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Written, directed, and personally financed by Robert Duvall,
The Apostle was the culmination of a 14-year effort on the part of its creator, who also stars as the dynamic, God-fearing Texas preacher Euliss "Sonny" Dewey. Vibrantly authentic with its use of real gospel preachers and extras carefully selected from parishes of the deep South, the film treats its complicated characters with the kind of compassion and moral complexity mainstream Hollywood wouldn't dare muster. This is especially true in the case of Sonny, who responds to his wife's infidelity with a crime of passion that sends him on a new and uncharted quest for redemption. Under the assumed identity of "The Apostle E.F.," he settles in a tiny Louisiana town to revive an old church, where he undergoes a transformation of spirit and purpose that enlivens his community. But will the law catch up to him? Does he deserve to be punished? Fueled by Duvall's powerhouse performance,
The Apostle refuses to praise or condemn its fascinating central character, leaving the proper degree of forgiveness up to the viewer. Further graced with superb performances by Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton, the film is clearly Duvall's labor of love. The Collector's Edition DVD features a full-length commentary by Duvall and
The Journey of the Apostle, a documentary featurette about the making of the film.
--Jeff Shannon
Review
To its credit, Robert Duvall's The Apostle never lapses into the stereotypes common to films like Elmer Gantry, which portray preachers of questionable moral fibre as hypocrites and charlatans; of the many questions which swirl about Sonny, the utter conviction of his religious beliefs is never open to debate. His belief in salvation is total, and his love for his flock is pure; furthermore, his followers -- the majority of them African-American, further blurring common cinematic stereotypes -- are never criticized or made to seem foolish for placing their faith in him. While Duvall's storytelling skills are uneven, his gifts for establishing mise-en-scene are superbly realized; equally strong is his direction of his cast, a fascinatingly organic blend of professional and non-professional actors. The result of some 15 years of behind-the-scenes struggle, The Apostle is an important work from one of Hollywood's most important figures. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
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