Review of Of Gods and Men (2010) by Gavin M — 19 Dec 2010

Great acting, engaging plot and overall a well-made film. However, this film is ultimately a bit of a disappointment given its staggeringly complimentary reviews. The love and friendship between the men is the film's greatest strength as it is shown in such a touching but heartbreaking manner.

There is no way I could classify this film as 'rotten', but I will go through a few things wrong with it. Firstly, it falls into the typical slow drama trap of thinking that long periods of silence with people looking intently at something makes for invigorating filmwork. Secondly, you're in real trouble if you don't like Gregorian chant, as there's a hell of a lot of it in this film. At first it seems beautiful and.

Peaceful, by the end of the film it's been done so many times it's just boring. Finally, the message the film gives out is a muddled one. Clearly the men were too close and too loyal to the people they served to leave, but it's difficult to feel sympathy too great for them when they completely ignore all other options to preserve their safety. They are bluntly rude to the army who offer protection, and though it is briefly mentioned they barely look into the possibility of simply moving somewhere else where they can do good. After all, what good can you do anyone dead?

Perhaps I'm being hyper-critical, but this film of superb acting and a gripping story are in my opinion undermined by a complacency about the film.