Salvation Boulevard (2011)

9 Comments

1. 

   med77_99 from Los Angeles
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   After going through a disappointing summer movie line up this year " 2011 " so far, i was more than happy when i found this film playing in a theater near by.
   
   And after watching this very enjoyable movie, i was left surprised in why it had a very limited release ? unlike most big budget summer movies, this movie focused on substance rather than style. it had a very engaging story that unfolds in a very intriguing way.
   
   the story is that of a well known Pastor played by Pierce Brosnan who gets involved in a debate with a disbeliever and writer played by Ed Harris, soon after, the pastor gets involved in a sinful accident and tries to use his religious influences to get himself out. stuck in the middle of all this, is an ex-deadhead played by Greg Kinnear.
   
   the Characters and acting were the best thing in the movie, a wonderful cast lead by Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connely and Marisa TOmey. they all deliver very memorable performances, and they added a lot to their characters. the characters were fun and seemed very familiar, easy to identify with.
   
   the film was more of a dark comedy, very funny and laugh out loud moments involving religion, relationships and even murder.
   
   I am just so surprised with the limited release, this film deserves a wider release and should reach more audience. I highly recommend this.

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2. 

   cindiluhoo from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   I grew up Southern Baptist and I thought this movie was laugh out loud funny. Of course, there was some predictable religious jokes. Lots of confusion & communication-based chaos with a karma-tic ending (though a bit trite). Actually saw this movie September 2010 at a early release film screening where we were able to review the film afterward. I hope they re-shot the ending, as the conclusion was a bit abrupt. Overall, it was a great laugh. Pierce Brosnan is EXCELLENT as Rev. Dan Day. Stand out performances by Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tomei as well. Not sure if this film will be a small release, but it's worth finding to see.

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3. 

   DemiRonin from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   Salvation Boulevard is a star packed ensemble "dramedy" based loosely on Larry Beinhart's novel of the same title. Greg Kinnear plays Carl, a former "deadhead" (followers of the band Grateful Dead) who has settled into a nice quite life with his uptight and super religious wife Gwen, played by Jennifer Connelly. Gwen religiously attends the Church of the Third Millennium which is led by the charismatic Pastor Dan Day, played by Pierce Brosnan. Having enraptured the town with his holy message, Day sustains a small empire for himself made out of an adoring congregation that worships him like a prophet. With an ego of the size of Jesus' cross, Day aspires to build a "city upon a hill", a planned and private community, complete with a school and hospital. Not only will this provide a safe and convenient sanctuary for God's worshipers but as the chief developer of this colossal undertaking Day stands to make a healthy sum of money.
   
   However, the meeting of renown atheist extraordinaire Dr. Paul Blaylock, played by Ed Harris, puts it all at risk. After a public philosophical debate, Blaylock and Pastor Day retire to Blaylock's office for a friendly nightcap. Carl tags along to the meeting as Day's newly evangelized prize. Here a genial discussion about a joint book venture turns awry when Day accidentally shoots Blaylock in the head with an antique pistol.
   
   In a moment of panic, the Pastor disguises the incident as a suicide attempt with Carl in the room as seemingly the only witness to Day's deceit. Carl's life then spirals into disaster as not only do his wife and closest friends not believe his truthful story but there are others trying to kidnap and frame him.
   
   Salvation Boulevard's story line has a similar feel to that of the Coen Brother's film The Big Lebowski [1998]. Like "the Dude" in The Big Lebowski, Carl plays a very passive protagonist who gets caught up in mortal danger through no fault of his own. He is seemingly moved from precarious situation to the next by all forces other than himself. Carl passivity is contrasted by the outrageous antics of the characters that surround him. Pierce Brosnan with his good looks, deep voice and smooth command of language personifies an excellent slimy and manipulative pastor. As Day's ego and paranoia grow throughout the film so does Brosnan's comedic affect as he literally starts to believe the devil is after him.
   
   With such a wealth of idiosyncratic characters Salvation Boulevard was able to attract a large award winning cast, including Marisa Tomei who plays a free spirited security guard. Jennifer Connelly and Jim Gaffigan play Day's fanatical and easily persuaded followers. Some would say these characters are a cruel misrepresentation of the Evangelical community. They may have a point, but taking this comedic movie too personally deprives the viewer from finding all the comical religious Easter eggs in the film. One of which is a building with devilish horns on the roof where Carl is taken to by Day's zealots. The laughs in Salvation Boulevard are not gut busters but are subtlety sprinkled throughout the film.
   
