Overall this film was a letdown, but honestly... expected it to be. Though obviously biblically inaccurate, a lot of thoughts and questions were raised in my head. And that, to me, is a good sign in media - that thought processes and behaviours are challenged. The end execution was a bit of a flop. FYSA: there are spoilers to the Biblical story & film ahead.

To see Jesus from the perspective of Mary of Magdela is not something I had considered before. The obvious turmoil of abandoning her family and rejecting societal expectations to follow *her* Rabbi was a good depiction and example of what the sacrifice the apostles made for Him. There were inaccuracies littered during the depiction of Jesus's ministry, however what was so blatantly missing was the emotion and trauma of passion week, crucification, and resurrection. When reading Scripture, those hit so hard, and I was devastated to see nearly all of it missing when Mary had such a vital role during that time especially, enough so Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded her presence!

The performance of Joaquin Phoenix fell flat. Jesus was not an inspiring leader, savior, and teacher... he was an emotionally fragile and weak man with errant behaviour. Tahar Rahim, as Judas, did a fantastic job with the script he was given and gave a different light to Judas I had not considered before - in that, the disciple was desperate for the new Kingdom so much so that his betrayal was to force Jesus's hand. I look forward to rereading Judas Iscariot's role throughout to see if I find the fanatic follower within the Judas of Scripture. Finally, and the only reason this movie was not a 1 or 2... Ms. Rooney Mara. I had not found her very compelling in Carol (the only other film up until this point, that I had seen her in), but she knocked this out of the park. There was a quiet introspection and maturity to Mary that resonated. And in the end, I think she did an excellent job at cleansing the stain that Mary Magdalene has had on her for centuries now. For she is not a prostitute and lowly woman in the Bible, she was a devoted follower of Jesus and a strong feminine presence in the Apostles.

Viewed this film at the theater this past weekend. From previous reviews we had read, we were truly expecting a great film. When the film finished we were left with "a that's it" attitude. At best a mediocre film. The sound for the film was terrible, hardly audible in parts. Scenes did not seem to flow. The actors were not a distraction, but they left us with the feeling that this was just another movie they are getting paid for. Did not go to the movie for a religious perspective. Open minded to any possible correction to beliefs assumed through the years. It was amazing that I later found out that Mary Magdalene was considered a prostitute, and that it was not until 2016 that the Catholic Church changed her status to Apostle of Apostles. This did not come out in the film.

I need to preface that I judged this film solely based on the merits of it as a film, and not as an adaptation of the biblical story. As a Catholic, I was curious and ultimately satisfied with what was portrayed here, since Mary Magdalene was not really the key focus of discussion in my theology class. Of course, there are inaccuracies, and calling this the "true" retelling of Jesus through Mary Magdalene's eyes would be heavily contested by many vocal individuals anyway. Yet, I was drawn in by the simplicity of this film, with decent actors/actresses that conveyed this tone well. The cinematography was calm but graceful, with great nuances and delicacy that made the viewing experience enjoyable. I immensely enjoyed the themes of this film, which tried to present Jesus in a more humane manner, with a greater emphasis being placed on Magdalene's ability to truly intrinsically understand Jesus' message. I do understand that bias was involved in this particular portrayal of the biblical story, but I do not think that this solely disqualifies or justifies knocking points off. Instead, my criticisms range from some parts of the film being too slow, to this film's ending, which while being simple and poignant, did not satisfy me as I had hoped. It was still an enlightening ending, but I still wished for more. Still, all the actors/actresses involved in this production were great, and I thoroughly enjoyed their portrayals of the Apostles, Jesus, and other pivotal figures. It may not be an objectively biblically accurate film, but for those that are not too dogmatic and a bit open-minded, it's an amusing experience that has a sense of freshness that I found to be splendid.