Into Temptation

This indie drama mystery film is a hidden gem with outstanding acting performances. While there are a few cheesy moments involving the taxicab driver and the pimp scene, the overall quality of the movie makes it worth watching. Plus, it's fun to see it set in Minneapolis-I even recognized the gold building from my visits downtown!

It's also refreshing to see Jeremy Sisto take on a role outside his usual characters. Kristen Chenoweth makes a surprising appearance, adding to the film's charm. Brian Baumgartner brings some unexpected comedy and impressive acting to the mix. The film also has a bit of a noir feeling, which adds to its unique appeal. I highly recommend giving it a go!

Jeremy sisto is father john at saint mary's. The multi-talented kristin chenoweth is linda salerno, who comes to his church to confess. She confesses that she will kill herself on her birthday, then rushes off. So father john doesn't really have a chance to respond, or to try to stop her. So that becomes his mission. But trying to help her may be more trouble than he bargained for. Can he find her, and figure out what's going on without violating any rules of the church? It's good ! Co-stars Brian Baumgartner. Written and directed by patrick coyle. One of the three films he's directed to date.

It's hard for me to categorize this movie; it's unlike most films although it has elements of mystery, drama, comedy, tragedy and angst. The story revolves around a priest who is attempting to locate a confessor in the Minneapolis underworld while simultaneously confronting some of his personal demons but it is not nearly as trite as that sounds, the whole presentation feels remarkably unique and fresh. It does not present itself like a major studio treatment nor like the usual independent effort.

All aspects of the film's production are convincing and very assured. While most of the plot's elements have been explored elsewhere, this particular combination of excellent screenplay and considerable talent is somewhat like being exposed to an entirely new cuisine - and a welcome change that is. It is clever, poignant, buoyant, gritty and witty but it is not your normal fare.

Try it, you might like it.

I am bringing two skill sets to this review; (1) a tough movie critic, and (2) an irreverent but informed ex-seminary student. On both fronts, this film was spectacular.

(1) The writing was excellent in terms of being contemporary-- especially in light of the context of a Catholic priest--irreverent, unpredictable, unassuming in its theological treatment, unconventional, and (thankfully!) at the end, refreshingly unresolved.

(2) The themes were consistently theologically grounded, albeit within the Catholic vernacular. Father Ralph brings a distinctly expedient and assured style into the dialogue, while Father John brings a more deliberate, cognitive but dedicated approach. The two balance each other like a great "work team" arriving at a plausible and thought-provoking explanation for the darkness that is our human condition.

This film was surprisingly excellent. Upon watching a few previews prior to the film, I had significant doubts that I would finish a full 95 minutes of viewing. Yet the film brought me through real life, uncomfortable conversations, earnest seeking, genuine intent, and left me with the best possible theological conclusion: one of Grace.

Perhaps like you, I hesitated to watch this film because I thought it might fall into the standard clichés of a religious thriller (like a cluelessly naïve priest, a slutty prostitute, gratuitous booty shots, vapid dialogue, blatant religious or anti-religious propaganda, predictable ending, etc), so I came to IMDb to check out the reviews. As others have said, this is indeed a great movie. I was really surprised at how much substance the filmmakers packed into this 95 min film. It constantly surprised me and was never predictable while making logical sense the whole way through. And it leaves us with a powerful message we can all munch on, religious folks & atheists alike.

Through Jeremy Sisto's character, an intelligent and curious young priest, we are presented with a lot of fascinating themes. Though set amid the Catholic church, we don't get any church propaganda nor do we get church bashing. Instead the film focuses on human beings and how, regardless of god & religion, we attempt to find peace in our souls. The film never comes across as preachy, yet it shows us the value of human interactions and how our trivial actions can have enormous consequences.

Conversely, the lascivious underworld of sex & debauchery presents another venue, but the film never descends to the obvious moralizing. Again, they're all shown to be human beings with human interactions, and it's the value of these interactions that gives the world meaning.

This is a very dialogue-driven, tone-driven movie. In other words, no car chases, shootouts or big explosions. Instead the interesting characters carry the film and do so brilliantly. There's a lot of playful banter between characters, and the witty humour is what really makes this a fun film even though it makes us think.

This may sound odd, but it reminded me a lot of The Exorcist III, another excellent film that packs much more than the DVD cover implies. Both films revolve around a man whose faith is unconventional, who is trying to make sense of a bizarre mystery & how it relates to matters of the soul. And both films have some great humour despite being thrillers. Don't forget the great acting. Jeremy Sisto's quiet, inexperienced-yet-savvy character in Into Temptation is like a young George C Scott in The Exorcist III. Put your thinking cap on, see both films, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Other obscure films that this reminded me of (and which I also recommend) are "Rudy Blue" (1999), "Angela" (1995), and "The Merry Gentleman" (2008).