Everyone has problems. My problems consist of Netflix taking a bit longer to load than it should, traffic stranding me on the highway longer than I want, and my bank account never having quite the number I remember from a few days before. For the people of Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan, their problems are a little bit more dramatic ... like not having enough drinking water to go around and having the Lord's Resistance Army attack their villages late at night and murders their parents execution-style. Those are problems.
Forced into submission in some areas yet brilliantly acted in others, Machine Gun Preacher is a sad tale from all angles. Gerard Bulter portrays real-life preacher and activist Sam Childers, a former criminal-turned-born-again-Chirstian/crusader of Africa's lost children. The film opens with Sam's release from prison, followed by his inevitable return to alcohol and heroin. Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) is his understanding wife who begs him to attend church and see his true potential in the eyes of God. When Sam finally agrees to be baptized, he learns of missionary work being done in Uganda and decides to join. He promises his family he will only be gone a few weeks as he embarks on a journey that will inevitably change his life forever.
Upon his arrival Sam befriends two men who lead him into Sudan so he can see the devistation for himself and put faces to the people he is helping. He is not at all prepared for what he sees: children leaving their homes in the middle of the night for fear of being shot and killed by the LRA, an entire village wiped clean by fire and explosions, and children blown up by hidden land mines. From this moment on, Childers becomes obsessed with the children of these two countries, doing anything and everything he can, (including completely neglecting his wife and child) to make Uganda and Sudan habitable for the children of those nations.
One of my favorite things about this film is how it manages to convey important life lessons without being overly religious and preachy. It is clear that Childers has a love for God, but it isn't shoved in the audience's face---we actually see it unfold in the character and side with him even if our beliefs don't necessarily coinside with his. Both Butler and Monaghan give fitting performances, bringing you into the characters and crafting a film that not only forces you to question the validity of your own problems, but ultimately dwell on the hardships faced by others. Filled to the brim with emotion, Machine Gun Preacher won't leave you smiling, but those who opt to sit in on this amazing journey will hardly find that a reason to complain.
