My Thoughts on Jesus Movies

This is the movie CBS played in May of 2000. Three hours long and if not my favorite version then very close (I say that every time I see a new version.) I know some points were considered kinda controversial but I can't say I was shocked by anything. I just really liked seeing Jesus dancing, having fun, *smiling*. (Smiling is a big thing with me.) I also liked how Pilate was portrayed. Why does he always come off so pitiable? How do we know he didn't know what he was doing? In this movie, he is portrayed as the true villain and at least one scene is taken from a historical source outside the Bible, it demonstrates what Pilate actually did. In short, the supporting cast of Armin- Mueller Stahl, Jacqueline Bisset, Debra Messing and others is wonderful. Jeremy Sisto as Jesus depicts every emotion from delight to sorrow to empathy beautifully. (Disclaimer: Mr. Sisto is one of my favorite actors so I can hardly be expected to give an unbiased opinion. Still, I thought his was a very human Jesus, with out downplaying the divine aspects.)

This was a movie about a man who truly loved life and people. My one complaint? CBS didn't show the original ending! Apparently, Jesus in jeans was too much for them. But if we're gonna see Satan running around in modern suits to show that he's ever present shouldn't Jesus, too? This starts with Jesus already around 30 and shows his previous years via short flashbacks only. Keep an eye out for some foreshadowing.

This one once topped my list of favorite movies. What a surprise! Time's gone by since then and I still love it. However, I've gone a little bit more in the realist direction since I first saw this. It has served as a really good way for remembering verses from the Gospel. Story-wise this is fairly late in Jesus' preaching career and He seems a bit cynical. Of course, later when I saw it performed live with Ted Neely starring again it didn't seem that way so much, who knows. In any case, it managed to attract its fair share of controversy. Maybe being born at the time I was I just don't grasp it as much because I've been watching this since I was a kid. In any case, I love this music. It just never quite leaves you. ("Superstar" is running through my head right now and it's been months since I last heard it!) It's definitely a different way of looking at the story! I guess you would expect that from a rock opera about Jesus that seems to be through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. It also features a highly pitiable Pontius Pilate. However, if at all possible, I'd recommend seeing a live production. While the scenery is fantastic here, nothing beats seeing it live. I'm not even talking about a big touring production. I saw it at a small, local theatre and was extremely moved.

This was certainly a surprise! I'm used to waiting months from the time I first see a preview to the actual airing of the movie. Here I saw a preview for JCS before "Meet the Parents" (I had no idea they were making this version) and two weeks later I was sitting down to watch it for the first time! Of all the movies on this page I prolly started this one with the most trepidation. For one I still liked the old version and for another I'd heard the old one called "the Disneyfied version" in comparison to this one and I already thought the 1973 version was dark!

Apparently the idea behind this one was how would we react if Jesus came today? The answer? The same as our ancestors 2000 years ago. Well, except for some added paparazzi, cargo pants, and machine guns.

I guess the best way to explain this one is how it rates compared to the 1973 version. I still like the singing better in the original but found this version's acting to be more realistic. Granted, some of the facial expressions are over-emphasized (these are mostly stage actors). The changes in Judas' (Jerome Pradon) character I was especially impressed with. He comes off as being the one who most loved Jesus and even most recognized His true message (which didn't entail going after the Romans, heavily armed). But he's not made to look like a trapped saint either (witness his interaction with Mary). I felt the interaction between Jesus and Judas in this version was more meaningful and touching.

Now as for Jesus (Glenn Carter)... I've read several opinions of the movie and Carter seems to be most criticized. I'd definitely disagree. In this version I found Jesus to be far more personable (His interaction with the lepers is a lot more patient and loving than in the 1973 version.) He also seems a lot more vulnerable to some of our more unwelcome states (tiredness, distress, loneliness, etc.) I suppose that's either a plus or negative, depending on your viewpoint, but I thought it stressed how dear His sacrifice was.

In any case this version is like its predecessor in that it is most definitely not your typical Jesus movie!

