The British guy from the biker show did a nice job here. He didn't make any attempt at a Baton Rouge accent, but they didn't tell you where it was supposed to be, and the character could have been from England for all we knew.
But he has a natural screen presence that makes it look effortless. Be prepared to see Liv Tyler without makeup and getting up there in years. It happens to the best of us. She was once a great beauty and of course was made to look depressed here.
I like the idea of an average guy working in a non-descript hotel in a nameless mid-sized American town. They had him living with an HIV positive gay roommate. That was to show that as a proud atheist, he has no prejudices. The roommate was actually the most interesting character in the film. He was a gentle and lonely soul, looking for love and faith.
The atheist mocks the Hebrew Bible more than Christianity, so be prepared for that if it will offend you. The background stories on the Christian couple are pretty over baked, but I will allow it, because a lot of "born again" types do come from previously fallen backgrounds.
In this case we see the atheist thinking very little of adultery and hanky panky at work, so his moral compass is not so admirable. But the Christian guy is the villain ultimately as you might expect from any film, and particularly by, from what I've read, a self-proclaimed atheist.
Ultimately, the atheist does see the virtue in self-sacrifice and true love. Maybe we are supposed to see that you don't need God to see the light, or maybe he knew how to think and feel this way because religion and soul had trained him whether he liked it or not.
No major violence and very little sex here. If you like dialog and atmosphere, like walks along the Mississippi River, then give it a try, but don't expect great depth or catharsis.
But he has a natural screen presence that makes it look effortless. Be prepared to see Liv Tyler without makeup and getting up there in years. It happens to the best of us. She was once a great beauty and of course was made to look depressed here.
I like the idea of an average guy working in a non-descript hotel in a nameless mid-sized American town. They had him living with an HIV positive gay roommate. That was to show that as a proud atheist, he has no prejudices. The roommate was actually the most interesting character in the film. He was a gentle and lonely soul, looking for love and faith.
The atheist mocks the Hebrew Bible more than Christianity, so be prepared for that if it will offend you. The background stories on the Christian couple are pretty over baked, but I will allow it, because a lot of "born again" types do come from previously fallen backgrounds.
In this case we see the atheist thinking very little of adultery and hanky panky at work, so his moral compass is not so admirable. But the Christian guy is the villain ultimately as you might expect from any film, and particularly by, from what I've read, a self-proclaimed atheist.
Ultimately, the atheist does see the virtue in self-sacrifice and true love. Maybe we are supposed to see that you don't need God to see the light, or maybe he knew how to think and feel this way because religion and soul had trained him whether he liked it or not.
No major violence and very little sex here. If you like dialog and atmosphere, like walks along the Mississippi River, then give it a try, but don't expect great depth or catharsis.