Rating: 
Summary: Robert Duvall Rocks!!!!!!
Review: This movie is very good. Robert Duvall did a great job directing and acting. This is a great depiction of how fragile a person's faith is in bad circumstances. A very good heart felt film!!
Rating: 
Summary: Rated B for boring
Review: This has to be the most boring movie I've ever seen. I kept
asking myself, "isn't it over yet". Stay away from this turkey
unless you need a good snooze. 1 star is a much too high rating.
Rating:
Summary: I have to disagree
Review: I seem to be in the minority, but I did not like this movie at all. "The Apostle" is just a showcase for Robert Duvall to rant and rave and run around. The main character is suppose to be complex, but Duvall doesn't really take the time to go into details to show us this. Sonny's own church votes him out, but Duvall never shows us why, we just see Sonny feeling sorry for himself. I think we are suppose to feel sympathy for Sonny, but the man is an abusive husband. This is shown in the way his wife flinches every time he moves toward her in the scene in their living room when they are discussing their marriage. It is also shown in the way he grabs her by her hair and drags her off the ballfield. He picks up a baseball bat and kills a man and the only thought he gives it is, "Uh oh, I'm in trouble." He runs off and starts a new church so that he will have a stage for his performance. A "new love" in his life was mentioned by one reviewer. His only interest in her is to see what he can get from her. He tries to manipulate her and force himself on her. He never shows any real concern for her at all. Sonny is a man obsessed with himself. He doesn't learn anything on his so called journey for redemption. He never shows any remorse. He never accepts responsibiliy for his actions. And when the law finally does catch up with him, Sonny sees it as Satan coming for him. The move was way too long, and actually kind of boring. Don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: A true tale of salvation
Review: A great film should do the following: make you cry or laugh, make you want to examine and change your life, and last but not least, make you examine and change the world around you. Robert Duvall's, 'The Apostle,' does all three.I can't for the life of me understand why Christians have objected to this film. I can't think of a more profoundly Christian film than this. This story of one deeply flawed man's quest for salvation is The Pilgrim's Progress put to the screen. The Reverend Sonny's dilemma is one that many people struggle with. That of finding true faith and redemption. Duvall's Sonny is the archetypal, charismatic preacher who thinks he's doing God's will as pastor of his church. Important and revered, he appears to be on the holy road to Heaven. And then his life hits a wall. His beloved soul-mate in the Lord, convincingly played by Farrah Fawcett, decides she's had enough and wants out of their holy union. She leaves Sonny, taking along with her their two 'beauties.' At first, the reason beyond her decision seems unclear, but we soon learn that Sonny's behavior has been less than pearly white......Unable to digest the sudden loss of both family and church, Sonny's faith is put to the real test. He resents this double blow dealt by a God, whom he feels he has served so righteously over the years. In one of the film's most poignant scenes, we see a Jacob-like Sonny wrestling with his Maker, asking why..why..why..did this all happen to him. And then the journey begins. After killing his wife's new boyfriend in a drunken spree, Sonny has to run. And run he does. Down a Damascus Road that ultimately redeems him from his sins. Throwing off his past life and like Saul of Taursus, even his name, Sonny is forced to examine is seemingly saintly past life and thus, faces up to his trepasses. In yet another great scene(the film is full of them), Sonny acknowledges that his unfidelity broke up his marriage. In the backwoods of Louisiana, he purifies himself and sets out on the road to redemption..... Vowing to now do God's will and no longer his own, Sonny moves into a sleepy bayou community and sets it on fire with his desire to build a new church. While at first suspicious of the newcomer, the townspeople soon warm up to the Apostle, knowing that this stranger has indeed come from the Lord. Building up his church, the Apostle touches many in the community with his message. He even finds a new love, well-acted by Miranda Richardson. His encounters with the local redneck(Billy Bob Thornton in a short, but outstanding performance) were the highpoints of the film for me. At first, the Apostle tries to reach this troublemaker with the gospel of his two fists. The second time around though, in a breath-taking performance by both actors, compassion carries the day. While the supporting roles are top-notch, the film is truly Duvall's masterwork. He creates a character so movingly human, one begins to wonder how much of himself Duvall put into Sonny. The end of this masterpiece moves me to tears every time. Its message is somber and inspiring at the same time. We all have to pay for our sins in this world, but if we sacrifice ourselves for love and for others, redemption will surely come. As it did for Sonny. Watch this film and let yourself be transformed!
