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Jesus of Montreal

Play trailer Poster for Jesus of Montreal R 1989 1h 59m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
This unconventional Canadian film focuses on an acting troupe hired to stage a Passion play about the life of Jesus. Led by Daniel (Lothaire Bluteau), the actors, all struggling with their own issues, work on a bold interpretation of the Biblical tale that challenges accepted Christian thinking and brings a burst of outrage from the Roman Catholic priests who recruited them. As the story progresses, Daniel's life starts to echo the trials of Jesus in unexpected and poignant ways.

Critics Reviews

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Barbara Scharres Chicago Reader 05/11/2022
The actual performance of the play goes on long enough to border on the polemical, but it’s not a terrible price to pay for the film’s melodramatic and quite powerful ending. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
3.5/4
It's an original and uncompromising attempt to explore what really might happen, if the spirit of Jesus were to walk among us in these timid and materialistic times. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Dec 1
5/5
…Jesus of Montreal is a brilliant, intelligent film from when cinema was unafraid to tackle sacred cows…a contentious film, one that takes on Catholicism and roundly trashes the way that organised religion can blithely invert genuine humanistic values… Go to Full Review
Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
1.5/4
The whole film, apart from a few bits of keen social satire, is sophomoric and self-impressed in the worst way. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 11/30/2022
Insincere, manipulative, poorly acted and poorly photographed. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 06/13/2011
B+
Denys Arcand made this original movie, in which life imitates art, at the peak of his career, right after Decline of the American Empire. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O Jan 6 A clever movie with some good dark humour thrown in. Fairly dramatic to say the least. Watched on DVD. See more Alec B Apr 18 To the movie's immense credit, this isn't really "What if Jesus but now", its "the story of Jesus, even when altered, will always have relevance to all kinds of people". This makes a narrative, that could easily have been insufferable, universal and often powerful. See more Josh G 12/20/2022 A Canadian film layered in allegory, nuance and religious imagery. It plays out as an inside story of actors in pursuit of dreams, Old versus new concepts and generational gaps through art. As well as the idea of sacrifice in modern day. Brilliant acted by the five main members of the cast with Lothaire Bluteau being a stand out. I really loved the camera and sound design. Thought provoking and stunning film. See more 11/01/2020 An outstanding movie in which a group of actors who usually overdub prom movies decide to reenact the passion plays. A furor breaks out between conservatives and the creatives. The passion play goes ahead but eerily begins to mirror the biblical events. The performance of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in a subway at the end iof the film s beautiful. See more 03/30/2016 Jesus of Montreal is a great film and a very compelling take on Christ in modern times. In many respects, the film argues that Christ can arise from anyone and anywhere, which is an interesting way to look at it. The acting is very good and I loved the unique method of heavily utilizing the play within a film angle. The acting is very good and I loved the writing and direction of the film. It is also very well lit with the appropriate lighting in each scene and it really magnifies the poignant movies quite well. Overall, Jesus of Montreal is a really profound experience that also manages to be quite funny at times, which is a nice balance with the spiritually poignant elements. See more 03/14/2016 An excellent satire on peoples' inability to differentiate religion from reality. Admittedly dated looking but still as relevant today as it had to have been in the 80s. See more Read all reviews
Jesus of Montreal

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Movie Info

Synopsis This unconventional Canadian film focuses on an acting troupe hired to stage a Passion play about the life of Jesus. Led by Daniel (Lothaire Bluteau), the actors, all struggling with their own issues, work on a bold interpretation of the Biblical tale that challenges accepted Christian thinking and brings a burst of outrage from the Roman Catholic priests who recruited them. As the story progresses, Daniel's life starts to echo the trials of Jesus in unexpected and poignant ways.
Director
Denys Arcand
Producer
Roger Frappier, Perre Gendron, Monique Létourneau
Distributor
Orion Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
May 25, 1989, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 9, 2004
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.4K
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Surround