Au-Delà du Mal

I saw this movie on my local cable system under the title of 'Beyond Redemption'. I was searching for new material to watch, since most of the reruns one Saturday morning didn't interest me. I've always been a fan of Andrew McCarthy and Michael Ironside, so I chose this movie. I was pleasantly surprised.

Personally, I enjoyed the film. Rich Roesing, who posted a comment about the film being spoiled for him by seeing scenes from the movie on the back of a video rental box, are well justified. I did not have the disappointment of knowing beforehand anything about the film. This led me to rate the movie higher than the average score listed on the page.

I like suspense movies, and this one was no exception. The movie kept me guessing until the very end. I was surprised by the ending!

The moments of reflection and remembrance of past experiences by the main character during the film only added to the suspense. His reactions to those remembrances gave the film a sense of the humanitarian, yet conflictual, side of police work. The struggle with his faith is also a welcome addition.

If you like suspense films, but also like films that expound on the character's feeling, personal inflection side, this film is for you.

Should you find this movie on your local cable or satellite system's guide, watch it!

However, if you are looking for a rental video, follow Rich Roesing's advice and have someone get the video for you before watching it.

This film was different. It took a sort of typical thriller story and reached for a more interesting, in-depth look at an individual character's struggle with faith. Of course, it helped that the main performance, by Andrew McCarthy, was quite excellent. The other performances were also quite interesting, although not as consistent. The ending was a bit of a let down, but there were lots of good moments. The film-makers tried something different here -- they didn't just go for the obvious chills and scares. This is a dark film (not for everyone) but if you want to be entertained and not talked down to, try this one.

Okay, this isn't the greatest film of the year, but it's not completely incompetent, and it would be an okay video rental for a cold winter night (which it was when I rented it last night). But the video box has some action photos on the back, including one character holding a sharp instrument to another character's throat. Trouble is, that scene happens at the very end of the movie, after some 90 minutes of speculation about the identity of the killer. The characters may have been speculating on-screen, but home viewers knew the answer before leaving the rental shop.

The movie's about a serial killer whose killings have something to do with religion, and the atheist cop who's trying to stop the killer. Not terribly complex, although it wants to be. But any hint of complexity was eradicated by the video box!

I'd really like to be able to say more about the movie, but it was ruined for me. Remember the trailer for "Ransom", in which THE key plot element--Mel Gibson announces that the ransom is a reward--was revealed? Or the one for "The Negotiator", in which Kevin Spacey announces, "Now you'll have to deal with both of us?" Those films were pretty much ruined by their trailers' giving away the plot...but at least there was a little (VERY little) suspense in seeing the last 30 minutes of each movie.

Not "A Twist of Faith", though. There was no suspense. The very end of the movie was revealed right up front, so all of the this-man-is-above-suspicion and he's-practically-a-saint gyrations were clearly just a waste of the audience's time, until the character gets around to holding a sharp instrument to someone else's throat.

If you decide to see the movie, send someone else to the video shop for you, and have them hand you the tape without the box. Watch it without seeing the box first, and see how you like the movie. I'd like to see viewer comments from anyone who didn't have the entire movie spoiled for him, like I did.

I enjoyed the film, and the fact that it aimed rather high in dealing with some sophisticated material. I saw the film in a preview screening, and it wasn't ruined by any silly video boxes that spoiled the ending. The performances were quite good, especially Andrew McCarthy in a more mature roll. I also enjoyed the look of the film which gave it a mysterious, forboding air. I also enjoyed some of the "twists" in the plot, and don't want to give too much away in case other countries' video boxes don't give it all away! The script was a little over the top at times, but I appreciated the fact that the film-makers weren't afraid to challenge the audiences with interesting and puzzling questisons regarding the roll of faith in our world. And, while some might find the ending a little too open-ended, I appreciated the fact that the movie refused to tie everything up neatly with a bow. That's not how life works.

Andrew McCarthy played the role of an atheist very well. I liked the plot of the movie. It gave something to think about other than a comedy. It had a very twisted mind and a good cop versus God. A very well used plot line.