# Blessed Art Thou (2000)

### reviewed by
Steve Rhodes

    BLESSED ART THOU
    A film review by Steve Rhodes
    Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes
    RATING (0 TO ****):  ** 1/2

Writer/director Timothy J. Disney's BLESSED ART THOU, set in an old California monastery that produces fine wines, relates the story of a miracle. (To describe the exact nature of the event would diminish your enjoyment of the picture, so I will not elaborate further on it. But be careful because I suspect many other reviewers will feel it necessary to tell you more than you strictly need to know and will spoil the movie for you.)

The film is a drama that only begins to introduce substantial comedic elements once it has set a reverential tone. My audience was full of uneasy laughter as it seemed that many viewers didn't quite know what behavior was expected of them -- rather like not being sure when it is acceptable to laugh in church.

In the film's opening sequence, a monk, Brother Francis (Paul Guilfoyle), is making his confession. "I have failed to love," he tells his confessor. Guilfoyle and a host of other known supporting actors worked for scale on the production according to the director, who was at our screening.

The monastery is racked with controversy with some believing that a miracle has occurred and others remaining skeptical even in the face of dramatic evidence. The problem with the movie is that, although it isn't a one-joke movie, it is essentially a one-idea one. As a short film, it would have made an intriguing half-hour story. But as a full-length motion picture, it quickly runs out of ideas, forcing it to fall back on clichéd conflicts.

"They are all running in circles about scandal, reputation and theology," Brother Anselm says. Indeed they are. I wished the film had been able to make me care more about the conflict, but it left me finding it all to be little more than a cute stunt. I will give them this. Within the confines of the thin storyline, the actors did their best. But sometimes even your best isn't quite enough to save the day.

BLESSED ART THOU runs 1:30. It is not yet rated but would probably be PG-13 for brief nudity. The film would probably not interest those under 13.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com <http://www.InternetReviews.com>

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