By Marcina Zaccaria

Exodus: Gods and Kings, the stunning action adventure drama directed by Ridley Scott, tells the story of Moses, the man who freed the Israelites.

Christian Bale (American Psycho and The Dark Knight Rises) is transformative as Moses. In him, the audience can see a tough warrior, a simple shepherd, and a man capable of parting the Red Sea. Bale shares the screen with Joel Edgerton, who plays the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses. Bale never seems hollow or withdrawn in the film, as he glares up to the sky and denounces God.

Exodus: Gods and Kings has enough sand and chariots to win the heart of the most stoic movie watcher. It is a story of power and enormous consequence. The lead actors consider who God is, and whether God or man has the greater power to kill. The swordplay and the emotion behind it are fierce, and the film, as a whole, is relentless. It doesn’t focus so much on good and evil, but rather, on the juxtaposition of massive impact and new movement. Though movie making has never seemed bigger or bolder, the film brings up real issues of humanity and frailty.

By Marcina Zaccaria

A directorial debut from Chris Lowell, Beside Still Waters wades through ripples of sorrow before discovering that friendship can steady the stormiest waters.

It is an honorable film by Lowell, who acted in the Oscar nominated movie, The Help and the box office hit, Veronica Mars. Beside Still Waters won both the Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2013 Austin Film Festival. A finalist for the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab with his first screenplay, The Bridgewater Umbrella, Lowell considers sorrow and unexpected tragedy with his latest effort.

The truth comes out when a group of friends visits an old lake house, after the unfortunate death of the lead character’s parents. Ryan Eggold, as Daniel, never misses the opportunity for connection or the chance to share his story. When moving out of the house, the friends recall old times, as they sort through their past.

By Marcina Zaccaria

Inside the Mind of Leonardo, a new movie from History Films, is a stunning motion picture in 3D, featuring Peter Capaldi and directed by Julian Jones.

The documentary film takes place in Florence and Milan, and features potent monologues performed by BAFTA Award winning actor Peter Capaldi. Capaldi plays Leonardo in the film. The slim actor who received an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for his movie, Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life, reveals the emotion behind Leonardo, the man who many regard as a genius.

Image after image, monologue after monologue, the film doesn’t fail to disappoint. So much is known about Leonardo da Vinci. The inventor, the artist, and the military theorist had over 6,000 pages of notebooks. Da Vinci’s notebooks feature visionary drawings, musings on experience and causation, and mundane lists of food items. Holding information about beauty, flight, and war, da Vinci’s musings make exceptional sense when spoken by Capaldi. Throughout the film, the Scottish actor brings life and meaning to Renaissance concepts and ideals.