Worth: $12.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Adam Greaves-Neal, Sara Lazzaro, Vincent Walsh, Finn Ireland, Christian McKay, Sean Bean
Intro:
...a visually pleasing and entertaining film, especially for newcomers who come to it with an open mind.
In the past, director Cyrus Nowrasteh faced huge waves of public controversy regarding his films The Path to 9/11 (2006) and The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008). This time, Nowrasteh tackles a biblical drama about the childhood and coming-of-age of Jesus Christ, and the expected controversy followed.
Based on Anne Rice’s novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, the film circles around Jesus when he was a little boy. Along with his family, he journeys home from Egypt to Nazareth, facing the threat of King Herod. Along the path, the little boy slowly finds answers to his questions and discovers his calling.
With such a simple plot, The Young Messiah is essentially a story of the hero’s origin. What’s fascinating is that it manages to portray what has usually been left out of the Bible: Jesus’ childhood and how he discovered who he was. The opening sequence showcases his power of resurrection, and sets the whole film into motion with one simple question ‘who am I?’ Viewers are invited to go on this journey as he tries to find the answers he never got from his father Joseph (Vincent Walsh) or his mother Mary (Sara Lazzaro), and although we know where his journey will lead, the film is still able to keep the viewer invested in putting the puzzle together.
The highlight of the film are its production qualities, specifically the cinematography by Joel Ransom (The X-Files TV series, both old and new) capturing the ancient cities of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and the stretching deserts of the Near Eastl landscape; and John Debney’s (The Jungle Book) soundtrack, which creates a sense of space and the specific culture of the setting. Though at times the music is overused (80% of the scenes are scored), it is still effective in guiding the emotional journey of the hero.
Youngster Adam Greaves-Neal is memorable as Jesus, with his big brown eyes filled with wonder and his smile as bright as that of an angel. Among a strong ensemble, Christian McKay (who memorably played Orson Welles in Me and Orson Welles) as Jesus’ uncle Cleopas steals all of his scenes with the most memorable lines. However, as the film reaches its climax, the characters’ development becomes rushed and obvious, especially the villains, who are left unresolved and confusing in their motives.
Controversy magnet Cyrus Nowrasteh must be commended here. Though some elements of the film – issues around race, skin colour and inconsistent accents will attract ire from some quarters when it comes to such a sacred subject – it is still a visually pleasing and entertaining film, especially for newcomers who come to it with an open mind. Just like JC would have wanted.
