Episode 30 of our  “Wine and Film, A Perfect Pairing” podcast on reVolver Podcasts, we discussed three films in theaters now including “Patriot’s Day” and “Silence.”

A few more notes on both below. To listen to the show, follow the link here and click “Episode 30.” And, be sure to subscribe through iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music or IHeartRadio.

And, get your tickets now to join us at The Dallas Arboretum on January 26 for our “Wine and Film, A Perfect Pairing” preview event of the 89th annual Academy Awards. We’ll pair special wines with the top nominations of the year, and Gary will give a full run down of his predictions for this year’s winners. Tickets and details here. 

The Film: “Patriot’s Day”

Run to the theater to see, “Patriots Day,” a thoughtful, visceral, and ultimately respectful film that accurately follows the events of the 2013 Boston marathon bombings and the men and women who first responded and eventually captured the two terrorists.

Mark Wahlberg plays a fictional representation of a Boston cop working the front lines of the marathon the day of the bombing. He plays the everyman beat cop who is loyal to his city and it’s people.

Just about everyone else in the film represents the real life players that were forced to work together during that difficult time and that includes John Goodman (Commissioner Ed Davis) and Kevin Bacon (FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers).

Director Peter Berg has done this before, and done it well with, “Lone Survivor,” and “Deepwater Horizon,” and this time his attention to a detailed time line answered all of the questions I had about the tragic event. Yes, the city and federal authorities were under a lot of stress in the middle of such chaos and they came through in flying colors.

Berg makes it watchable, emotional, and intelligent at the same time, a cinematic balancing act that is hard to pull off since the event is still fresh in our minds.

“Patriots Day” doesn’t wrap itself in the flag but rather wraps itself in the people of Boston and the overall result is both humbling and patriotic. It’s a fine film, a decent film, directed and told from the ground up rather than the top down. I’ll see this one again.

The Film: “Silence”

I can’t stop thinking about “Silence,” a painfully slow moving examination of suffering for your faith. A film that asks a number of difficult questions including would you recant your faith publicly to save the lives of others?

I love the idea of working out one’s faith on film, and Oscar winning director, Martin Scorsese, has been doing this for years from, “Mean Streets,” to “The Last Temptation of Christ.” He has earned the right to torture his characters and his audience because in the end it makes you think.

Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver are 17th century Catholic Missionaries who arrive illegally in Japan to find their missing long lost mentor played by Liam Neeson. Christianity is not only forbidden, but Japan has put a price on the head of anyone who professes Christ and if caught, it’s an eventual death sentence.

For just under three hours, Garfield and Driver do their best to avoid the authorities but eventually their faith is put to the test, and yes, it’s tough to watch.

Martyrdom might sound admirable, even noble at this point unless you are the one being martyred, and under what circumstances? And why go to a country when you know your faith is forbidden?

I’m fascinated by “Silence,” which should come with a warning, especially to the half dozen people who walked out after the first 30 minutes. It’s a true art film that challenges your very soul as well as your intellect and is never safe.

“Silence” is a remarkable film. I just don’t know anyone I would take to see it.