God's Lonely Man

Thank God this great film came to Mexico. It's the kind of movie that deserved better luck in the whole world. The history is terrific and touching, it's about a lonely junkie in his way to self-destruction, then he knows a girl as troubled as him, who -someway- gives hope to his life. It's by far the best 90's update for Scorsese's "Taxi Driver", and the "romantic" story reminds me of Luc Besson's "Leon". A must see if you like movies for a reason beyond pure entertainment.

This is definitely the 'Taxi Driver' of the 90's. The acting was first rate in this film which makes me wonder why I have never heard much of the lead actors, and even more so the director. No stereotypes or formulated storyline, just gritty realism in this film which is a breath of fresh air.

Recommended

I find this film excellent. The depiction of Ernest's isolation and loneliness where haunting. Especially the scene where in order to feel something anything he cuts his own finger off.

The plot is similar to Taxi driver with an ending equally unclear. It appears that Ernest loses his scruples over Christiane being underage and ends up having a relationship with her. The scene where she has toothpaste smeared over her mouth at the end is very erotic. Heather McComb although 19 at the time played a very believable 14 year old.

The scene where Ernest takes revenge on the killer's of Christanes sister was effective. Overall a Lolita movie with perverse themes as snuff and peepshow and drug abuse. Child prostitution is also highlighted.

Overtoons of Christianne F. and Taxi driver.

Would like to know more about the directer Frank Von Zerneck Jr. It appears to be the only film he ever made. I wonder if he was as weird as his film.

Still i like weird Lolita films and this was a great one.

Jimq

My first thoughts after seeing this movie was a mixture of excitement and appreciation;after a while I still think that that's one of the best films I have ever seen.The movie is about Ernest,a lonely and suicidal drug user with an excellent performance by Michael Wyle.Ernest is a strange,depressed and mostly an insecure person who looks for a bit of love.he is fired from his job after harassing the daughter of his boss and begins something like a journey of self-redemption when he joins a 15 year old hooker who lost her sister to a gang that produces and sells snuff films.throughout their relationship Ernest is functioning as a guarding angel to Christiane,but as to himself his mind moves from reality to illusions,until the surprising but unavoidable ending. The movie was so chilling and depressing that it leaves you empty spiritually and emotionally;a movie that should have got a better recognition,but yet,it's not too late to get acquainted with it.

'God's Lonely Man' is allegedly "inspired by fact" so when watching this obvious homage to 'Taxi Driver' it raises some interesting questions regarding fact and fiction, what is real and what isn't. Almost any movie compared to Scorsese's masterpiece can't help but come off second best, but Gaspar Noe managed to make a brilliant and disturbing movie inspired by the same source (1998's 'I Stand Alone') so there's really no reason why Von Zerneck Jr couldn't have done the same. Unfortunately 'God's Lonely Man' doesn't entirely convince. Maybe it is Michael Wyle in the lead role, I dunno, but something just doesn't ring true, and his character's eventual freak out seems forced and unreal. Much better I thought was Heather McComb ('Apt Pupil') who gives a strong performance which shows a lot of promise. The best scene by far in the film was the movie screening involving an unusually cast but very effective Paul Dooley ('Sixteen Candles') and the very creepy Tom Towles ('Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer'). That was powerful, shocking and unexpected. If the rest of the movie had been as good as that it would have been another story, but as is, this is an uneven, sometimes dull and frustrating movie, which even so JUST has enough good bits to make it worth watching. Many others think much more highly of this movie than me, but I can't say it impressed me all that much.