This telling of Jesus' story comes from the Roman tribune who crucified Jesus and won His robe. The tribune, Marcellius, is sent from Rome to Jerusalem and arrives, with his slaves, in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He is briefed on the story of "the Fanatic". His newly acquired Greek slave, Demetrius, makes eye contact with Jesus and knows there's something to this claim of His Messiahship. Demetrius learns of the plot against Jesus and goes to warn Him. Unfortunately, he arrives too late and the next time he sees Jesus is on the path to Golgotha. When Marcellius wins Jesus' robe, Demetrius honors it for what it is, the robe of God. Marcellius demands Demetrius give him the robe to cover himself when the heavy rains start after Jesus' death. The minute Marcellius touches the robe he cries in pain and Demetrius grabs it back, cursing Marcellius for killing Jesus and running away.

Marcellius returns to Rome and is unable to go on with his duties because he believes the robe bewitched him for he finds himself unable to remember Good Friday with out losing his mind. Therefore, he is sent back to Jerusalem by the Caesar to find this cursed robe and destroy it. Along the way Marcellius finds himself in Cana, a small Christian community. He grows to love its people but harbors the awful secret that he killed their Lord. He also finds Demetrius and learns that the robe has no power, only his guilt does. Simon Peter visits the village and tells Marcellius his own story of denying Jesus and teaches him that Jesus' cry "God forgive them." was meant for all of them. He joins Peter and Demetrius in their mission and finds himself back in Rome where he faces the ultimate test: Deny his new faith and live or die as a martyr.

I thought this was a really interesting movie. I'd expected the typical staples of miracles, parables, the Last Supper and the rest. This movie only showed Jesus twice (and never His face) and He only had two lines. Obviously it had some historical inaccuracies but if you can get past that there's some excellent teachings like what does it mean to be healed and the beauty of giving and the power of God's forgiveness.

This is not the same as the CBS version. The version is a lot more "by the Book", in fact it tells the story as related in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was well portrayed, smiling and laughing, sad and angry. There was also some foreshadowing (!). Prolly what struck me most was how idyllic and peaceful the many scenes of Jesus and His disciples walking around were. They just generally looked like a group you'd want to hang around with. Unlike the other versions this one also had a narrator which was kinda interesting. It also had a bunch of scenes that I'd never seen in any other movies like the near-assassination of Jesus in Nazareth, the angel's appearance in Gethsemane, Simeon's blessing on baby Jesus. Those scenes were interesting to see.

It did an excellent job of depicting Luke but I really missed the other Gospels. Gone was Lazarus, no wine into water, etc. But naturally when you make a movie you have to make choices about what to keep and what to take out so that's okay. It was really hard to not have Mary at the Crucifixion, though. The Crucifixion itself was very reverent but it seemed to be missing something. It just didn't have the impact the others generally do. It almost looked too easy. The Resurrection scenes seemed more complete than usual, however. In general, I liked it mostly because it featured events often ignored by the other movies.

Okay, in short, "The Cotton Patch Gospel" seems to be "Godspell" gone South. Not that I have any real reason to believe "Godspell" was composed and/or conceived in the North but I tend to associate it with Broadway and Canada so... They're both really minimalistic as far as props and scenery. CPG takes it one step further making it a one-man show plus a four man chorus. The story is basically what if Jesus had been born in modern Georgia instead of Israel 2000 years ago?

Jesus is born to Mary and Joseph Davidson (haha) on their way to an IRS tax audit. He's born in an abondoned trailer. Three scholars visit leaving him a Gold Mastercard, peach scented candles, and a fancy bottle of cologne. Word gets to Governor Herod who has a bomb thrown into a nursery, hoping to kill the baby. By this time Joseph and Family have fled to Mexico. The show then follows the family on their trip to Georgia with young Jesus, his departure to start his ministry, and finally his lynching and resurrection.

Awards

This gets the Best Massacre of the Infants scene. A macabre award, for sure. You don't actually see anything since this is just a stage with five guys on it. But the Narrator (who turns out to be Matthew but who plays everyone) talks about the doctor explaining to women that their children died and Harry Chapin wrote two really good pieces of music that are sung against each other. One is "I Did It" sung by Herod and Crew which talks about the dirty deeds carried out in the name of political glory. At the same time a lone guy sings "Mama is Here", a lullabye. It was really poignant for a scene that is often glossed over in other interpretations.

