Worth: $17.00
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Cast:
Aris Servetallis, Mickey Rourke, Alexander Petrov
Intro:
Artful, soulful and meditative, Man Of God is faith-based cinema at its best.
Faith based cinema can be, to say the least, problematic. Almost preachy, didactic and sanctimonious by its very nature, devised as it is to pitch a very distinct set of ideas and principles, the films released by faith-backed production houses have been a largely patchy and oft-derided bunch, of relevance and interest almost solely to those already ensconced in the flock. That’s fine, but those kinds of guidelines don’t really make for edifying or memorable cinema. But while Man Of God is backed by Saint Maxim The Greek Institute, this is faith-based cinema of a far different stripe. It’s an admirably quiet and controlled affair that keeps its concerns personal and low-key, consciously avoiding big, stagey moments in favour of dialogue driven personal interactions.
A Greek co-production in English, Man Of God is the true story of Saint Nektarios (Aris Servetallis in a movingly understated performance), a Greek priest with a populist bent who ministered in Egypt in the 1800s. His Jesus-like support of the poor ironically made Nektarios unpopular with his colleagues and superiors, and his promising career was perpetually derailed by betrayal, lies, and political sabotage. Through it all, Nektarios retains his faith, and continues to do God’s work, even while those within his own church try and stop him.
Writer/director Yelena Popovic lets the events of the film unfold slowly but with a real sense of purpose, while the quietly heroic Nektarios holds it all together, remaining true and resolute, even while he is attacked from every corner. Evocatively shot in bleached out tones and strongly performed (Russian actor Alexander Petrov is terrific as Nektarios’ most faithful supporter), Man Of God only wobbles ever so slightly in its concessions to the international market, with Greek language likely more effective, and a last minute appearance from the second billed (and excellent) Mickey Rourke slightly disconcerting. Artful, soulful and meditative, Man Of God is faith-based cinema at its best.
Can I get this on DVD