Pluskylang Great Film overall

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

srdjan_veljkovic Exposing people who exploit religion is always nice and the setup here is interesting. Performances by Jennifer Connelly and, to a lesser extent, Marisa Tomei and Pierce Brosnan, are good. But, that's not enough.The film is neither funny or fun enough to be a good comedy. It's more weird. Which could be fine if it were more realistic, focusing more on the religious exploits of bad clergymen. But, as-is, it just wastes a lot of opportunities - way too much.Also, Greg Kinnear, as the protagonist, didn't do a very good job and it hurts the movie. He tries to do his usual "confused nice guy" act, which, in theory, is right for the part, but, just doesn't work out very well.The story is severely lacking in many aspects, especially the end. You can't really just cut the story off when you run out of things to say and have a few sentences of "what happened after" on the screen to wrap up loose ends. Sure, weird things happen and don't really stop (to let you make a movie ending), but, you can't really show that in a comedy. Even in a drama, it's very hard to do. For example, something like a scene with Jennifer Connelly scolding Greg Kinnear for "deceiving the authorities about pastor (Pierce Brosnan)" and saying she can't be his wife any more and him looking at here in complete disbelief would be much, much better than one sentence that says she divorced him. I'm not saying that it's what should have been done here, but _something_ should, and I'm saying a scene about the divorce would be better than a sentence on the screen.So, if you want to see a good performance by Jennifer Connelly and a good-enough weird performance by Pierce Brosnan, it's a good watch. Otherwise, pass.

john32935 This is one of the worst movies I have watched this year - and this assessment has nothing to do with the movie's subject matter (religion) but just the abysmal plot and dialog.There is a fantastic cast, but they are all wasted in this poor attempt at black comedy. Initially the movie has a glimmer of intelligence as we watch a debate between the pastor of a megachurch (Pierce Brosnan) and a famous atheist author (Ed Harris). But the movie quickly devolves into a jumble of ridiculous scenes - all intended to poke fun at religious zealots and the extremes which they will go to all in the name of faith. But in the end, none of the jokes land and the resolution of the characters' dilemmas come to an end too quickly, which is not true for the movie overall as it should have ended after the initial debate scene.Such a waste of talent.To see my other movie reviews, please visit:https://nomorewastedmovienights.wordpress.com

mariedstewart The movie wasn't as good as the subject matter. Sure it has great actors, Greg, Marissa, Jennifer & Ed but the person who got me stuck was the daughter. I watched it on a morning I wasn't feeling well, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards it left me wondering all day who was the actress playing the daughter? I'd recommend it to a non-deeply religious friend. It's definitely worth a lot of thought, especially for those that have questions. It is a satire comedy that follows the theory that a terrible thing can happen to a nice person. How a guy can be so ignorantly attached to a family that has a very small grip on reality. I know people like Jennifer & her dad's character's; those that don't want to believe and who replace fantasy with reality. I don't blame them, life can be really hard.

DemiRonin Salvation Boulevard is a star packed ensemble "dramedy" based loosely on Larry Beinhart's novel of the same title. Greg Kinnear plays Carl, a former "deadhead" (followers of the band Grateful Dead) who has settled into a nice quite life with his uptight and super religious wife Gwen, played by Jennifer Connelly. Gwen religiously attends the Church of the Third Millennium which is led by the charismatic Pastor Dan Day, played by Pierce Brosnan. Having enraptured the town with his holy message, Day sustains a small empire for himself made out of an adoring congregation that worships him like a prophet. With an ego of the size of Jesus' cross, Day aspires to build a "city upon a hill", a planned and private community, complete with a school and hospital. Not only will this provide a safe and convenient sanctuary for God's worshipers but as the chief developer of this colossal undertaking Day stands to make a healthy sum of money.However, the meeting of renown atheist extraordinaire Dr. Paul Blaylock, played by Ed Harris, puts it all at risk. After a public philosophical debate, Blaylock and Pastor Day retire to Blaylock's office for a friendly nightcap. Carl tags along to the meeting as Day's newly evangelized prize. Here a genial discussion about a joint book venture turns awry when Day accidentally shoots Blaylock in the head with an antique pistol.In a moment of panic, the Pastor disguises the incident as a suicide attempt with Carl in the room as seemingly the only witness to Day's deceit. Carl's life then spirals into disaster as not only do his wife and closest friends not believe his truthful story but there are others trying to kidnap and frame him. Salvation Boulevard's story line has a similar feel to that of the Coen Brother's film The Big Lebowski [1998]. Like "the Dude" in The Big Lebowski, Carl plays a very passive protagonist who gets caught up in mortal danger through no fault of his own. He is seemingly moved from precarious situation to the next by all forces other than himself. Carl passivity is contrasted by the outrageous antics of the characters that surround him. Pierce Brosnan with his good looks, deep voice and smooth command of language personifies an excellent slimy and manipulative pastor. As Day's ego and paranoia grow throughout the film so does Brosnan's comedic affect as he literally starts to believe the devil is after him.With such a wealth of idiosyncratic characters Salvation Boulevard was able to attract a large award winning cast, including Marisa Tomei who plays a free spirited security guard. Jennifer Connelly and Jim Gaffigan play Day's fanatical and easily persuaded followers. Some would say these characters are a cruel misrepresentation of the Evangelical community. They may have a point, but taking this comedic movie too personally deprives the viewer from finding all the comical religious Easter eggs in the film. One of which is a building with devilish horns on the roof where Carl is taken to by Day's zealots. The laughs in Salvation Boulevard are not gut busters but are subtlety sprinkled throughout the film. On the down, this film has a less than satisfying ending and seems to end abruptly. The side characters don't get endings that are worthy over their performances. Instead they are given in the form of text. An extra ten minutes might have wrapped the film in a more imprinting manner. Salvation Boulevard is layered with jokes that lie not only in th dialogue and action but also in the art direction and cinematography, giving the film the rare quality of finding something new every time you watch it. Unfortunately, this film will probably go under appreciated as critics have slammed it for its obvious slant against Evangelical Christians. However, I have faith that in time Salvation Boulevard will find its audience, but they probably won't be as devoted as your average "deadhead". 7 out of 10 This Film is not for: -People who don't find mocking religion funny-People who have no interest in religion