Review of Last Days in the Desert (2016) by Ben B — 22 Dec 2016

Last Days in the Desert was written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia and stars Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Prequels) as Yeshua (Jesus). The story is an original concept taking place during Jesus' 40 days of wandering through the desert to pray and reflect. When he comes across a small family trying to make a living in the wasteland and going through their own struggles, he is challenged by the Devil (also McGregor) to resolve the conflict so that all sides win.

Ewan McGregor is no stranger to Indie films, but this was a very unique role for him to take on. Portraying Jesus on screen always comes with criticism, but having to also play the Devil appearing in Jesus' form adds a whole new layer of complicated. However, he does a great job of making each character distinguishable. I was very intrigued by what might be one of the most human interpretations of Jesus I've seen as we watch Yeshua struggle with temptation and anger. The thematic elements and parallels between Yeshua and the family are clear. A subtle yet beautiful film score helps tie the whole movie together.

While all of these things work in theory, the story really isn't interesting. Once the theme of the film is identified, the rest becomes artsy, obvious, and sluggish. While the cinematography is truly breathtaking, it felt like The Revenant in that there were a few too many environmental camera pans.

If you enjoy movies with religious aspects and themes, you'd probably get a lot out of Last Days in the Desert. However, impatience will get you nowhere here.

Final grade: C+.

-Ben.