Jaco Van Dormael's The Brand New Testament begins with a bang, being what could only be described as a revisionist version of the Book of Genesis, where in this version God is a mean-spirited man from Brussels who plays with humanity in an attempt to escape his mundane life. We all know his son JC, but his daughter, Ea, is who this story is based upon, the film gleefully states. Fed up with her father's overbearing ways, Ea follows in her older brother's footsteps, leaving their home to live among humanity where she plans on gathering her own apostles, and writing her own testament. The Brand New Testament is an endlessly creative experience, being a film that manages to inject creative ideas not only into its story but also into the visual design of the film. Using a varied array of cinematography devices, The Brand New Testament is the closest thing to magicalism in cinematic form, showing an assured approach when it comes to shaping its revisionist version of humanity and god. Tonally, The Brand New Testament is light-hearted fare, being a film that regardless of its subversive qualities feels much more playful and comedic, though that isn't to say the film doesn't have a few moments throughout of dramatic resonance. While The Brand New Testament's creativity and world-building are beautiful reminders of what cinema is able to create, the film's narrative doesn't carry its own weight, unable to sustain the same momentum the film creates in the beginning, almost becoming more and more uninteresting as it progresses. Some of these problems can likely be attributed to the character of Ea, who herself is somewhat uninteresting character, with the whole driving force between most of the narrative simply being her picking these 6 new apostles, something which itself becomes a tad monotonous. The film works best when documenting the lives of each of the apostles which Ea has selected for her "New Testament', offering candid examinations of various characters that reveal universal truths about humanity. The film seems to have something to say about personal solitude on an emotional level, as every one of these apostles, whether living a life of loneliness or being unhappy with their current situation, suffers from an inability to feel a connection with the outside world. The first three apostles in particular, all provide potent portraits of loneliness, with The Brand New Testament being a subtle, yet effecting exploration of the impact solitude has on the human psyche. That being said, The Brand New Testament still feels like a missed opportunity at times, as its playful, lighthearted nature never fully allows it to dissect some of the issues it dances around, often moving on to the next apostle or next plot point of Ea's adventure right when the film is finally beginning to reveal some interesting ideals. Even with these faults, The Brand New Testatment is such a unique, creative story that I find it hard not to recommend, being a fun time for the most part and without question one of the most singular visions you are likely to see this year.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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