Of Gods and Men is that rarest of films: an illuminating, pro-religious meditation on faith and courage in the face of certain death.
If anything, writer/director Xavier Beauvois has created a film which shows the difference between religious worship and religious extremism.
Matt's Movie Reviews Podcast #15 features reviews of The Hangover Part II and Of Gods and Men, interview with Meek's Cutoff screenwriter Jon Raymond and Top Five Robert Duvall Performances.
A rather dramatic little review of "Of Gods and Men" on Free Static Movement:
"Of Gods And Men’s opening minutes can quite accurately be paralleled to spending the same amount of time contemplating a quiet scenery. At first glance, you absorb the colors, the tranquility, and the general way of things, but only at a macroscopic level. It might touch you, but only superficially, provoking maybe a smile or a carefree thought. By then, however, the vast majority of people would simply get bored and avert their attention or break the silence.
To the more patient minority who resist that temptation, however, a whole new world is revealed. The small details become incredibly vivid and meaningful, the subtle breezes and aromas feel purposeful and urgent, and the atmospheric chirping in the background suddenly becomes majestic and amplified, playing like an orchestra hidden behind the trees and the clouds – and that’s when it hits you."
Hollywood Reporter: In 1996, seven French monks in Tibhirine, Algeria, were kidnapped and then later killed when negotiations broke down between the French government and a terrorist group.
Don't know if I could watch this. I'll have to watch a trailer first and see.