The Apostle

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Cindy T @Cindybelle Aug 14 Just watched this for the first time and am completely overwhelmed. The most honest, soul-searching, and nonjudgmental film about religion I have ever seen. Bravo, Robert Duvall. I am so moved right now. I’ll be thinking about this movie for a long time. See more Scott S. @sonofwaldo Feb 20 A classic and Robert NEVER disappoints - an American treasure. See more Richard P @RT95211989 Sep 1 Very moving film about the power of focusing your life around a vision of great importance to yourself; and success against all odds. And of his love for his fellow man See more Ryan F @AfroRyan 02/06/2024 A superbly well acted movie with an amazing cast. From recognizable actors to seasoned character actors with plenty of background actors as well, literally all of them seemed like you could bump into them at the grocery store or church; very authentic in that regard. The story is simple and concise, but also complicated and profound. It's not an easy thing to pull off, and I'd argue very few movies manage to do it. This, Slingblade, and The Straight Story are some examples that come to mind, but many movies fail to achieve this level of quality and humanity. See more karen n @karen99 06/13/2023 Incredible acting such a grass root movie wonderful story. It's so good it would make an atheist become a Christian. Loved it See more William L @RT77267842 06/12/2022 Robert Duvall: *fleeing from a first-degree murder charge* Also Robert Duvall: *loudly hocking blessed, hand-painted scarves over the radio for $7.95* Many viewers claim that The Apostle is a unique film in its treatment of American Evangelicalism, affirming neither the fervent adherents or the most prominent detractors, but instead focusing on a greater character aspect as Duvall's 'Sonny' Dewey attempts to carve out a new life once his old one has fallen apart; his character is intended to convey an unyielding faith but a willingness to adapt that some Christians may not espouse. While an interesting concept, the execution here seems flawed, mostly in the film's inability to level real criticism at the character of Sonny. His life begins to fall apart due to no real fault of his own (rather it's the unfaithful wife he tries to goad into staying with him through appeals to faith), and even his most prominent sin (the half-intended murder of his wife's lover) feels like it would receive the full support of the Christian right in today's media landscape - a man whose only crime was a fit of passion in the defense of his traditional family unit. He never really expresses any sense of remorse for the killing as he goes about a grassroots campaign to fund a new church deep in the Lousiana bayou, and in fact the film resoundingly supports his more violent tendencies when they support what the film believes to be righteousness, particularly when confronting the racist overtones of Billy Bob Thornton's nameless 'troublemaker' (a character with the complexity of a thumbtack whose only purpose in the story is to serve up a laughably slow-pitch means of cleaning up Sonny's darker elements). While ambitious, there isn't nearly enough character depth here to make this plot work. That said, it is always fascinating to see the passion projects of established, well-respected actors; Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in the film and put enough of his chops on display to earn a Best Actor nom (though most of his resume for that is a series of repetitive, high-volume sermons). An interesting watch to glimpse inside what Duvall wanted to make himself, but I don't see any of what is written about this film when it comes to moral ambiguity. (2/5) See more Read all reviews

The Apostle

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