The next "award" is the Best Wine into Water scene. The story is Jesus is at a wedding where the bride is the daughter of a man who supports Joseph's carpentry shop. The run out of wine Joseph suggests that Jesus might... get some. So Jesus goes off alone and asks his Daddy to help. It was cool that he used Daddy in this one cause Abba is usually translated into "father" but most everything I read said it was a more familiar term like "daddy" or "papa". He tries snapping his fingers, he tries concentrating really hard, he tries doing a jig in front of it, finally he relaxes and gives up and... it changes. It was just cool to see Jesus' own surprise at his abilities. Generally he seems really cool and collected in other depictions of this scene.

Okay, next was the Best Raising of Jairus' Daughter Scene. I might actually have to check on that one, though. "The Miracle Maker" is the story told through the eyes of Jairus' daughter so you'd think that might be better. Then again, since I don't remember that scene maybe not... Anyhow, Jairus informed Jesus he was returning to his home and was going to bring his four year old back to life. He was very definite. So Jesus went into where the girl was lying and started to sing "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind. Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Jesus sang the first part and then you heard this smaller voice join in, the little girl (although it was actually a grown guy). The whole time the camera was positioned so that you were seeing what the girl would have seen. It was a really beautiful scene.

Then there was what I think was one of the best depictions of the first prediction of the Passion. I have a vague feeling there's another movie that I also think does a great job here but I can't recall right now. Anyhow, Jesus announces they will be going to Atlanta for a Bible Convention thing. Where he will be lynched. The song "Going to Atlanta" is part the disciples celebrating with a loud, happy song with a much quieter, sad Jesus singing "What does Atlanta mean to me?" The two parts just really added potency. That was the end of the first act.

My first favorite part in the second act was the song "You are Still My Boy" sung by Mary and Joseph after Jesus has turned away from his hometown which has rejected him. It's just a really sad and beautiful song. Probably my second favorite Jesus Returns Home scene. It's edged out only slightly by "The Greatest Story Ever Told". What I liked about the CPG version was that it dealt head on with Jesus' apparent abondonment of his family but with out either party looking bad.

And there was the best Who Do You Say I Am? scene. Peter struggles with the answer. Doesn't know... doesn't know... keeps repeating it and then has a moment of clarity and says "You are the Son of God!" and Jesus answers "You are beautiful!" It was funny and sweet at the same time.

The betrayal scene was very sad. I thought all the "villains" were well characterized. Judd aka Judas was pathetic with out being totally acceptable. Pilate originally appeared to be nice, as proven by the song title "Thank God for Governor Pilate". That was another instance of great government-related irony as happened with "I Did It". Pilate chooses to send Jesus to a prison, just until things quiet down and he can get a fair trial. This makes everyone happy. The chorus sings about all the great things Pilate does while, secretly, Pilate is making a call to his uncle. He gives him the exact route Jesus' transportation...

Matthew explains what happened on Friday, when they got the news of what happened. Thursday night the tires of the truck had been shot out. Jesus was being transported by only 2 guards. They were easily over-powered by several members of the Klan. He was whipped 39 times and lynched.

But this movie had a Resurrection, unlike the "Godspell" movie. That was really cool. I mean there weren't any special effects or anything. It was just really well-written. Then they ended with Harry Chapin's "I Wonder What Would Happen to This World" and a medley. I was kinda worried when I first popped in the tape. I'm not a country music fan. And I'm really not a bluegrass fan. But maybe I've been converted... The songs are all ready getting stuck!

Traditional story line, only an hour long so some things were dropped, obviously. Johnny Cash narrates the whole thing and had the only speaking role save his wife, June Carter Cash, who was Mary M. So instead of Jesus saying "I am the Way", Cash would say something like "And Jesus said many beautiful things like 'I am the Way'". At first this was kinda boring but I got the point later. I think maybe he was trying to maintain the fact that Jesus did not speak English. This become clearer during the "Cast the first stone" scene. During the part when Jesus is writing in the sand, he was writing in either Hebrew or Aramaic.

While the movie was only an hour long but it didn't really feel like any *major* events were sacrificed for time, any more so than other movies. It probably would not be a good movie for people trying to get an in-depth understanding of the Gospels, though. The highlights of his teachings were covered but there weren't actual teaching scenes. There were a couple interesting "crowd scenes". During Palm Sunday and the Way of the Cross you could hear crowds but only see Jesus wandering down abondoned roads.I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe it was trying to say that mentally Jesus had to walk those roads alone. I don't know, it was just kinda jarring to first see when you're so used to huge crowds.

