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MOVIE
REVIEW:
RISEN
02/19/2016
SYNOPSIS: Risen is the
epic Biblical story of the Resurrection, as told through the
eyes of a non-believer. Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a powerful
Roman military tribune, and his aide, Lucius (Tom Felton), are
tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the
weeks following the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors
of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.
REVIEW:
Clavius: I have seen two things
which cannot reconcile: A man dead without question, and
that same man alive again. I pursue Him, the Nazarene, to
ferret the truth.
This is in a nutshell what the
movie is all about. Now, before I continue and right off
the bat, I want to let you, the reader, know that I am a
Christian. I feel it's important for me to mention this
only because this way you know my perspective regarding
this film. For me, this is not just a story, or a novel,
or just another script or screenplay . . . this movie is
based on one of the primary foundations of the Christian
faith. Of course, in this case, the events are from the
perspective of a Roman Military Tribune, which in itself
is a very interesting perspective, rarely done. So I will
completely admit that I have some bias as far as this film
is concerned. I will also admit, though, that just because
this film is based on something that is of utmost
importance to me, it doesn't automatically make it a good
film. Throughout cinematic and television history there
have been quite a few films about Jesus or at least
portions of his life. Some have been exceptional and some
haven't. For example, I believe that The Passion of the
Christ is one of the best depictions of Jesus' life
surrounding the crucifixion ever done. I believe that even
though I've heard many people comment that it is too
graphic, bloody, and violent, it is probably the most
accurate to what actually happened to Jesus. What we have
with this film is that it's not quite as good as Passion,
but still very powerful, riveting, and moving. It is
Biblically accurate with some embellishments. The
important thing is that the fundamental events are
accurate. This film focuses on the time frame from the
crucifixion to the ascension and arguably the most
significant CSI mystery in human history . . . what
happened to the body of Jesus? It took several men to roll
the covering stone into place, it was roped and strapped
down, and covered in Roman seals. Who could have done
this?
Joseph Fiennes as Clavius was perfectly cast.
He looks the part and acts the part. He is cool, calm, and
collected and you just know not to mess with him. He
commands respect, honor, and is trustworthy too. He has no
idea what he is about to encounter as he begins his
investigation. He did a phenomenal job with this role. We
the viewers can experience these world-changing events
vicariously through this character. He is an ideal person
to be drawn to this Jesus fellow as a man who is in search
of " . . . peace, a day without death." Another good
performance was given by Tom Felton as Lucius, an aide
assigned to Clavius to help with this whole issue with the
Nazarene. You might not recognize the name, but you will
surely recognize the actor (he played Draco Malfoy in the
Harry Potter series). Another admission on my part is that
I have a tough time seeing him do any other role, but I
commend him for continuing to break free from the
prevalent association. The roles played by the majority of
the cast are relatively small but all done effectively.
The most important of those is performed by Cliff Curtis
as Yeshua (Jesus). I was a bit surprised to see him cast
in this role, but let's be real, this is ancient Middle
East and I highly doubt that Jesus was a blue-eyed blonde.
In addition to the overall good performances by the cast,
the cinematography is also very well done. Having
appropriate filming locations and sets for a movie of this
era is probably not that easy, and the filmmakers did it
right, along with good costumes and props. Kevin Reynolds
co-wrote and directed this film and I commend him for the
courage to do so in a world where being Christian is
practically frowned upon. He has some good works under his
belt, one of my favorites being the Jim Caviezel Count of
Monte Cristo, and this latest production fits right in his
repertoire. He did a great job presenting this well known
series of events from the perspective of Clavius and
although there are some moments in the film that were a
little slow, overall it is an instant classic, especially
among the Christian community. If you are Christian, I do
recommend this movie as it will not disappoint and it will
either rekindle or strengthen your faith. For
non-Christians, well I'm NOT going to say that this film
is not for you, just keep in mind that it is Christian
based, so if you want to get a sample of what the
Christian faith is based on, by all means, enjoy.
Review
By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
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Director: Kevin Reynolds
Writer: Kevin Reynolds, Paul Aiello
Genre: Action Drama
Duration: 1hr 47 mins
Starring: Joseph Fiennes Tom Felton Peter Firth Producer: Patrick
Aiello
Mickey Liddell Distributor: SONY PICTURES
Rating:
PG-13 for Biblical violence
including some disturbing imagesRelease Date: February 19, 2016
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