Review of By the Grace of God (2019) by Brent_Marchant — 08 Nov 2019

While the film sensitively deals with serious subject matter and becomes steadily more compelling as the narrative plays out, the overall fact-based story line nevertheless tends to be a little too "tame" in addressing its material and regularly becomes bogged down by extraneous scenes that add anecdotal touches but not much in the way of meaningful substance.

One gets the impression that the film's heart is in the right place but that it wasn't willing to go for the jugular more than it probably should have. The Catholic Church may wield considerable power, but that doesn't immunize it against justified scrutiny and criticism, no matter how much good work it may do.

This film misses the chance to take up that challenge and dish out the just desserts that the institution has coming to it.