I did like that the movie respected Jesus' culture and religion. Cash outrights states that "Jesus was born a Jew." That seems like a stupid thing for me to harp on but it is true and too often forgotten, IMO. If everyone really seriously thought about that then maybe anti-Semitism would die out, or at least take a major hit.
The music was pretty good, I don't particularly like the style but that considered there were some down-right catchy tunes.

Awards

First, best use of flashbacks in a Jesus movie. This was particularly effective twice. First, when Jesus was playing with kids and there's a flash of Jesus as a little boy. Second, when Jesus was being crucified and again their was the flash of him as a boy and another of him as a man, a nonbeat-up man. Flashbacks always make me cry...
Second, this wins for grooviest camera work. Triple takes, changes in perspective, etc.

Third, best scene of Jesus making sandcastles. Okay, well, maybe the only scene of Jesus making sandcastles but that makes it cool. It was during the scene of Jesus and the children. I liked that a whole segment was devoted to that aspect instead of a brief "Oh look! Jesus is holding a baby, aww!!"

Fourth, best scene of guy getting his sight back. I just really liked the song Johnny Cash was singing during that part.

I guess it only makes sense I should pipe up with my take on this much-talked-about movie. So here goes...

I liked it. Didn't love it. Didn't come out feeling like I'd just had a life-altering experience. It was what it was. Which is a movie. As for the violence... crucifixion is violent. It was bloody, it was disgusting, it was degrading, it was painful. I went into the movie expecting that, having read several articles looking at crucifixion from social, anatomical, and faith perspectives. So I was not shocked. As for charges of anti-Semitism, I can see where that comes from. I do think it was a poor decision to have the Temple destroyed. However, I can't say I think it was any more anti-Semitic than you could say JCS is. At least in this version Gibson depicts a high priest protesting the treatment of Jesus. JCS doesn't even have that. I think it's a case of seeing what you want to see. I believe anti-Semitism is a sin so this movie did not cause any of those feelings in myself. If others did take that away from the movie I think that's very, very sad.

I thought the movie was beautifully acted. Though, gotta say I was most captivated by the actress playing Mary of Nazareth (Maia Morgenstern). I only cried once during the movie and that was during the scene where Jesus falls and she flashes back to him falling as a boy. And her eyes as she held his dead body are haunting. This is not to say I thought Jim Caviezel wasn't great. He definitely was. I give credit to anyone who takes on such a physically demanding role and learns a dead language! But what I tend to focus on with movies is what sets them apart. And I think what we got here is a very real Mary which isn't all that common, I don't think.

I do think the demonic stuff was a lil... Stephen King TV movie-ish. No one I know has yet to statisfactorily answer for themselves what the heck Satan was doing holding a demonic baby. It seemed random and, I thought, distracting. As for Satan, I thought that character was very well done. Very creepy but also more "natural" looking than the demons. I guess one would hope an actual actress would look more natural than animatronics or computer animation or whatever the heck the demons were. :-)

There was one point that I'm still unsure of what I think. That's the role of women. The women in this movie almost seemed to be magical. Which I'd like to think women are, personally. Mary knowing where Jesus was. Pilate's wife gliding in to comfort the two Marys. Veronica gliding in... But there was something about it that didn't quite strike me as right... Maybe it's just that with Jesus incapacitated for much of the movie, the women were really the only positive characters. And that's more than a lil scary to think about. Anyway, it's been a month since I've seen this movie and will maybe revisit this if I ever see it again. So now, the awards:

Awards

First, best use of psychic connection. While the other "magical women" elements may have bugged me, Mary sensing Jesus' presence in the cell beneath her really got me. I loved that.

Second, best use of flashbacks *sometimes.* I was really moved by the one of Jesus as a lil boy, as mentioned before. Others I thought were more distracting and seemed randomly placed but that was really good. I also liked the flashbacks to Jesus meeting Mary Magdalene.

Third, best attempt at linguistic accuracy. Whatever else may have been wrong, I gotta give Mel Gibson credit for putting a lot of the movie into Aramaic! Yikes! The whole Greek-Latin confusion I'm not sure about so I'll let that slide. That being said, I wish he'd extended that accuracy to hiring actors that looked more appropriate. But it was well-acted and I suppose we can only ask for so much realism from Hollywood.

