Cert 15
112 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex, sex references, nudity
Lately, I have been bursting with apologies for the slow service of everyfilm reviews.
Well, now the cat is out of the bag. I am leaving my day job and the period leading to that announcement has been rather hectic.
The good news is that I have more time to give to my passion for movies.
My updated reviews start with Jaco Van Dormael's unusual comedy, The Brand New Testament, which pokes some fun at the concept of God.
In his film, the Almighty (Benoit Poelvoorde) lives in Brussels with his downtrodden wife (Yolande Moreau) and their their impish daughter, Ea (Pili Groyne).
But this God is foul-mouthed and angry and wears a check shirt, long shorts, white socks and sandals.
His day job is to run people's lives through a computer in a room which is strictly off limits to anyone else.
However, Ea breaks in and literally changes the world by sending everyone their designated death dates by text to their mobile phones.
She then decides that she wants to follow the path of her brother Jesus and go among the people, gathering disciples.
The Brand New Testament throws in the fascinating prospect of us knowing the date of our own demise in parallel to how a second coming would be received.
There are comparisons to Monty Python's Life Of Brian, particularly in Poelvoorde's performance as an erratic God.
But the comedy is softened by Ea who, while wiser than her years, is also innocent enough to be the perfect counterbalance to her father.
And this all comes with the typical quirkiness of Belgian and French comedies such as Micmacs.
The Brand New Testament is witty and original and its performances are well-pitched. I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny but I spent most of its 112 minutes with a smile on my face.
Reasons to watch: witty and original
Reasons: not laugh-out loud funny
Laughs: a few chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Star tweet
Dublin Film Festival Best Screenplay went to Jaco Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig for The Brand New Testament at the #ADIFF16 DFCC Awards
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