Review of Machine Gun Preacher (2011) by Chris B — 09 Jan 2012

* = Avoid ** = Only see if you're very bored *** = worth a watch **** = Try to see ***** = Do not miss. Trying to review this as a movie and leave aside the religious, moral and ethical issues it raises is difficult. As a preacher (and as a person) Sam Childers doesn't exactly embody or promote the Beatitudes. His story is certainly good material for a film though. It follows his conversion from an outlaw biker/heroin addict to Christianity, then onward to gun toting relief worker in Sudan. Childers' struggle to hold together his family life and mission are portrayed, there's not much glossing over of his character flaws. Having Gerard Butler take the lead role was a gamble, his performances usually range from mediocre to downright awful. In this part though he does a decent enough, although not exactly Oscar worthy, job. All the cruelty - from mutilations to child soldiers - of the Sudanese civil war are covered to shocking effect. They're even more unsettling because they are true.

Sam Childer's conversion and subsequent work seem a bit trite to start off with. Cynics and militant atheists will probably sneer at it. Certainly the juxtaposition of Childers delivering sermons then gunning down rebel soldiers a few scenes later is interesting. Whilst the end credits role, footage is shown of the real life Sam Childers that closes with him pumpin shotgun rounds into a target then delivering a statement that could fuel a lot of moral debates. Whilst far from being perfect, 'Machine Gun Preacher' manages to entertain, inform whilst providing plenty of food for thought.