Somewhere between the sacred and profane, comedy, drama and satire comes B次元官网网址淭he Book of Clarence,B次元官网网址� a retelling of The Greatest Story Ever Told that arrives in theaters appropriately between Christmas and Easter.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a remarkably idiosyncratic approach by , who for this Biblical-era tale is director, producer, writer and composer for only his second feature. You have to kind of hand it to him: Who else would have the audacity to tackle Jesus in your second outing?
B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� with a stunning cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard and David Oyelowo B次元官网网址� careens through tones and sentiment, silly in one and then horrific in another. Samuel says he wants viewers to have a B次元官网网址渨icked good timeB次元官网网址� but really itB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a muddled, unholy mess.
It is 33 AD in Jerusalem and Stanfield plays Clarence, a street hustler in robes who likes getting high B次元官网网址� in one cool, surreal scene he floats into the air like a balloon B次元官网网址� and dreams up schemes to get rich quick. HeB次元官网网址檚 got the hots for a local beauty but owes a ton of coins to that beautyB次元官网网址檚 loansharking brother.
Clarence is called the B次元官网网址渧illageB次元官网网址檚 mischief makerB次元官网网址� and even his mother thinks he needs to get his act together. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a nobody,B次元官网网址� he tells his twin brother, Thomas (also Stanfield, naturally). B次元官网网址淎 man who lacks honor is a nobody,B次元官网网址� his brother replies. We know things are going to end painfully for Clarence because one of the first images in the movie is of him on a cross.
Clarence doesnB次元官网网址檛 believe in God and certainly doesnB次元官网网址檛 believe that the local guy named Jesus is capable of miracles. ItB次元官网网址檚 a scam to him. He tries to become a 13th apostle to pay off his debts. When that fails he decides to pretend to be a messiah, too, and get paid for so-called tricks.
Samuel, whose previous movie was the all-Black Western has some creative ideas, like using a chariot race to honor both B次元官网网址淏en HurB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淔ast & Furious,B次元官网网址� as well as wonderfully capturing the Last Supper like a painting come alive. He apes biblical epics in his title fonts and the opening and closing of the cameraB次元官网网址檚 iris. He mixes stilted language B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淚 must make hasteB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� with modern turns (B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e got the cobblestones on lock.B次元官网网址�) This is the first Biblical epic to uses the term B次元官网网址渄umbass.B次元官网网址�
But Samuel never stays with any idea for long and B次元官网网址淭he Book of ClarenceB次元官网网址� lacks cohesion, as well as consistency, even if the acting is superb, especially from a soulful Stanfield. Is Samuel honoring sword-and-sandal epics? Updating them? Mocking them? Looking at the Jesus story through a Black lens is immensely rewarding but the pay-off is poor.
There are plenty of messiahs here B次元官网网址� like Spider-Mans in the multiverse B次元官网网址� but it is not clear what the filmmaker wants to say with them. A critique of celebrity? A message about entertainment? That faith comes even to those who have none? That we kill all our saviors? ItB次元官网网址檚 not even clear if this is a pro- or anti-religious movie.
Samuel comments powerfully on us today when white Roman police stop-and-frisk Black Jerusalem residents, but then wastes such a great potential vein to mine with a swanky dance party and cool choreographed moves. He makes us shudder as nails are pounded into ClarenceB次元官网网址檚 flesh, yet also includes humor at the crucifixion B次元官网网址� from the actual guys doing the dying. He has a scene with brutal rock throwing and yet also a recurring goofy bit about light bulbs appearing over ClarenceB次元官网网址檚 head.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a mind-melting piece of filmmaking, having elements of both Monty PythonB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淟ife of BrianB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he Ten Commandments.B次元官网网址� (Fun fact, the Italian city of Matera stands in for Jerusalem here and was also where B次元官网网址淭he Passion of the ChristB次元官网网址� was filmed.) Add to that an exciting soundtrack of more than a dozen songs by Samuel (even on the movie) and B次元官网网址淭he Book of ClarenceB次元官网网址� is worth a look simply for its sheer daring. But we wouldnB次元官网网址檛 go so far as to say its creator walks on water.
B次元官网网址淭he Book of Clarence,B次元官网网址� a Columbia Pictures/Legendary Entertainment release that hits theaters Jan. 12, is rated PG-13 for B次元官网网址渟trong violence, drug use, strong language, some suggestive material and smoking.B次元官网网址� Running time: 136 minutes. Two stars out of four.
