Greenes
Please don't spend money on this.
Softwing
Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
Brennan Camacho
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
laz000
The only thing not well done in this awesome little film by Patrick Coyle is a sense of urgency in the Priest's (Introspectively played by Jeremy Sisto) pursuit of a troubled call girl (brilliantly played by Kristin Chenoweth) wishing to take her life but seeking absolution beforehand. Much of the film focuses on the Priest's history, his day to day and his pursuit of the call girl who confesses that she will kill herself on her birthday. We learn a lot about what he does and bit about who he is as a person. What makes this a really good film is how little we get to see of the Call girl's life. What little we do see however, gives us so much into why she is so angry, so sad, and why she so desperately needs absolution for what she sees as the only way out of her misery.While I had flashbacks to Stigmata without the supernatural elements, and vastly better written, the sadness hit me all the same. A definite must see.
secondtake
Into Temptation (2009)This is a religious film, really, in street clothes. And in the end it's about how being good is really good.It's also a lesson in how you have to bend the rules to actually do the right thing--even if you fail. And that sometimes you do the right thing and succeed--without even knowing it. Clearly a low budget movie, and a fairly simple one, in filmmaking terms (the sets, the light, the presence of the camera, the side characterizations, and the music, all these key elements, are unremarkable). But the plot itself, with its twists, is enough to make you at least curious. Yes, you wonder why it has to go tawdry at times, why there has to be some sexed up stuff for the viewer (it doesn't advance the plot, in the one egregious case). And there is a tidy solution to the central problem that will seem cheap to nonbelievers and magical to believers.Most of all is a great performance by the lead, the priest, played by Jeremy Sisto. I knew him best from his role as Billy in Six Feet Under, and loved him there, and he is if anything more subtle and interesting (if less outrageous) here. It's a careful, felt performance in a movie that should have supported him better. Other aspects may jump out. His ex-girlfriend, whatever her role, is utterly believable, as much as the prostitute in question is not. The other priest is a caricature who overplays his part but has some great dialog with Sisto. There is the key flashback, which adds yet another layer of meaning, of cause and effect, and though it moved me somehow, I felt manipulated by it, and it was another case where the movie showed its seams.So it may try too hard and strain within its resources (and with the director's reach--he has one other film to his credit, and famous as the voice in a Hamburger Helper t.v. ad), but it has moments that are right on. With Sisto's help. For those inclined toward religious sentimentality.
kurtisjvandermolen
I am bringing two skill sets to this review; (1) a tough movie critic, and (2) an irreverent but informed ex-seminary student. On both fronts, this film was spectacular.(1) The writing was excellent in terms of being contemporary-- especially in light of the context of a Catholic priest--irreverent, unpredictable, unassuming in its theological treatment, unconventional, and (thankfully!) at the end, refreshingly unresolved.(2) The themes were consistently theologically grounded, albeit within the Catholic vernacular. Father Ralph brings a distinctly expedient and assured style into the dialogue, while Father John brings a more deliberate, cognitive but dedicated approach. The two balance each other like a great "work team" arriving at a plausible and thought-provoking explanation for the darkness that is our human condition.This film was surprisingly excellent. Upon watching a few previews prior to the film, I had significant doubts that I would finish a full 95 minutes of viewing. Yet the film brought me through real life, uncomfortable conversations, earnest seeking, genuine intent, and left me with the best possible theological conclusion: one of Grace.
bilgerat99
It's hard for me to categorize this movie; it's unlike most films although it has elements of mystery, drama, comedy, tragedy and angst. The story revolves around a priest who is attempting to locate a confessor in the Minneapolis underworld while simultaneously confronting some of his personal demons but it is not nearly as trite as that sounds, the whole presentation feels remarkably unique and fresh. It does not present itself like a major studio treatment nor like the usual independent effort.All aspects of the film's production are convincing and very assured. While most of the plot's elements have been explored elsewhere, this particular combination of excellent screenplay and considerable talent is somewhat like being exposed to an entirely new cuisine - and a welcome change that is. It is clever, poignant, buoyant, gritty and witty but it is not your normal fare. Try it, you might like it.