Wow... What can I say? I'm sure there was a lot of love that went into this and I'm sure they were really trying to do something moving and interesting. But I started to get curious the minute they started showing promos for this. The only movie told from Judas' perspective? Definitely not true. "Jesus Christ Superstar" anyone? Or there was a slightly older Judas movie that aired on Pax. But promotion problems aside...

I thought the guy playing Judas was pretty good. And I wish he'd played Jesus. Or that someone else had! No offense to that actor but... Good gosh! In my opinion, it's never a good sign when you're watching a Jesus movie and feel the need to "Awww, poor baby!" Jesus repeatedly. Jesus was a leader. And apparently a pretty strong one to have inspired so many people to the point they would later die for him. But this guy... I'm not sure I'd feel confident following him to the grocery store. He completely lacked confidence! And apparently the followers he drew to him were much the same. St. Andrew... Good gosh. I wanted to sit that guy down with a blankie and some cookies and milk.

I was just... dumb-founded. Anyway, in an interesting note: I think some of these sets were from the 2000 Jesus movie. I'd heard this movie had used sets from a previous Bible movie and I'm thinking it was definitely that one. In a way, that made the movie even worse. I mean the 2000 version may not be the most accurate or greatest thing out there but this movie did not benefit from the comparison.

Awards

Best Jesus movie to watch if you just want to go "Ummm, what the heck?" repeatedly.

Before I get into this I'm gonna clear up a couple misconceptions I had about this that others may also. First, the press seemed to suggest this was Jesus' story as if he'd been born today. I didn't find that to be true. Cause last I checked there wasn't a worldwide government and New York was not a police state. I think the point *may* have been that the world might have come to that with out Jesus' influence 2000 years ago. I guess when I heard the phrase "If he came today..." I envisioned a story with a more realistic setting. This came off as futuristic which was fine. I'm just saying the press I read/saw didn't give that impression. Second, I always thought a rock opera (which is what "!Hero" is called) consisted of only sung dialogue. Like Andrew Lloyd Webber's "JCS", "Evita", and "Joseph". "!Hero" has lots of spoken dialogue. Which, again, I had no problem with. It's just didn't fit my definition of a rock opera which, I admit, may be totally incorrect.

Anyhow, now that that's done the basic plot is thus: a child is born to Mary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She names the boy Hero (and Jesus, I didn't entirely follow whether Hero was his nickname or his name was Jesus Hero or something). Hero grows up and at some point moves to New York City. It's there he begins to spread the message of God's love. He first tells Petrov and Judd who become his followers (think Peter and Judas). From there he travels to Spanish Harlem where he meets a prostitute named Maggie (Mary Mag, of course). And we get running commentary through all of this from a spy, Hunter, sent by ICON (the global government). The typical Jesus movie staples follow with modern twists (Hero shoots food out of those hotdog guns at a stadium instead of multiplying fish on a hillside, Hero raises a drive-by victim from the dead). Judd falls in with ICON. Hunter and Maggie fall for each other (a plotline I found grating and distracting). But mostly Hero does cool stuff and rocks out.

Awards

Best scene of Jesus addressing the AIDS crisis- I'm a total sucker for this part.

Best Gethesemane song since "Gethsemane"- I went through a period where I'd listen to "I Am" several times a day cause it made me feel good.

The Last Temptation of Christ

Boy, I really put off watching this one! Not because I thought it was immoral. I suspected there wasn't gonna be any thing in it that would run against my religious beliefs. Basically I just didn't want certain mental images. But, alas, the temptation (ha ha) was too great after I saw the 2005 film The Heart of the Beholder which was about the onslaught of abuse video store owners faced for carrying this film. And also, truth be told, I figured if I could watch John Dye (portrayer of my nearly decade long crush, the angel Andrew) in a loveless sex scene, I could probly handle Last Temptation. So when it came on the Sundance Channel this week I taped it and viewed it over the course of a few hours (had to go to sleep about a third in since it was nearly 2 AM). Here's my thoughts for whatever they're worth!

First, I gotta admit this was the single most difficult movie for me to watch and see characters, not actors. I'm willing to admit that's probly a deficit in my imaginative powers but, to be honest, I think some of the casting and may be even acting was just plain off. I kept expecting Judas (Harvey Keitel) to pull a tommy gun from his robe and start offing people. Similarly, sometimes when Jesus (Willem Dafoe) smiled it took every ounce of will power to not giggle and cry "It's the Green Goblin!" But other than that strange impulse, I enjoyed his performance (though Dafoe looks about as Galilean as my pasty Irish self but I've learned not to expect realistic appearance).

