Review of The Penitent Man (2010) by Richard L — 29 Sep 2012

Not intelligent and hardly a movie. Movies that focus on conversation over any action at all must have something else going on for them to be engaging: amazing actors who turn their words into weapons and roses, beautiful cinematography telling a story that parallels the dialogue, etc.

Movies that focus on time travel must bring something new to the table: a different take, higher intelligence level than most, a lot of heart so that your heart is ripped out in the end, etc. And movies that want you to believe that he did it all for the love of a woman must have a woman the audience can fall in love with, too, not one who shrilling becomes the cause for all the pain that follows (unexpectedly, too, because she is a completely different character before that moment occurs).

Also, filming a bunch of science books and images of famous scientists does not immediately give a character credentials. The lead does nothing to demonstrate he has any interest or understanding of science despite characters repeatedly telling us he does.

Seems like to me he knows more about basketball (without having any game) and homoerotic chitchat with his best friend than he does about anything else, including science, psychology, and being a good friend and husband.

Want to see how a conversation/science fiction movie is really done? "The Man From Earth".