A modern-day passion play set against the backdrop of a group of avant-garde actors performing a passion play, French-Canadian writer/helmer Denys Arcand's story-within-a-story wowed the arthouse crowd in 1989. Today, certain elements - - especially pop-promo-like moody close-ups - - have dated.
No matter, Jesus Of Montreal is prescient, a pre-No Logo and pre-Heat magazine attack on both the commodification of culture and celebrity as an end in itself. Watch, for example, as a media lawyer extols the career benefits of celebrities publishing ghostwriter-penned books.
It's also powerful. In particular, Lothaire Bluteau excels as uncompromising actor Daniel, whose take on the crucifixion story first outrages the Catholic authorities and is then mirrored by his own personal tragedy.
DVD Extras:
None.
