THE APOSTLE |
| CREDITS: Director: Robert Duvall. Cast: Robert Duvall, Miranda Richardson, Farrah
Fawcett, Todd Allen, John Beasley, June Carter Cash & Billy Bob Thornton. USA 1997. INTRODUCTION: Another Oscar nominated pet project from an actor turned writer/director a la "Sling Blade", this time courtesy of ageing "Godfather" and "Deep Impact" star Robert Duvall. SYNOPSIS: Small town evangelical preacher Euliss "Sonny" Deway looses his church, his wife and his temper, when he beats his wife's lover to death. Transforming himself into the Apostle E.R. he flees to Louisiana where he goes about setting up a new church, constantly aware that the police are not far behind. REVIEW: Once again we are given an in-depth character exploration from an actor exploring the limits of his craft, and like all of these explorations it is bum-numbingly dull. Doubtless inspired by Thornton's Oscar winning Magnum Opus in which he guest stared, Duvall returns the favour by casting Thornton in a cameo role, I guess these southern boys have to stick together. Duvall as actor is unsurpassed, winning a well deserved Oscar nomination, in a part he has waited 10 years to play, heading up an eclectic cast of genuine American southerners, Thornton and country star Carter Cash, not quite so genuine American southerners, Richardson, genuine ex "Charlie' s Angels", Fawcett and a series of genuine Brothers, Sisters, Reverends, Prophets and Pastors, all of whom put in top notch support. Duvall reportedly wanted Ken Loach to direct this pet project of his, although what the Brit director knows about the life of a deep south preacher remains to be seen, he would have at least known how to keep the running time down. Duvall however eventually decided to take on the directorial duties himself, having made his directorial debut with the 1976 documentary "We're Not The Jet Set" about the life of a red-necked Nebraskan family and then followed it up with the 1983 pseudo-documentary film "Angelo. My Love" where he first attempted to combine real characters with a fictional story line. Duvall once again employs his pseudo-documentary style to good effect, bringing us deep into the world of the evangelical movement, in fact much deeper than a good atheist boy like me would ever want to go. Duvall's Apostle is far more realistic than any we have seen portrayed before; flawed he may be but he is actually trying to spread the good word rather than just trying to rip off a gullible flock like the thousands of others who have preceded him on the silver screen. Duvall may have unjustly lost out in the Oscar stakes to Jack Nicholson, but he did get to take home the American Independent Spirit awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor. This could be the film for you if you either want an insightful look into the world of evangelicalism in the deep south, a numb bum, or both. Mutt's Rating: *** |