GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible
Tacticalin An absolute waste of money
Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
shannonphoenix I have heard of Father Damien, and even think I saw part of a biography on him. He was the "Mother Teresa" of his time.The performances were excellent and the cast was basically all star with actors such as Sam Neill, Alice Krige and so many others that set the tone of this movie. A practically unfamiliar actor of the time, David Wenham, played Father Damien with the strength, kindness and determination that for a while during the movie, you actually believed he was the real Father Damien. His performance was nothing short of excellent as he showed how Father Damien advocated for his people and struggled at time with his faith during a time when Lepers were in some circles thought to be not only diseased, but sinful. Never asking for anything for himself, David Wenham's performance as Father Damien is very true and honest making this movie a must see.I would highly recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. In my eye, David Wenham will always be Father Damien.
Sandcooler This was an almost unrealistically ambitious co-production between Belgium and a whole bunch of other countries, but the many different sources of interference don't hurt the finished product as much as I thought it would. More funding brings more supplies, and that shows. Paul Cox may not be a particularly skilled director, but his country does appear to have a lot of money so it evens out. The visual style to this movie looks really professional, sometimes it'll give you a made for TV-vibe, but that will just be a sporadic feel. The screenplay has some pacing problems, but that doesn't mean it's slow. It just keeps randomly changing in pace, which isn't nearly as exciting as you'd think. There are bunches of scenes where there's nothing happening, but when father Damien ends up contracting leprosy, the movie suddenly looks like it's sick of itself and just takes every possible shortcut to the ending. I do like that very last line though, as corny as it may be, and it is very corny. The biggest plus this movie has is the performance by David Wenham. Hiring an Australian guy to play Damien sounds like the worst idea ever, but he's really authentic. He's pretty much why I kept watching. This movie is fairly well-made, but there's room for improvement.
sistermoon7861 I knew nothing of Father Damien until I saw this movie, but after seeing it I immediately sought more information on him. I strongly recommend this movie for those who are curious about the saint or have a special devotion to him.
brude2000 A stellar ing cast, rich cinematography and a fine eye for detail all punctuate this near-epic of the trials and tribulations of the legendary cleric who devoted his life (quite literally) to the care and salvation of a doomed Hawaiian leper colony. Australian David Wenham's most important role to date is set at the turn of the century, when ignorance and greed ruled most levels of secular government. This left the beneficent young priest to suffer alongside his charges while much-needed funding was going to higher-profile healers in richer colonies.Peter O'Toole is wonderful (in a brief appearance), as are Sam Neill, Leo McKern, Alice Krige, Derek Jacobi and even Kris Kristofferson but, ultimately, it is Wenham's chore to haul this monster ashore. It's evident early on that "Molokai" lacks the heart and conviction of the selfless giant who inspired it.
