Elizabeth follows suit. This builds to a triumphant monologue in which she shouts Satan out of her home as strings ring out on the actual film’s score. It was good timing, too, as the girl no-good husband Tony was just about to shack plan a work associate, but then can’t because he gets the stomach ache. Tony (T. C. Stallings, surprisingly muscle for a pharmaceutical sales rep) eventually is fired because of some queer invoicing. All Elizabeth needs to do is not really get angry at him - basically accept he is a thief - and like magic all of his poor traits quickly disappear. He begs forgiveness, prays as well as gives stolen drugs back to his bosses (who do not press charges, because he seems so sad. ) There is a recurring gag that Elizabeth’s feet stink, and also the movie ends with Tony washing them in a nice genderbent Mary Magdalene moment.

Shirer and Stallings do the greatest they can with the material, and while Miss Clara is about because subtle as Tyler Perry’s Madea, Karen Abercrombie’s furniture-chomping performance does sneak a laugh or two. It’s interesting to think about that all the main players in War Room are African-American, but there is not one reference to race in the film. I had been hoping that in this entry of the expanding “faith-based” sub-genre, we’d get a glimpse of how black churches in America are often nerve center of political activism and community arranging. But that aspect is completely absent. Prayer in War Room is a solitary endeavor, though hardly ascetic, thinking about the officially branded Battle Plan Prayer Cards and Gooey Notes for sale. One can always keep praying that the next of those films will be a little better.

Is the husband a self-centered jerk? Does he ignore your requirements, pay no attention to your adorable daughter, scold you for providing financial help to your troubled sister? Does he possess a wandering eye and come dangerously close to committing lovemaking? Is he embezzling from his job? Well, you need to know that it’s all your fault. When you find his conduct upsetting and take him to task you are just protracting the struggle. What you need to do is surrender, will end up in the closet and pray.

Karen Abercrombie and Priscilla Shirer in War Room  

These tactics, say Alex and Stephen Kendrick in their latest “faith-based” film Battle Room, will bring your husband back to you, and cast Satan from your home. If you follow a precise prayer regimen (which continues to be vague in the film but all spelled out in additional materials available for purchase on the Kendricks’ website) there is no reason to trust that your husband won’t transform back into the man you dropped for. He’ll even join your daughter for the large rope-skipping competition perfectly timed for the end of the film.

Source: www.theguardian. com