This is one intense film! It got my attention because it sounded different but I'm not sure what l just watched. It's about the devil (for real) in a battle of wits with a guy called Jesus (think he's Jesus?) in a mental hospital. That's always an interesting setting for a good enough story when it doesn't get too medical, and in According To Ben Adams you get a good enough story and then some.
This film is from Australia where they make some pretty funny comedies and it has some wicked humour here too. A character called Robby played by Alan Watts is on the receiving end of a brilliant chemistry with the devil character (Bramwell Noah). I couldn't take my eyes off these two even when the story stopped being funny and started to go to some pretty dark places. That part wasn't a surprise when the devil is in the driver's seat. Bramwell Noah is one those extraordinary actors who can make ordering a pizza sound like a Bond villain. He was a knockout and the other standout was Daniel Schepisi who played the guy who thinks he's Jesus. He's cast as a guy who might be nuts or might be Jesus. He holds to his own and starts out soft but also builds with the story. I already mentioned the Robby character, the one other star performer is turned in by Chloe Ng who is in the hospital because of her rock and roll lifestyle or something. She's explosive, fun and funny and steals every scene. But the fun is like everything else in this film, which means it comes with an intense edge.
It's got lots more neat little stylistic turns that kept me watching. I don't want to have spoilers but the way they use animation when Jesus tells stories caught this viewer off guard. The soundtrack did the same kind of thing because it's on the big side. The story is pretty big too and does get ahead of itself sometimes with maybe too much going on, but l stuck it out for the best reason all - I couldn't look away.