Rating:
Summary: The most honost film I've seen in terms of dealing with.....
Review: ...Christianity. Many Christians I know despise this film. I think it's mainly because The Apostle shows the bitter truth behind the men and women who serve God. This film is not apologetic or remotely reverent; it is brutally honest and actually, when considered closely, quite refreshing. Rovert Duvall, in a role that was destined for him, plays the part of a eccentric preacher who is running from his problems. His problems, and there are many, force him to leave his mega-church and flee from police. His actions - which I won't spoil - are shocking but somewhat justifiable. When out of town, the Apostle begins a multi-racial church in the deep south, cutting cross dividing lines while vigorously regaining his passion for the Lord. In it is in these moments, when he confronts his own lusts and fears, that the character of the Apostle shines through in honest, heart-bursting segments. He is a broken man, but still a man of God, just as many of the men and women of the Bible are. Bruised, battered, yet still willing. That's what I loved about this film. It is a true depiction of people who follow Jesus. We have misgivings, tempers, pride and lusts, yet, when it's all said and done, we can still move on. There is one segment, when a racist bigot - played handsomely by Billy Bob Thorton -threatens to tear down the mult-racial church. The scene ends with Thorton's exclusionary character on his knees in deep remorse and weeping for forgiveness. It's a beautiful thing to behold. This film is ruggedly honest and will make the pious and self-righteous crowd cringe with prudent dissaproval. But hey, those of you who are in touch with reality will probably love this film. I'm a preacher's kid and I know an honest attempt when I see one. This is it. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Grace At Work
Review: A lot of people misunderstand this film because the title character is a mess, and they see it as a movie about Christian hypocrisy. But I think there's a deeper point to it. It is about a very flawed preacher, a man who cheats on his wife, who is violent, who blows it in a big way and then tries to reform himself. But as soon as temptation comes, he's right back to his old ways again. Then very subtly, a pattern begins to emerge. Through various circumstances, the man begins to recognize the consequences of his actions, and he begins to have a HEART change that accomplishes in him that reformation he was looking for. He sees a woman he was trying to seduce in the context of her family -- a family that looks very much like his own -- and his response tells us that his womanizing days are over. The first time he encounters an adversary, he beats the man into submission. The second time, he shows compassion, and the results are miraculous. Gradually, the man is led to a place of true repentance, a point of willingness to accept responsibility for his actions, and then, finally, he finds himself in a place where God can REALLY use his gift of ministry. It's subtle, just as God's work in real life is subtle, but those who know how God works will appreciate seeing this portrayal of the way he moves in the lives of men. The movie was written, funded and produced by Robert Duvall, who as far as I know is not a Christian. He places his story in a Southern-style Pentecostal/Holiness church, so there are a few controversial issues, such as the ongoing ministry of apostles. But it's not trying to sell that particular theology so much as portray it in the context of the story. The movie stars people like June Carter Cash, and many of the extras were real preachers and worshippers in churches across the South. My favorite scene is one where the man is pacing his bedroom in the middle of the night yelling at God because things aren't going the way he'd like. There's a powerful intimacy in that moment, the guy isn't just folding his hands and saying an "If it be thy will" prayer that he doesn't really feel. He's laying his heart out before God and confessing his anger. That is REAL prayer, the kind that changes lives, because when we stop hiding our hearts and open up to him, that's when he can really begin to work in us. As a Christian and a movie fan, I rate this movie five out of five. Yes, there are some flaws, but the quality of the writing, the acting, and production are awesome for an independent film, and if the message is a little too subtle for some, well, God's message never does pound people over the head.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful!!!
Review: Robert Duval delivers a powerful performance as a minister of the gospel, and I admired this one. He's a born-again Christian, and he walks the walk and talks the talk. His character's not a likable one, thought, and he gets a little on the self-righteous side. A good film, nevertheless.
Rating: 
Summary: Long, self-indulgent and terrific!
