The Book of Life

I taped this movie and have inflicted it on everyone who's come to visit me. I love it very much. I loved Martin Donovan as Jesus and I REALLY loved Thomas Jay Ryan as Satan. In our house we quote movies all the time. I spent a month quoting Satan. I guess as a writer I look a little deeper into these things, but I truly loved it. I loved the constant movement of the actors, the odd angles, the digital blur, and the soundtrack. The microphones in strategic places for Satan were great too. A movie that knows its a movie. Very cool.

Hal Hartley entry into a European film series is one of his two or three best efforts to date, and, lucklily, one of the few available on DVD. At only 63 minutes running time, my only quibble would be with Hartley I always leave wanting more, but never so much as this time. Martin Donovan is astonishing as Jesus. PJ Harvey is beautiful and interesting as Magdelena, but the high point for me was Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool) as Satan. Hartley gives him excellent dialogue and a chance to use his resounding voice to full effect. Look for three scenes in which a microphone awaits him, as if a poetry slam is about to be won by the devil. I have read other comments on this film and had to add mine because there is not enough praise going around. If you like Henry Fool, Martin Donovan in anything (Opposite of Sex), and/or very clever comedies based on biblical ideas, get this as quickly as possible.

The whole recontextualizing of Christ is just killer subject matter. Once you get past despising or evangelizing ancient religious texts, they are a wealth of great metaphors, characters, plots and paradox. PJHarvey here is super junky-sheik petite punk-rock eye candy- with a biblical twist. The idea was kind of a Svankmayer meets Bukowsky perspective on the cataclysmic turning of the millennium- a great concept. Didn't quite pull it off though. The proof is always in the surprise sense of irony in the ending, and it just didn't have it.

Unable to find a rental, I broke down and bought this film, and am delighted that I did. I've seen Martin Donovan only once before, in Onegin. I thought he was British! Surprise! There are so many great scenes and lines in The Book of Life, it would be impossible and unfair to list them all and I couldn't do it justice anyway. Jesus is portrayed as happy to be back among human beings helpless as they (we) are; he's compassionate, but weary of the job he's been charged to do. Who wouldn't be? And, God's kicked him out of heaven, for some reason which was not clear, or perhaps I missed. Another reason to be weary! Jesus and the devil have it out in a most amazing scene. Listen carefully, there are some great lines that are almost thrown away. I have one complaint that has to do with a common and incorrect reading of Scripture. Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute. She was possessed by demons which Jesus cast out, but she was NOT a prostitute. That was another woman.. .

This was also my first Hal Hartly film, and while I loved the antics, and interesting movements of the actors, the soundtrack, (P.J. Harvey singing "To Sir With Love" in the record store with music blasting in the background!) I was a little put off with the "ethereal" camera work. It definitely worked for certain moments, but I felt that it was somewhat distracting, and I wish this technique had been used a little less. I'm one of those whose optical nervous system can't handle broad sweeps or quick, jerky movements of camera work. Otherwise I give this film top rating, and am a new Hal Hartley fan.

One of the many speculations about Y2K was that the world was going to end at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1999. In `The Book Of Life,' writer/director Hal Hartley takes a look at the possible ramifications of a new millennium Armageddon, beginning with the return of Jesus to Earth on New Year's Eve, ‘99. The story examines the task of the Son of God, who must open the remaining three of the seven seals contained in the Book of Life (now contained in a Mac laptop computer), in which there is also the names of the one-hundred and forty-four thousand good souls who will be spared on the last day. Jesus (Martin Donovan), along with Magdalena (P.J Harvey), arrives in New York City to make the preparations necessary for carrying out his Father's will, but he begins to have second thoughts; must he judge the living and the dead? Do they deserve what must befall them? It is a cup He would prefer not to embrace at this particular moment, which gives encouragement to Satan (Thomas Jay Ryan) who fears that the fruit of all his hard labor is about to be washed away at midnight, for he can only continue his work so long as there are people around who cling to their pitiful hopes and dreams. An artistically rendered, high concept film, Hartley presents the story in an intelligent, thought provoking manner, taking great care in dealing with the sensitive subject matter so as to make it inoffensive even to the most ardent fundamentalist. The dialogue between Jesus and Satan is intriguing and stimulating, as is the effect of their presence upon those they encounter during their corporeal stay in the city. It's an engrossing meditation on the spiritual side of Man's fragile existence and a contemplation of that which has been prophesied in the Revelations of St. John in the Apocalypse, the last Book of the New Testament. And there is logic in Hartley's approach to the Second Coming; he maintains the aesthetic of the contemporary setting while employing altered film speeds which visually give the film an ethereal quality. Christ inconspicuously wears a suit and tie, effectively blending in with the populace, while Satan's attire is a bit more casual, his appearance somewhat scruffy; he sports a bruise above his left eye. Donovan is well cast as Jesus, lending a benevolent mien and a sense of restrained urgency to his character that is very effective. It is, of course, a unique portrayal of The Saviour, and possibly the best since Max von Sydow's in `The Greatest Story Ever Told.' He successfully conveys a feeling of inner peace and tranquility, of serenity, that is the essence at the very core of the character. And Ryan is thoroughly engaging in his role of the Prince of Darkness; he has a distinct manner of speech and a resonant quality to his voice that make him absolutely mesmerizing to watch. His eyes are darkly penetrating, a trait he uses effectively with furtive glances and captivating stares. He's the guy who could sell you anything in exchange for your soul before you ever knew what hit you. It's a memorable performance that contrasts so well with Donovan's portrayal of Jesus. The supporting cast includes Martin Pfeffercorn (Martyr), Miho Nikaido (Edie), Dave Simonds (Dave), D.J. Mendel (Lawyer), James Urbaniak (True Believer), Katreen Hardt (Lawyer's Assistant) and Anna Kohler (Hotel Clerk). In his own, inimitable style, with `The Book Of Life,' Hartley has crafted a perspective of the last days that is interesting, entertaining and truly unique. He has a way of capturing life as it is just off center, a method which works especially well with a film like this. Comparatively short for a feature film (running time of 63 minutes), it nevertheless is one of Hartley's best, and more than worth the price of admission. It's a film that will stay with you and perhaps make you think about some things you may have tucked away in a corner of your mind for later. And that is part of the attraction of this film; it makes you realize that `later' most likely is now. I rate this one 9/10.