tedg I watch these missionary films from time to time. There is an earnestness in most of them that makes up for the fact that they are so horrible. In my city is Pat Robertson's film school, training hundreds of people a year to make these things. I often wonder what will happen when they actually are able to make good movies?I am beginning to believe that this may never happen. Film may be making Christianity obsolete. I know this may sound strange. Cinema seems profoundly malleable, a vehicle for any story. And Christianity has survived by adapting far, far from what Jesus believed, making any necessary compromise.But film has rather rigid dynamics when combined with the forces of how we define ourselves through stories. It is extremely flexible, but only within a conceptual marketplace where the collective projections of self reinforce each other. Cinema allows us to define our own cosmos. It worries me that the rivers are sometimes so banal, but such the way of the collective — and young imaginations have surprising sophistication.Christianity on the other hand is about accepting a prefabricated story. Well, different ones depending on the preacher's agenda, but the cosmos is defined in a very top down manner. Theoretically, they could overlap a lot, but that is not what the world seems to want. Even the most obvious Jesus stories like Harry Potter don't follow the rules of the Christian institution. This film has prompted me to believe that it may be impossible to make powerful cinema with the existing dogma. Everything about it fails.The irony is that the story flows are about rigid superstition being made obsolete, not by the Bible in the story, but because people simply want to explain for themselves what the world is. Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Bosco-HK I enjoyed tremendously of many things in the movie, one of which that has most probably been mentioned in all other comments made, the Sin Eater (Peter Wingfield) was played with excellence. His sad deep voice in pain for all those years of suffering to take hold the sins of the ones who have passed. It is extremely awful for him to realize the truth at the end and that he decided that it was pointless to act violently on the one who has cheated his life all those years, he had become a true 'Sin Eater' at that very moment.He is however not the only character I enjoyed, I liked how Fagan Kai (Soren Fulton) stood up for everything he does. He is a great listener and does not follow his fatherly ways, Brogan Kai (Stewart Finlay-McLennan), who was brought up that way by his fatherly figure Laochailand Kai (Michael Flynn). It was so brutal of his father, Brogan, to beat his own son like that.The best character in my opinion is none other than the main female character, Cadi Forbes (Liana Liberato). A definite non-follower who hath bestowed herself with a sin that she has caused her little sister, Elen Forbes (Molly Jepson), to fall in the 'Narrows' that very 'cursed day' over a fight for the doll and for all the years since her little sister was born, her mother, Fia Forbes (Elizabeth Lackey) has always provided everything for Elen, and not Cadi. Liana expressed her deepest emotions with her greatest effort in all of her scenes to be scared, to be cautious, to be brave, to pretend and to BELIEVE in the Man of God (Henry Thomas), in Jesus Christ and God, and ultimately achieve her heart's goal. However, I did not very much enjoy all the different slapping scenes between mother and child, between the two sisters, and most of all between the most cruel and coldhearted father of Fagan and Cadi. -That's the way at all!-I felt that the scene where Miz Elda (Louise Fletcher) accidentally spilled the beans of the 'Dead Man's Mountain'. Not to forget the other actors and actresses like Cadi's 'Pa', Angor Forbes (A.J. Buckley), Lilybet (Thea Rose) the little mysterious girl who guided Cadi -like a guardian angel of Cadi's younger sister, Elen (Molly Jepson), who has forgiven her older sister, that's what I thought-. I enjoyed her line: "Do you trust me, Cadi?" And Cadi replies: "I told you 'Yes' already." Lilybet is an interesting character whom was also later cleared up somewhat at the end -sorta, with that line from Old Cadi: "Little Bit of Heaven". Most unforgettable of all characters is Bletsung McLeod (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) who was never able to be with whom she loved the most all those years... She "would have been such a 'good ma'". And I agree to that line, mentioned once or twice in the entire movie.I recommend this movie for its religious purposes, as well as to check out the fantastic role Liana Liberato played. Every moment I felt like I was the child who believed in something so deep that I would too, run away and finish it -if I had such a quest-.

popdrome Let me start off by saying I am not a Christian (I DO believe in God but I'm afraid that doesn't make me a Christian) - and to answer your question: YES, this is a *Christian* movie, with a very clear message, but I won't spoil the plot for you.The story in a nutshell is the awakening of a Welsh community in early America, coming to terms with their dark history, seen through the eyes of a ten year old child.There are flaws. It's based on a novel, so the director had to make difficult choices to narrow down the plot for screen time. The editing wasn't good and led to some incoherency and superficial plot holes. The story sometimes wasn't going anywhere, and the 'horror' scenes best could've been left out, they seem out of place. Special effects looked cheap. Last and least: the accents. They should've invested a bit more in accent training because this sounded like a far fetched (teethless) dialect..But there's some good performances to be admired. First of all, I tip my hat for Liana Liberato. What a great actress at such a young age. Secondly Soren Fulton did a great job and there was lots of chemistry between him and Liana. And what about Louise Fletcher?! Excellent. The actress who once played the horrid nurse Pratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).. she performed wonderfully and was brilliantly cast.So let's see what we have here. If you take all these things into account and you're not scared off by evangelism - not bad for a Sunday afternoon.

Angel-Ireul First off the budget is small so be kind. Its a pretty solid story although it probably could have been fleshed out and feels a little disjointed in places. It is still a solid film and an excellent addition for fans of Christian films, unlike many Christian films it does not whitewash its message.The best part of the film is the performance of Peter Wingfield as the Sin Eater. While he is almost a minor character as far as screen time his performance makes the film. His voice is so sorrowful in his scenes (he is hidden for the majority of the movie) that you could just sob for him. His pathos is spot on. He is not overly dramatic but succeeds in selling the believability of the film.