   On the down, this film has a less than satisfying ending and seems to end abruptly. The side characters don't get endings that are worthy over their performances. Instead they are given in the form of text. An extra ten minutes might have wrapped the film in a more imprinting manner. Salvation Boulevard is layered with jokes that lie not only in th dialogue and action but also in the art direction and cinematography, giving the film the rare quality of finding something new every time you watch it. Unfortunately, this film will probably go under appreciated as critics have slammed it for its obvious slant against Evangelical Christians. However, I have faith that in time Salvation Boulevard will find its audience, but they probably won't be as devoted as your average "deadhead".
   
   7 out of 10
   
   This Film is not for:
   
   -People who don't find mocking religion funny
   
   -People who have no interest in religion

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4. 

   FilmRap from Los Angeles
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   If you are not part of it – what could be a better subject for satire than a big Texas like Evangelical Church? Director and co-writer George Ratliff did just this thing and interestingly enough he told us that the previews are doing well in the midst of the bible belt. In addition to a well-written story with some good comedy and many surprise twists, this film project pulled together a great cast who created the zany characters who are up on the screen for 95 minutes. Dan Day (Pierce Brosnan) the church leader who is on the verge of building his Christian City on the Hill with a medical school, a law school and everything else when something happens that make him respond in not the most holy manner. Carl Vandermeer (Greg Kinnear), a former Deadhead (follower of the Grateful Dead) has settled into a clean life as a family man and a regular church goer when he gets tested and then can't believe he had been a follower of the good Dan Day. His journey is the heart of the film and the center of most of the comedic moments. Then there is his wife Gwen (Jennifer Connelly) who is hilarious as the dyed in the wool follower of Dan Day and his movement as well as being a weird artist. Honey Foster (Marisa Tomei) is a security guard with a heart of gold and she herself is former Deadhead who still likes to smoke her pipe. Ed Harris gets into the character of Dr. Paul Blaylock who in many people's opinion ( but not the Evangelical crowd ) would be the voice of reason, but he gets a bullet in his head which does slow him down. Most people in the theatre seemed to have had a good time. There were a lot of laughs and the satire was as expected but the story was not predictable. So a good time was had, but it probably won't be very memorable. FilmRap.net

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5. 

   DICK STEEL from Singapore
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   I suppose the programmers at SIFF had thought this film, with its star power in Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly and Marisa Tomei could probably pull in the crowds, but it was a bet got wrong with only a handful turning up for the screening at Lido 4, which seats hundreds. Maybe it's also because of the subject matter in its handling of religion, since the principal antagonist happens to be a man of religion, that may have detracted believers. Whatever the case is, it's a film to be seen if only to watch how director George Ratliff, whose previous film was about the devil in a child Joshua, tackles a similar theme this time with the wolf in sheep's clothing, but laced with plenty of black humour.
   
   Greg Kinnear stars as Carl Venderveer, a born again Christian thanks to his fanatically religious wife Gwen (Connelly) and her dad Joe (Ciaran Hinds), congregation of the charismatic evangelist Dan Day (Brosnan), a renowned preacher with many bestsellers to his name, though with followers like that it's not hard to not understand why his books shoot to the top of the bestsellers chart. We first meet Dan in a public debate with another bestselling author, atheist Dr Paul Blaylock (Ed Harris), where the first few minutes were engaging stuff, the kind where you put a cat and a dog in a room, and wait to observe massive fireworks due to differing beliefs.
   
   Invited by the Professor to have a bonding session after their public debate, Dan brings along Carl since he had used the latter to resounding success as an example during one of his rebuttals, and here's where motivations are clearly peeled away to show one's inner, rotten core. There's nothing like profits to line their pockets, especially when Blaylock proposes that he and Dan join forces to write the mother of all books, if not for Dan to accidentally shoot Blaylock in the head from a pistol, thereby making him a killer, with Carl as the unwitting witness. That is of course until Dan Day starts to use his street smarts, his crookedness and basically kneeling down before the devil to pin everything on Carl, with help coming from blind faith believer Jerry Hobson (Jim Gaffigan) to do his dirty work.
   
   There's clearly no mincing of the words here when in George Ratliff (also the director) and Douglas Stone's screenplay, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart, where Dan Day is truly the false prophet and wolf in sheep's clothing, almost always ready to pounce on opportunities for money, flesh, and to keep his reputation pristine. Getting rid of Carl serves many points, which for starters means a chance to get close to Carl's wife Gwen whom he clearly has the hots for, if not for her father to continuously pester him to implement an idea in his up and coming faith-based real estate community (ka-ching the cash registers go). Pierce Brosnan plays this role with aplomb, and with his suave good looks it's easy to understand why his female congregation will all go crazy for him.
   
