The Book of Life

Released Aug 22, 1998

1h 3m

Comedy

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

On the last day of 1999, Jesus (Martin Donovan) and Magdalena (P.J. Harvey) touch down at the airport and are thinking about the end of the world. Once they retrieve a laptop computer from a locker, with a few simple clicks prophecy will be realized and Armageddon will commence. Seeing humanity in all its complexity causes Jesus to have second thoughts, though. Meanwhile, Satan (Thomas Jay Ryan) sits in a bar trying to move a couple of souls to his side before the whole thing ends.

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Audience Member

How did I not know about this until now?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hal Hartley's metaphorical film is as much a witty comedy as it is an allusive work of art house cinema. While the film can feel a bit dated with it's material concerning the paranoia surround the year 2000, the film is more timely in it's musings about humanity and progress. Shot in a hyper-digitalized style that is often entrancing (albeit sometimes disorienting) The Book of Life was also possibly Harley's most experimental film upon it's release, but it's nuanced and story-driven enough for it to function better than much of his latter work. Also, the ending is a work of true passion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was a great film. You laugh, get a little misty eyed and all the while seeing the importance of family, friends and being true to yourself. The soundtrack is cute and the movie bright and colorful. Not at all what I expected. Give this one a chance you'll be happily surprised.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Back in the Y2K days of the late 90s, films that dealt with the end of days had become a new staple as the Millennium approached. Paranoia striking deep within those who thought that come year 2000 the world as we knew it would be shut down completely all because of a few digits that someone didn't put into a computer. Even hearing it now still seems hard to believe. But the world will eventually end. So, until then life must go on. Crackpot theories and all. Hal Hartley, a favorite of mine and a cult figure of the indie film world, met up with a French crew that were producing one hour short films based on the new Millennium. He churned out this little diddy about the second coming of Jesus. Jesus has returned on Dec. 31st to judge the living and the dead, but he's having some doubts about it. The devil, played perfectly by Thomas Jay Ryan, taunts Jesus through most of the film and is a bit depressed by the fact that God sent his only son to destroy mankind. You see the devil thinks the world is really, well, fun. He likes the status quo of being on Earth and messing with people. As he puts it, God may have the upper hand, but when it comes to the minutes and hours of the everyday and as long as people have hopes and dreams the devil will have his work to do. He just thinks it's a good system and destroying it all would be such a waste. I agree! The Book of Life as it were is of course the book of the seven seals. When each seal is open it brings us closer to the apocalypse. Jesus is stuck with the choice of opening the fifth seal and deciding whether or not to unleash it. The scene where Jesus speaks to one of the unfortunate souls who gave their life to him is extremely eerie. "I saw the souls who had been slaughtered for the word of God," he says. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Whenever I see that scene today, I get chills. Jesus has until midnight, of course, to make his decision. If he doesn't choose, he's banished from heaven and stuck on Earth. Like most of Hartley's work, dialogue is very excessive. His work is very literal like a book being read to you, but in an entertaining way. I love the ideas he throws around with these somewhat ordinary characters who are somehow living BIG lives in his films. This one isn't exactly his most ambitious, but it's probably his most original piece. His most ambitious work has to be 'Henry Fool' hands down. Overall, it might seem irrelevent today, but looking back it's still a fascinating piece. Especially when Jesus and the Devil chit-chat.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

bill t

Interesting hour long study about, yes, Life. Martin Donovan is Jesus Christ sent down from heaven to shut down earth on the eve of Y2K, Satan and company eagerly await this upcoming event, as told by the prophecies, but then Jesus has a change of heart. Interesting and unique story told here, I did like the story, I always like Martin Donovan in anything he does. I wasn't too crazy about the camera work though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

harsh c

Boring, only watched half an hour

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Hal Hartley

Director

Martin Donovan

Jesus Christ

P.J. Harvey

Magdalena

Thomas Jay Ryan

Satan

Dave Simonds

Dave

Miho Nikaido

Edie

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Marc Savlov

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Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Rated: 4/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

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Rated: 2/5

Jul 5, 2005

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Nick Davis

Nick's Flick Picks

Anything touched by PJ Harvey is bound to be worth the trouble; even better, Hartley has made one of his better, least grating films.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 29, 2004

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Martin Scribbs

Mixed Reviews

Jesus-who's-come-again asks Himself soul-searching questions in what might've been called The Lack of Passion of the Christ.

Apr 7, 2004

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Film Threat

Rated: 4/5

Dec 8, 2002

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Synopsis

On the last day of 1999, Jesus (Martin Donovan) and Magdalena (P.J. Harvey) touch down at the airport and are thinking about the end of the world. Once they retrieve a laptop computer from a locker, with a few simple clicks prophecy will be realized and Armageddon will commence. Seeing humanity in all its complexity causes Jesus to have second thoughts, though. Meanwhile, Satan (Thomas Jay Ryan) sits in a bar trying to move a couple of souls to his side before the whole thing ends.

Director: Hal Hartley
Screenwriter: Hal Hartley
Production Co: True Fiction Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 22, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 17, 2020
Runtime: 1h 3m
Sound Mix: Stereo