Post by PhantomKnight on Jun 26, 2022 17:01:48 GMT -5
Like most people, I tend to avoid all the various religious movies that seem to come out every once in a while, but there was just something about Father Stu -- namely that it was one starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, of all people -- that piqued my curiosity too much to ignore. Also, that with an R rating, this has more of an edge to it (in that it mainly just has a lot more swearing) than practically all the other movies in this genre. But, unsurprisingly, those elements really don't do much to elevate this film above what seems like is the standard fare for a movie of this ilk. The story concerns a boxer/wannabe actor who moves to LA to pursue his dream, only to continually strike out before meeting a Catholic girl who grabs his interest. One thing leads to another, and Stu (Wahlberg) finds himself not only becoming a Catholic, but also joining the seminary to become a priest. Like many guys in this situation would. So, what can be said for this movie is that the acting is solid and it's generally put together pretty well. Both Wahlberg and Gibson fully commit to the characters and the material, and they, along with the rest of the cast, do a lot to keep this movie generally watchable. Wahlberg and Gibson in particular do a lot to sell the father-son dynamic between the two of them, and it winds up being fairly easy to buy into it. And the same goes for each of their relationships with Jacki Weaver as the mom/wife of this dysfunctional family unit. But it's really Wahlberg who carries this movie, and to his credit, it genuinely does feel like he's putting in the effort here. This isn't one of those MarkWahlberg performances where it seems like he's only half-dialed in at most, and he's legitimately pretty good. At the same time, though...this also feels like the kind of Oscar bait-y performance you'd see during awards season from an actor who really wants to go for that gold statue. Especially once the film gets deep into its second half, and Wahlberg is required to put on more makeup. And that really is kind of unfortunate, because again, Wahlberg isn't phoning this in at all. It's just that the script and the demands of this type of movie ultimately let him down.
Speaking of the script...man, does it feel like it needed a few more passes. I can't tell if it's because writer/director Rosalind Ross wanted to cover so much of this guy's life or that she couldn't decide on how to pare the story down, but this movie seems to take too long to get to what should be the central focus, which is Stu's religious experience. I mean, the movie is called Father Stu, yet the plot thread of him wanting to become a priest doesn't come in until at least an hour into the movie, maybe more. In that regard, it also could've used a few more passes in the editing bay, because it doesn't have much of a pace, either. It's not hard to tell that this is coming from a first-time writer/director. That being said, Ross does deserve credit for getting solid performances out of her cast and for crafting some effective scenes in and of themselves. But as a whole, this movie feels a little disjointed more often than not.
Father Stu is probably a better movie than it needed to be or that it had any right being, but it still can't rise beyond a lot of the cliches inherent in the genre. The framework is actually here for a pretty decent movie, it just required more of a steady/sure hand. It certainly won't renew or reinvigorate your faith.
**/****
