Review of The Apostle (1997) by Jordan T — 13 May 2009

Robert Duvall as a Texan Pentecostal-Christian Preacher? I'm buying it! Wow was he good. A 14-year project that he wrote, directed, and financed himself, you can see that he put his heart and soul into this movie.

This was so real as Duvall shows us what going to church is like in the deep south. You see the amazing power of Christianity, yet also the hypocritical nature of so many of its charismatic preachers.

In the beginning you think Duvall is crazy, and rightfully so. It's even scarier knowing that there are many men of God like his character of Sonny. However, by the end you see that this man only wants to help and heal those around him.

He's remorseful and just wants to spread the word and you don't want to deny him his greatest pleasure. That was the great thing about Duvall's performance in that you couldn't praise or condemn him.

Farrah Fawcett wasn't really used that much as she is extremely quiet in her role as Sonny's wife. The extras selected for congregation members and the other preachers were carefully chosen and fit the bill of this movie to a tee.

It's a little unbelievable how Sonny is found hiding in Louisiana, but I guess you have to accept it as the Lord working in mysterious ways. We're supposed to assume it was his wife who turned him in, but it is so painfully obvious to me that it was the young man named Sammy who betrayed Sonny.

Amazing independent film that one should check out if you get a chance.