   It's a tale of what anyone would do in order to ensure self-preservation, and Greg Kinnear's role as Carl, the man on the run as he's being accused and character assassinated, making it worst with family not believing him save for his daughter Angie (Isabelle Fuhrman of The Orphan fame). In a way what happens to Carl en route to clearly his name is nothing more than a higher supreme being protecting him at every step of his misadventures, and having a sense of humour while protecting him, such as putting Marisa Tomei's bit role of a hippie security guard in his way and clearly nursing a crush from a long time ago.
   
   Mistakes get made, more supporting characters get thrown in the mix especially when a Mexican mobster sees Carl as a conduit to blackmail Dan Day, and everything just leads to a mess, though narratively George Ratcliff has a clear, precise handling of situations that just makes this one fine, entertaining film even though it does get a little heavy in the opening debate (best scene of the film) as it draws some parallels to real life situations where those in power and commanding an audience, should they be crooked, will spell the doom and gloom for their followers if only the latter can open their eyes and minds and not believe everything verbatim and blindly. But I guess that's why it's called Faith. Recommended!

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6. 

   gradyharp from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   With all the hullabaloo about the giant Evangelical MegaChurches such as Orange County, California's Crystal Cathedral filling the media it is refreshing to find a film that joins in the parodies and reveals some of the many flaws in those organizations. What begins as a debate between Pastor Dan Day (Pierce Brosnan) and atheist Dr. Paul Blaylock (Ed Harris) in front of a vulnerable audience in which sits radical born-again Christian Gwen (Jennifer Connelly) and her ex-drugged out Grateful Deadhead dummy of a convert husband Carl (Greg Kinnear) rouses some hilarious lines, but when Day and Blaylock and Greg meet for after debate drinks and Day inadvertently shoots Blaylock in the head, the story goes downhill from there: Greg is talked into taking the blame for the shooting so that the 'miraculous' moneyminded project of building a wholly Christian City on the Hill (complete with medical school, law school, and of course a crystal cathedral, etc.) will continue to pad the coffers of the evangelical showtime of Pastor Day. Carl's bumbling attempt to correct his sins of the past provides the common thread is this flimsy film, a journey that involves an old ex-deadhead security guard Honey Foster (Marisa Tomei), a cameraman gone berserk Jerry Hobson (Jim Gaffigan), Greg's vulnerable daughter Angie (Isabelle Fuhrman), and Greg's scheming father-in-law Joe (Ciarán Hinds).
   
   Based on Larry Beinhart's novel by the same name, the disjointed script is by newcomer Douglas Stone and writer/director George Ratliff. If the point of making this movie was to poke fun at the increasingly popular cults of the Mega Churches and their brainwashed followers then they have succeeded. But 'reason' (in the character of Ed Harris's character) is knocked off in the first few minutes of the film and from there the movie just rambles around with poorly differentiated characters about whom we couldn't care less. How a cast of some of our finest actors got caught up in this mess is a conundrum. The end result suggests a knockoff Coen Brothers movie gone bad. It is a trial to make it through the end of SALVATION BOULEVARD!
   
   Grady Harp

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7. 

   Bawoof from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   I won't bore anyone with a plot summary here, I think most of you know it. I am a practicing Unorthodox Catholic, just so you know where I'm coming from. My problems with this movie are as follows: 1. The overacting by Pierce Brosnan was embarrassing, but I assume the director told him to make it over-the-top since so many Christian evangelist preachers are like that. Yes they are on the stage, but in real life, well some are and some are not.
   
   2. Greg Kinnear's character did so much that could have been easily solved by calling the cops and being done with it.
   
   3. I am religious but I can also appreciate a good nightmare comedy. The problem here is that so much comic potential was literally thrown away! Sorry folks, but just showing over-the-top preachers being over-the-top isn't really funny.
   
   4. What an original story we have here! It's NOTHING like "Elmer Gantry" (A GOOD MOVIE, by the way) or "Leap Of Faith" (another good movie, by the way) or "Saved!" or even "Hamlet 2" (a couple of clever ideas that were poorly executed in my opinion).
   
   5. Okay, well maybe this film does rate with "Saved!" and "Hamlet 2" 6. I have to wonder how many practicing Christians were actually a part of this film.
   
   7. I can't help but wonder if independent filmmakers think that they can break into the big time by constantly hating on Christians.
   
   8. Finally, if these modern filmmakers TRULY had some balls about them and wanted to be TRULY CUTTING EDGE, then they will make similarly themed films skewering Muslims and Scientology! (Yeah I won't hold my breath waiting for THAT DAY to come…COWARDS!)

