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.