Review: A Pentecostal minister is on the lam from the law. He's bashed the head of his wife's lover (a youth minister) at a little league baseball game when the latter tried to intervene in an argument. It wasn't premeditated, he just saw red and swung the bat. This is the premise that sets up The Apostle. A two plus hour exploration into the mind of "Sonny" or "E.F." or whatever alias Duvall's character goes by at the moment. Because the writing is subtle and superb, it's easy to miss that the premise is as wonderfully contrived as an old 'I Love Lucy ' episode: Say, gang how can we get Lucy on a subway platform on rollerskates? I dunno but start typing and we'll get her there, it sounds very funny. Here we have a dark and dramatic situation where 'Sonny' hides out in the bayou ministering to anyone who lets him, and many who don't--dragging dunks out of bars, converting racist Billy Bob Thorton via fistcuffs, and falling in love again. The film is self-indulgent because all of the above is really just icing on the cake, an excuse to stay with 'Sonny' for two hours and explore what makes him tick. Small wonder that Robert Duvall coudn't get any Hollywood distributors to produce this film. Or that when he finally raised the money himself, he discovered that the 'truthfullness' of the film called for the camera stay on him about 90% of the time. What the hell, it's his dough and his acting has never been better. Should have won the Oscar. The film is commendable on many levels, it avoids nearly every cliche we've been trained to expect about small Southern towns, itinerant preachers, or race relations. It's a good hearted labor of love by Robert Duvall. If it doesn't like your cup of tea, skip it or you'll find it unbearably long. Also avoid it if you're expecting a story about redemption, it doesn't happen. Some critics have projected a story of redemption that just isn't there. "The Apostle" works many wonders while he's on the lam but he does not change. He's essentially the same person on page 150 as on page 1. When the inevitable happens and he's caught and sent to prison , one gets the impression that between "thank you Jesuses" and all his preaching, he's just as likely to pick up a shovel in a moment of rage and swing it at a guard as he is to give up his life to stop a race riot. Duvall does not compromise his vision of 'Sonny' as a religious but flawed human being. This may be what turned off most of Duvall's detractors and kept him from winning the Oscar. Modern audiences expect the lead to change, especially in a drama and especially in a film with religious overtones. No one minds much that D'artagnan or any of the The Three Musketeers are the same bunch of gallant brawlers at the end as in the beginning, but Jesus (to take an extreme example!) has usually been insufferably portrayed on the screen because perfection cannot change. The great exception being "The Last Temptation of Christ" a masterpiece by Kazantsakis, a devout Greek Orthodox--and one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century--and good old Scorcese, a devout Roman Catholic who had to to write a disclaimer at the beginning of his film that this wasn't based on the historical truth but rather on the overall theme of Christ's mission. (Not that it helped him much with the lunatic fringe. To this day you can rent 'soft' pornography at Blockbusters but not Scorcese's film) So because 'Sonny' remains 'Sonny' what we have in "The Apostle" is what is sometimes euphemistically referred to in show biz as a 'character study' which usually means a great film which bombs due to a defect in plot. Not quite fair. This may be a 'study' but it's one of the best ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Lust (?), Obsession (?), Revenge (?)...Redemption
Review: Honest, the above, except for my parenthetical question marks, is how this video was marketed, those words being on the video box. Well, all I can say is I feel sorry for anyone who believed that he or she was getting a steamy, violent movie. That said, this is really a good movie. Sure, it misses the "great" plateau, but it still is worth seeing if the portrayal of Pentecostal religion isn't a turn-off to you. This movie was a project of love by Duvall. He believed in it enough to finance a large part of it himself when the studios refused to have anything to do with it. So you have a rarity here, a movie made not to make money (though I'm sure Duvall didn't refuse the money I'm sure he made on it) but to satisfy the creative integrity of the leading actor and director. You probably know the basic story. Sonny is a sincere, though flamboyant, preacher with feet of clay. His flaws lead him into a situation where he commits an act of violence, and flees the law. But his life is preaching, and he builds a small church in rural Louisiana...and so the story goes from there. Billy Bob Thornton is excellent in his two scenes, and this was the picture that introduced him to me. June Carter Cash, Farrah Fawcett, they are also great in this. The entire cast was great. Different people see different levels of morality in this film. Myself, I saw it as the story of a good man (flawed, yes...is there anyone reading this who isn't flawed?) who cracks under the pressure of losing all of importance in his life and commits an act that irrevocably changes his life. Slowly, he works himself back up, and is redeemed. As a film, it is slow paced. The beginning 20 minutes are basically introduction to the main character. The final 20 minutes is basically Sonny's last sermon, but there are touches during that period of time that build up an emotional tension. Don't be in a rush to shut off this video when the credits start rolling. There is an epilog which helps put the finishing touches to Sonny's story. All in all, a satisfying movie if the emotional Pentecostal flavor doesn't spoil it for you.
Rating:
Summary: robert duvall was excellent
Review: but something about this film i just didnt like. maybe because i'm not a baptist southerner. i dont know.
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