'The Passion of the Christ'
(Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Rosalinda Celentano / NR / 123 mins / Newmarket Films)
Overview: 'The Passion of the Christ' takes place over the last 12 hours of Christ's life, on the day of his Crucifixion, and is in Latin and Aramaic.
Verdict: No less an authority than the pope has approved of Mel Gibson's rendition of the last hours of Christ's life. After watching the film, Pope John Paul reportedly said, "It is as it was," meaning that he believed the film to be accurate in its portrayal. So, far be it from lil' ol' moi to say differently, but watching it you get the sense that Hollywood still managed to taint a few of the horrific scenes. However, it does come with reverence paid to certain focus groups as the version I saw that contained the scene in which the Jewish high priest Caiaphas seemingly places a curse on the Jewish people by declaring "His blood be on us and on our children," will not appear in the movie's final version that you guys will now get to see. All in all, this is a two hour plus ride through the life and times of the big guy and at no point does it become easy to swallow. Riveting material, thought provoking from beginning to end it sure isn't gonna be everyone's cup of tea, but will most certainly place Director Mel Gibson in the limelight for a very, VERY long time!
CLICK HERE to watch 'The Passion of the Christ' trailer.