Full of Grace

First, I have to say that based on so many one star reviews its almost like a 'Hit Job' is going on; they certainly could not have seen the same movie I did. Second, while I do believe in the existence of 'God' I would not say that I am very religious at all. BUT - I don't think that one's religious beliefs (or none) have anything to do with this movie.

This was THE BEST unheard of movie I have watched this year. I had never heard of it, and sitting around at Christmas time, I was surfing Netflix one night and came upon this movie. The description wasn't much, simply that an elderly Mary reflects upon her life, or something to that effect. Instead, it was an existential thought piece along the lines of 'My Dinner with Andre'. Although we know that the 'Virgin Mary' is the focus, it could have been anyone. An elderly woman reflecting on her life and the extradordinary events she has witnessed. She waxes philosophical with a hand maid, Sara, and then Peter, and finally others. Questions of LIfe ad Death, Fate, Redemption, and the Eternal Hereafter all come into play.

This is no 'religious' sales pitch, but instead a rational reflection of one's place i the cosmos when one has born witness to extraordinary things. Very well done, and has inspired me to look for other titles from the writers.

This film is visually stunning, with a beautiful soundtrack and powerful acting performances. It continues to haunt me weeks after seeing it. Somehow it manages to portray two larger-than-life historical figures, Peter and Mary, in a way that makes them very human and remarkably current. At the same time it remains true to the saintly nature both surely possessed, and provides insight into the historical struggles of the early church. The film manages to remain non-denominational, such that Christians of any background, and perhaps even spiritually oriented non-Christians, can enjoy it.

By the end of the film I had been moved to tears more than once, I felt I could relate to Mary and Peter in a way I never had before, and I felt closer to Christ, despite his not appearing in the movie at all. A true triumph of independent film making.

Some of the 1 starred reviews here are either by atheists or Protestants who have a gut-level revulsion at the name of Mary, which seems pretty insulting to Jesus if you ask me. Their ridiculously low rating does not reflect the caliber of this film, and was just intended to drag down the average rating. While I was tempted to give this a 10 star rating to counteract their biased ratings, I'm more honest then they are. It's not a perfect film. While the film takes a leisurely, artistically filmed approach, which I mostly found very meditative and wonderful, parts of are extremely slow, and I suspect were timed to just match the musical accompaniment. The film is beautifully acted by Bahia Haifi and Noam Jenkins. They really do convey "the peace of God which surpasses all understanding". Few films ever ponder what the experience of Mary was actually like. However, I did wonder at a few aspects. Shouldn't Mary have been living with John? I wished the portrayal of Communion at the end included more of Jesus' words from the Gospels.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough! The actress who portrayed Mary was absolutely stunning! Not "made up" stunning.... I mean, naturally, organically, spiritually stunning! After watching this film, I felt like I had just spent the evening in conversation with Mary and Jesus' Disciples.

I hope none of my comment would be considered a "spoiler". It's not meant to be. It's pretty hard to give a decent review without really talking about the movie content, however.

Most of this movie was beautifully done, portraying the calm confidence of Mary and the struggles within the early church, especially for Peter, being looked to by everyone as the "leader". I felt, however, that it was made wonderfully clear that we are ALL followers, more than leaders, which is a good thing, since Christ is the Head, not any man or woman.

I was pleased with Mary's encouragement to the men, for the most part. She brought them successfully back to the beginning, where it all started. However, I was perturbed by Mary's closing words to the men, which were basically the words of Jesus and more along the lines of Catholicism's beliefs about Mary. That totally conflicted me, unfortunately.

I also wondered about the authenticity of the "communion" for that period of time. Was it really so? I would have imagined a loaf being broken and passed around.

On the whole, this movie was thought provoking and beautifully done, with only the one major disagreement for me, concerning Mary and doctrine around her.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment....