Second Coming

I found this film beautiful. The slow pace, the fragmented conversations, the authentic accents, all worked to bring you into the world of this family and their everyday experience. At times it was raw and painful, at others it was touching and sweet. The story is told as if the viewer is getting a peek into their world, not as an over-dramatic or glamorised performance that explains every movement. If you prefer all your films to spell things out for you so you don't have to think or have the same americanised english accent, then maybe it's not the one for you. Anyone willing to be open to something else, then I'd recommend.

Do not be deceived by the trailer, this is not the film you think you are about to watch. It's worse. Much, much worse.

Although aesthetically pleasing and possibly a good idea on paper, this film is a waste of the great talent of all cast members involved. It had the potential to be a moving, emotional, thought provoking experience but was let down by the painfully slow pace and depressingly poor resolution to any of the subplots. Leaving the ending open to interpretation was not thought provoking, but rather frustrating and disappointing to a confused audience that have been invested in the characters personal lives for an hour and forty five minutes. Calling the film a let down would be an understatement.

Whilst I have to admit that I like films without a clear plot, and I have to admit that this films dialogue is hard to understand. I feel the film reflects the source material well. If your tuning into this film expecting to see Heimdal or Luther you will be disappointed. This is a character study if how the second coming would effect the people adound it.

I am angry with myself for watching this pointless movie. I had been listening to the BBC critic, Mark Kermode, interviewing the director of the movie and I was unimpressed with her refusal to divulge much about the movie but he was so full of praise and repeatedly asked her questions which he had asked before and got no answers. He praised the movie so much that I thought I should watch it because it was, at any rate, supposed to be a Christmas movie according to the critic who kept confusing the virgin birth with the birth of Mary without the stain of original sin, the Immaculate Conception. He must have had in mind a miraculous conception. This should have alerted me that the praise was coming from someone who did not know what he was talking about.

Well, I kept waiting for something to happen but the only action was a trip to the hospital and some fisticuffs in the school playground. Part of me was saying, "Turn it off!" and at the same time I was hearing, "The BBC thinks this is brilliant. Wait." What a dope I was. All the actors did was eat and mumble unintelligible text in broken sentences. I thought maybe I need my hearing examined. But No; I need my head examined for wasting so much time watching, Second Coming.

Not only did I have problems understanding the actors throughout the entire movie, I felt that there needed to be more explanation about what was actually happening. Basically, even though I've watched this movie, all I know about this film's plot is what I read on the back of the DVD box:

"Busy working parents Mark and Jackie have not been intimate with each other in several months, so when Jackie discovers she is pregnant, it comes as an inexplicable shock to all. Jackie insists she's been faithful, but Mark reacts with rage, knowing the baby can't possibly be his. As the unnerving side effects of Jackie's condition worsen, will this seeming miracle bring the family closer together or tear them apart?"

In my opinion, that last question remains unanswered. Did the husband and wife get a divorce? Are they still married? Are they separated? What does the husband, or ex- husband, think of his wife/ex-wife? Inquiring minds want to know.

If I'd paid money to see this film, I'd be feeling pretty angry right now. As it is, I rented it for free from my local library so my only regret is that my ears are still ringing due to the fact that I kept having to increase the volume of my television in order to try and understand what the actors were saying. Needless to say, I am very disappointed!