Anyhow, so here's the plot as I interpretted it (there are varying thoughts). If you've not seen the movie and plan to, you should probly bow out now. Cause if I'd known a certain thing about this movie that I intend to talk about here, I certainly would have felt cheated going in. So, now's your chance...

Okay, so the movie starts with Jesus building a cross. Freaked the heck outta me. Turns out he's commissioned by the Romans to do so. (More on this later). Enter Judas who is livid that his old buddy is aiding them. So we have a very troubled Jesus. He sets off first to seek forgiveness from Mary Magdalene. What I understood was that they were childhood sweethearts and possibly betrothed at some point. Jesus broke it off because he was starting to get the idea he was the Messiah. Mary M. was hurt and angry and became a prostitute (don't entirely get her train of thought there but let's move on). So Jesus does all the typical Jesus stuff. Goes into the desert, seeks out the Baptist, works some miracles, causes a near riot in the Temple, goes to Gethsemane, is arrested, tortured, and crucified. Then this movie goes where (to my knowledge) no Jesus movie went before. While on the cross, Jesus looks down and sees a young girl. She tells him she was sent to guard him, that God says his work is done, and that he can get off the cross if he wants. Here starts the eponymous "last temptation."

So he's off the cross, comes to a gorgeous valley, and marries Mary M. And we all get to watch the honeymoon. It was a lil weird watching that but, IMO, tastefully done. I didn't feel like I was watching porn in other words. Mary gets pregnant and... dies. Jesus mourns and gets angry. I sit there and go "What the heck is going on?!" So that's all very sad and then the angel says something to the effect of "There's only one woman in the world just with many faces." So off Jesus goes and seems to marry Mary of Bethany and her sister Martha. That's a lil hard to take and you have to keep in mind polygamy was accepted then. Children follow and Jesus lives the life of a carpenter and family man. Then when he's on his death bed, in come the apostles including an angry Judas. Judas decries him for being a coward. He was supposed to be the Messiah and now here's the ancient, dying man. Further, Judas tells him his "angel" is no angel but Satan. Jesus' eyes are opened, he pulls himself off the bed and begs for forgiveness. And then...

Jesus is on the cross. He cries "It is accomplished" triumphantly and dies.

So what happened? My personal thought (and what I've heard Scorcese says) is that a dying Jesus basically becomes George Bailey. He sees life as it might have been had he chosen the easy (and wrong) path. By the end of his vision, he knows he was on the right path and returned to it. So, I do not believe Jesus got to live two lives in this film any more than I believe I'm pals with Det. Stabler from Law and Order: SVU just because I dreamed I was last night. Basically, I don't believe the Jesus this film portrays sinned in any way. I believe he was tempted many times and didn't succumb to any. That's my take. I'll probly return to this if I get a chance to see the DVD and hear the commentary. There's lot's more I'd like to say but this will suffice for now.

However... I do, like Judas, have issues with his building crosses. That, to me, seems an example of social sin. Taking part in a sinful societal system. Yet, I don't know enough to know whether he was compelled to make the crosses under duress or the wider political implications. Quite possibly had he refused to make the crosses, that would have made him a zealot and by extension part of a social structure that embraced violence as a political tactic also. In any case, I thought this was a thought provoking movie. It made me really appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made.

Awards

Best Jesus movie to watch if you want to have an existential crisis. Seriously, I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. Watching this I kept thinking "Ah! In 10 years I'll be 33 like Jesus there and I haven't done anything important!" But that could just be me at this stage in my life.

Best non-singing music in a Jesus movie. Really, I liked the Peter Gabriel soundtrack even if it seemed really 80s-ish at points. And the world music was awesome.

Film ending most likely to lend itself to myriad interpretations and discussions. Sorta reminded me of American Psycho (another Dafoe vehicle) and One Hour Photo insofar as both left me thinking "Did that really happen or was it in his head??"

Jesus movie that most lends itself to sudden, unwarranted memory flashes of Jimmy Stewart. No seriously, I kept thinking of It's a Wonderful Life. In fact, I almost dug the movie out of our Christmas movies box to watch it afterwards.
(Reviewed 9-21-05)