Tag: text message

Valley of the
Shadow of Death
(不赦之罪)

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 14 November 2025
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Shadow of Death
(不赦之罪)
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Directors – Jeffrey Lam Sen & Antonio Tam – 2024 – Hong Kong, China – Cert. 15 – 84m

***1/2

The lives of a Christian pastor and his wife become intertwined with that of a youth who believes himself responsible for their teenage daughter’s suicide some years ago – out in UK cinemas on Friday, November 14th

For roughly its first half, this delivers a narrative that sits squarely in an evangelical Christian framework. Unable to keep that up, it shifts focus in its second half to fire off in a number of directions.

Pastor Leung (Anthony Wong) and visits an old lady named Chan who is dying in hospital, asking her on her deathbed to accept Jesus as her Saviour. As he’s leaving, the nurse with him spots her grandson coming in, chained between two police officers. His granny is unconscious, and he finds her clasping a crucifix tight in one hand.

Praying alone, the Pastor talks about ”joining in the sufferings of Christ” as well he might: when interviewed by a lady journalist (Amber Van Cheung) about suffering and his experiences, something he is known for speaking about widely, it’s apparent that he and his family – pictured on a cupboard top photo as father, mother and daughter – suffered terrible grief a few years back.… Read the rest

Tags a place to stay, accept Jesus, Amber Van Cheung, Anthony Wong, apartment, barefoo, believe, bereavement, birthday present, blood trickling down, bully, carry a full-sized cross, China, Cho Ying-fat), Christian, Christian artefacts, Christian faith, Christian pastor, Christianity, church baptism, church premises, convict, crown of thorns, crucifix, deathbed, die, dread, dream, dunes, dying, Evangelical, ex-convict, family, family life, flashback, flat, food run, George Au, ghost story, grief, homeless persons, Hong Kong, hospital, hurt, husbands and wives, interview, Jeffrey Lam Sen & Antonio Tam, Lord Jesus Christ, loss of Christian faith, Louisa So, murder, nasty bit of work, parents and children, praying, present, prisoner, rape, reading the Bible, repossessed, saviour, school days, Sheena Chan, shrine, SMS message, stairwell doorway, storage room, suffering, Summer Chan, teddy bear, teddy bear shop, teenage suicide, text, text message, the sufferings of Christ, Timothy Choi Tsz Hin, too-good to be true romance, Valley of the Shadow of Death, water channel, Wing Mo

Features Live Action Movies

The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 21 August 2020
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Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)
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Director – Jaco Van Dormael – 2015 – Belgium – Cert. 15 – 113m

*****

Review originally published in Reform, read the full review here.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023

At the end of Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam, 1981), the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson) bumbles around in a lounge lizard suit mumbling, “I think it has to do with free will, or something.” A similar sense of whimsy pervades the latest film from Flemish director Jaco Van Dormael (Toto The Hero/1991, The Eighth Day/1996) who reworks God The Father as a slobbish despot. Many people in contemporary Western culture struggle with the idea of a loving, patriarchal God so if you’re going to have a crack at exploring Christian theology for the unchurched, this is not a bad place to start… [Read the rest]

Review originally published in Reform, September 2016, to coincide with the film’s UK DVD release.

See also alternative review originally published in (the final issue of) Third Way, May 2016, to coincide with the film’s UK theatrical release.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023.

Trailer:

Tags Belgium, Brexit, Brussels, Christianity, computer, disciple, Garden Of Eden, God, gorilla, launderette, patriarchy, testament, text message, theology, tunnel, washing machine

Features Live Action Movies

The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)

Post author By Jeremy Clarke
Post date 15 April 2016
No Comments on The Brand New
Testament
(Le Tout Nouveau
Testament)
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Director – Jaco Van Dormael – 2015 – Belgium – Cert. 15 – 113m

*****

Original UK release date 25/03/2016, cert.15, 113 mins

Review originally published in Third Way, read the full review here.

Showing on BFI Player from Thursday, July 20th, 2023

The idea of God being an utter bastard sounds theologically none too edifying, yet in the hands of Flemish director Jaco Van Dormael (Toto The Hero/1991, The Eighth Day/1996) that’s not the case. It’s whimsical in the same way as Ralph Richardson playing the Supreme Being bumbling around at the end of Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam, 1981) in a lounge lizard suit mumbling, “I think it has to do with free will, or something.”

Empty, present day Brussels replaces the Garden of Eden where Adam wanders around nude save for a black rectangular special effect covering his privates to meet Eve (her name tag) behind a deserted cafeteria counter. Much begatting extends their family. Grumpy old man God (Benoît Poelvoorde) writes rules for creation on his study computer, e.g. another queue always moves faster than the one you’re in. His son, as we know, went off to garner twelve disciples and four testaments.… Read the rest

Tags Belgium, Brussels, Christianity, computer, disciple, Garden Of Eden, God, gorilla, launderette, patriarchy, testament, text message, theology, tunnel, washing machine