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8. 

   Matthew Stechel (mateob25@aol.com) from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   Film should've been better. Kinnear somewhat underplays a space case who somehow agrees to take the fall for an attempted murder that Brosnan's character commits, and then comes to has second thoughts about. Brosnan overplays the petulant and self righteous pastor. Both actors are two i've long thought of as nicely underrated actors in general–the chemistry between the two of them was so nice in 2005's "The Matador" that i was more than a little disappointed that the two of them spend the large majority of this film in their own separate plot lines and only have a limited amount of screen time together here. What you have here is a halfway decent set-up for some halfway decently thought up characters whom are all wasted in a messy barrage of scenes where one thing happens, then another, and then a third thing happens, but none of what happens means anything to any of the characters, and with the exception of maybe the increasingly anxious Kinnear–none of what is happening seems to mean anything to the actors playing them as well. This plot line and these characters probably made a lot more sense in the novel that this is based on…and i can see there is a solid raucous sense of humor going on in some scenes where the mechanics of the plot aren't in the way–like say Kinnear's handful of scenes with Marisa Tomei who's a spacey female interested in him.
   
   Whenever i read something that i think would make a good movie i forget to take into account that when you're retelling someone else's story as a film you can't take into account the motives and inner thoughts of all the characters in a story. Despite some attempts made the film largely doesn't tell you what the characters are thinking while their reacting. (Pierce Brosnan's character for example has a moment in the shower where his phone rings and the caller reads unknown-and he shudders and groans clearly unhappy about getting this call-but why? what does he think this call is? how could he possibly know what's happening? half the time i was watching him i was wondering just what his motivation was other then staying out of jail–why does he care about Greg Kinnear even after he framed him for murder? why does he care about Ed Harris even after he shot him? why is he doing anything at all here?) How exactly does Marisa Tomei's character fit into the film again? what was her connection with the murder plot exactly? how did she know that kinnear was really innocent even before he told her? What she just knew because of his character? Why does Jennifer Connelly (who plays Kinnear's born again wife and is completely unimportant to the plot as a whole) insist on maintaining a relation with Kinnear despite the fact that its clear that the two of them are completely wrong for each other (come to think of it why was he with her in the first place–i get that she saw him as a project to work on–but why did he bother getting himself cleaned up and seeking religion with her when he was clearly so much happier as a dead-head and she was so clearly in love with Brosnan's pastor character? why am i even asking this when again she clearly doesn't matter to the story.) This movie does not work as a whole and its a shame because they clearly had something almost good here. This is exactly why you need to have characters a viewer should care about in addition to decently done chase scenes and somewhat amusing characters in somewhat amusing circumstances.

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9. 

   K Vana from United States
   21 Nov 2011, 12:15 am

   Adapted for the big screen from Larry Beinhart's book by the same name, Salvation Boulevard premiered at the Sundance Film Festival boasting a cast including Greg Kinnear, Pierce Bronson, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Marisa Tomei, Ciaran Hinds, and Isabella Fuhrman. Though the conversation spurred on by the satire is one in which I plan to further engage, the movie itself left me desiring to read the original, which comes highly recommended via the review of others.
   
   Despite a Sundance premiere, Salvation Boulevard seemed to be about as deep and thoughtful as the object of its satire; mega church culture and the pastors who lead them. One thing that could not be denied, though, was the smirk on my face as I pondered the possible intentionality of George Ratliff and this face-value choice. With one of Ratliff's most notable works being the 2001 Hell House that documents the real-life hell-as-reality haunted house turned outreach for a Texas church, is there a hint of actual strategy in the furry of Salvation Boulevard's lose end tying and obvious devil-is-calling-your-cell-phone scenes?
   
   Though the irony is thick and jokes are obvious, will the very church goers that Salvation Boulevard depicts avoid the conversation altogether? While some non-evangelicals may scoff at a cheap satire focused on an easy target, the questions that Salvation Boulevard raises with its blunt references are an opportunity for dialogue, not further polarization. Might an examination of assumptions from both evangelicals and those annoyed by them reveal a third and fourth demographic? Let us not forget about those attempting to live out an authentic journey of faith in Jesus within an intentionally less commercial version of the Christian church as well as those of other faiths searching and living away from the debates and finger pointing. This is a comedy, folks, and my personal hope would be that its jokes would not offend before they even have the opportunity to be considered and appreciated by others who make it a practice to ask good questions and live out of authentic faith.
   
   Not the best done movie, but well worth the consideration and dialogue that may result.

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