Amazon.com Customer Reviews
 Rated 4 out of 5
Excellent New Years Eve Movie
This is a superb film by Hal Hartley. Part of a European project on views of the millenium, Hartley submits a film that only an American could make. It is very slick, due in part to his use of digital film. The music complements the scenes perfectly (and the soundtrack makes a great CD too!). The movie traces an introspective Jesus on New Years Eve trying to end the world (think of it as the old black and white The Horn Blows and Midnight redone for the 21st century). In presenting the story the movie is a travelogue for NYC- and has an excellent NY feel- from the hotel bar, to the times square music store, to the Russian restaurant (note that the lights say TRUTH and FAITH in Russian) and in the street. It is uniquely American (in the millenium film group) in that it plays off the city, the law, and the business deal to make its point. This movie humanises Jesus, but at the same time avoids the intentional controversy around, say, a Last Temptation of Christ. In addition, the character of the devil is really a joy to watch. This movie will make you think. The only weakness is a rather sappy ending. I suppose it is a tricky film to end, but I found all but the last 5 minutes on the staten island ferry to be wonderful, but those last five were really not worthy of the rest of the film. - Rated 4 out of 5
typical Hal Hartley
Martin Donovan (Trust) plays Jesus and Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool) is the Devil as the clock ticks down on the last day of the world in Manhattan. Jesus agonizes over unlocking the seven seals of the apocalypse on his Apple laptop, verbally battles the Devil, and walks around NYC with Magdalene (PJ Harvey) on this most eventful of days.This is a typical Hal Hartley film -- incredible premise, great actors, very good soundtrack, and creative but cheap production. I enjoyed the film even though the glaring lights and jerky camera got old -- at just over 60 minutes you don't have time to get too annoyed :-) Extras are minimal -- credits and filmographies for Hartley and Donovan. A worthwhile addition to Hartley's ouevre but as often happens with this talented director, one feels that the potential was greater than the execution.  Rated 5 out of 5!
Great, even by Hartley standards.
If you don't like Hal Hartley, this film will not change your mind. It is more abstract, more talky and even more cheaply made than most of his stuff. But it is Awesome! It's basically Jesus (Martin Donovan) up against Satan (Thomas Jay Ryan) battling it out for the souls of men on New Year's Eve 1999-Armageddon. Jesus, as played by Donovan, is a self-doubting, earnest, hard-working, God-Fearing(pun intended),normal guy with the weight of the world on his conscience. Satan, as played by Ryan, is like an extra sleazy used car salesman, not to far off from Ryan's title role as Henry Fool. The two of them have excellent verbal battles which are as funny as you might imagine. Jesus's best line come when he says to Satan, "you know, it's not that you're so dispicable, it's just that you're so damn trite". It's almost as if the actors are speaking to each other... Throw in funny Mormon jokes, an appearance by PJ Harvey, as Jesus's assistant, and digital video style for miles and miles and you have the best one hour independent film about the Apocalypse ever made.
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