Review of The Order (2003) by Alec D — 18 Feb 2008

"The Sin Eater", through no fault of its own, had and still has - difficulty being a commercial success. The 'problem' is that writer/director Brian Helgeland created a very intelligent script that assumes the viewers do not need everything spelled out to them.

This is a film that opens by placing us in the middle of a complex world, with a deep history; we have to pay attention, which the majority of the cinema going public does not like to do these days.

The script is densely packed with clever dialogue, subtle puns and other kinds of literary devices and references.

I thought this film was low budget but either they know how to spend well or it was made with more money than I originally thought. The Cinematography is brilliant, Production Design and Set Decoration has had time and care spent on it and it shows.

I think audiences were expecting something similar to "The Omen" (but even that had horror set to minimal and people forget it was a slow burner too). It is NOT an action film nor is it "The Exorcist" meets "Ghostbusters". That is not what this film is about at all; it is about the nature of evil, the nature of man and the responsibilities of power.

It is worth mentioned that the late Heath Ledger puts in a sterling performance as a priest in search of knowledge; torn between his duties to The Church and the feelings he has inside him.