Paul, apôtre du Christ

There's no getting around it - this movie is heavy from start to finish - not a moment of comic relief. It is a very sobering film, showing the terrible toll on lives that can occur when evil tyranny is unchecked. It was a fascinating time in history, and an interesting segment of Paul's life to explore -- rather than his 30 years of ministry and 10,000 miles of travel, we get only a focused glimpse into his final days in Nero's prison, with flashbacks to his original time of conversion.

On the upside: This movie is very well done from a production, acting & cinematography aspect. It keeps you engaged; its almost like watching a mystery unfold, due to its intensity. Jim Caviezel (as Luke), Olivier Martinez (as the Roman prefect over the prison), and Joanne Whalley (as Priscilla) were all brilliant in their roles. I mean, really brilliant. (I also loved Joanne in her role of Claudia in A.D.; and Jim Caviezel became one of my favorite actors after "Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Passion". But Olivier was the real surprise - extreme talent.)

On the downside: Most of the movie feels hopeless. What ever happened to the miraculous power and intense encouragement that Paul operated in during all his years of ministry? I feel that the creators of this movie completely underplayed Paul and stripped him of all the elements that made him who he was in the kingdom of God. That was extremely frustrating, since it presented a powerless, hopeless Christianity, other than to be martyred and receive eternal life. Not very appealing. It made me dislike his character more than like it.

In conclusion, the movie is definitely worth seeing for the artistry and story, if you can handle the context, the embellished story line, and a depressing outlook through most of the movie. But if you only like "feel good" movies, you might want to avoid this one.

First off, know what to expect going into this movie. It is not a retelling of the book of Acts and Paul's many exploits. It is about him reaching the end of his life and passing the torch to the next generation of Christians, as they all grapple with the difficulty of following God in the midst of a cruel and evil world. Knowing that, I don't think you will be disappointed.

I rated this a 10 because I don't know if any movie has moved me more than this one did. At least, very few have. It's not perfect, but by the end I was sobbing uncontrollably in the theater. Specifically, seeing the suffering of the persecuted Christians, and especially Paul's struggle with lingering guilt over his part in that persecution, culminating with the final scene (which I won't spoil here).

I'll admit that some of the dialogue, especially earlier on in the film, could probably be better, as could the quality of some shots or the sound mixing in a few moments. But the acting is strong across the board, and the production design and costumes look very authentic. Most importantly, the drama is sustained throughout, and there are profound spiritual insights to be gleaned.

I saw this movie today and thought it was good, with excellent acting, and location (filmed in Malta which was the place of one of Paul's journeys). The movie doesn't sugar coat the persecution the Christians of that era had to endure, shirk away from divisions within the early church community or difficult questions being asked by those living in those times. The story line drags in a few places but for the most part it is a movie worth seeing in a theater.

I saw a 5pm show and sadly there were only about 10 people at the most there, so hopefully more will attend future screenings.

I like movies of faith though I'm not religious. This is one of the better ones to come out recently. The acting, directing, and especially editing are far superior to Sampson, another recent movie of faith which was supposed to be a blockbuster and failed miserably in every imaginable way (including the box office.)

Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018) really does uplift. Whatever you believe, a story of someone willing to endure torture and still maintain his faith, while preaching that great evil can only be conquered by greater good, is someone to be admired. This film can bring tears to your eyes, make no mistake. It can also bolster your resolve to be a force for good.

As a christian, I totally recommend this movie for people who read Paul's letter and know about his life with the early christians communities. The screenplay was well written and was faithful to the scripture, which makes the movie a great witness to the life of Paul who changed after the apparition of Christ to him when he was on the way to persecute believers in the middle east.