Movie Review:PAUL,APOSTLE OF CHRIST

    Paul, Apostle of Christ is the latest Biblical adaptation that is based on the Apostle Paul (a.k.a Saul of Tarsus). It tells the story of Paul's friend and physician, Luke, who goes to Rome to visit Paul in prison. There is a group of Christians who are hiding out in Rome and are looking to Paul for inspiration and direction in regards to their predicament. On numerous visits, Luke gathers information about Paul's unbelievable story of his meeting Jesus on the Road to Damascus and his conversion from sinner to saint and his many adventures over the years, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These series of interviews comprise the book of Acts, which this film is somewhat based on. There are at least three other subplots that are interwoven into the larger story being told and told quite well. This is the basic dumbed down synopsis of the film without giving too much of the film away.
    What didn't work about Paul, Apostle of Christ?
 The major flaw of  Paul is that it moves very slow and has very little in the way of action. This will be a problem for the average moviegoer who likes fast-paced action, visuals, and rapid-fire dialogue.This movie has none of that. It does help if you are an avid reader of the Bible and have a basic knowledge of the Bible. I'm afraid that if you do not have that going into the film, that you will be lost and bored to the point of slipping into a coma. That is the film's MAJOR  drawback.
 What worked about Paul, Apostle of Christ? The acting in previous Faith-based films up until a couple of years or so ago have been really bad. The acting, I believe, since then has improved. That is very apparent in this film, with several very strong performances by a good chunk of the cast. THAT'S GOOD NEWS!!! Jim Caviezel leads the cast as Luke. You might remember him as Jesus in The Passion of The Christ. Please don't make the mistake of thinking he's Jesus in this movie or you will be really confused and disappointed.😄 His presence and his ability to headline a movie especially one like this is a plus. James Faulkner gives a stand out performance as the title character, Paul. He evokes a sense of wisdom and a lifetime of pain and suffering for the Gospel of Christ. He embodies the character of Paul and brings him to life for the people of the 21st Century. There is another stand out performance by Oliver Martinez as Mauritius,  who is basically the prison warden. He is involved in the film's best subplot. At one moment he is menacing, the next he is the polar opposite( without giving anything away). Once again, Martinez is a standout and gives one of the best performances I've seen so far this year. Also turning in good supporting performances are Johnathan Lynch and Joanne Whalley as Aquilla and Priscilla. They are of course involved in one of the films other subplots I mentioned.
  Which brings me to one the most effective things in the movie. The way the film used at least three subplots and masterfully interwoven them into the main story, that being Paul's life and his influence on Christianity. The story does a good job at sticking for the most part of its source material-THE BIBLE. My hat is off to the director and co-writer of the film, Andrew Hyatt, who crafts an engrossing story of faith, suffering and persecution. I believe it to be a very good film in the faith-based genre. I'm not certain though that this film will strike a cord at all with the secular moviegoing crowd. To me, that's a sad thing. But I can hope and pray that someone who doesn't belive in Jesus Christ could possibly have his or her eyes opened by viewing this movie.
  I give Paul, Apostle of Christ a B+.