Why so much hype?

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

I'm so grateful that I didn't watch this movie in a theater. On DVD you can skip and fast forward some of the boring scenes. The music is good, the movie does contain a twist about the main character, but that's all that keeps me from giving it an extremely low mark. The plot is horrible, boring, and the supporting actors don't make do. I would strongly advise anyone not to watch this.

I gotta say, in my opinion, Jesus was as real as Santa Claus. I don't mean the version derived from legends, real-life saints and folklore. I mean the eating-cookies-and-delivering-presents- to-good-children-version.Good casting, good direction, good acting. I liked the fact that there weren't that many protagonists. Recently, it seems to me that stories not involving more than 5 people mostly turn out to be interesting.This movie could've been about anyone, because at the center of it are ever-present questions and dynamics from everyday life (family life) from back then and now. It could've been about a nomad, exploring his spirituality or existence in the desert.It is slow-paced, but what else to expect from a movie like this. The well-placed score themes and exceptional cinematography by the great Emmanuel Lubezki are two definite reasons to watch this. I've read comments about the landscape not being compelling enough to make this film interesting, which is not true at all. A good cinematographer can do wonders with almost nothing. The only thing I didn't quite like about it were the scenes before the last with Jesus on the cross and being carried to his tomb. The reason is obvious. They're redundant and in no way really connected to the rest of the movie. Garcia should've left them out completely. 6.9/10.

A total waste, if you want a good if not at least romanticized, heavily biased interesting movie on Jesus with some close to factual depiction of a segment of his human life.Also a waste of good acting talent with a script and plot that is evidently poorly done, even as one attempt to introduce some interesting twist.Quite frankly, the story line is totally lacking any artistry, even baseless, unfounded of any biblical or historical fact about Jesus' 40 days trials and temptations in the desert.Nut shell, other than the misused biblical character of Jesus, this is a movie with a poorly plotted, poorly directed bland, desperately boring fictional story.

As a stand-alone slice-of-life movie, this might be marginally interesting. If you're looking for insight into Jesus' experience in the wilderness look elsewhere; you'll find none of it here. There is nothing of biblical or historical accuracy in this re-created account of Jesus' experience in the desert, nor in his dealings with Satan. This imaginary tale might be about a lone holy man who comes upon a family while traveling in the desert-- and little more. The scenery isn't majestic enough to be inspiring, the script not filled out enough to be meaningful.The saving grace in this film (as would be expected) is the main actor, but it is not a role that is demanding or that couldn't have been filled by any actor of decent ability. The destinies of the characters make no point, nor does the plot. In the end I found myself neither fulfilled nor disappointed-- just unimpressed. This was not a tale of Jesus, nor a tale of morality, ethics, joy or pain. It is a trip to the grocery market, filling the car with gasoline, doing the laundry. The main characters have no more impact upon anything than that. The events which transpire have nothing to do with anything and don't really seem to effect even the characters involved.Ewan playing the dual role of Satan is neither surprising nor notable. The "points" made are absurdist, without basis, and thus have little or no emotional impact on the viewer. We find here neither points to ponder nor heresy-- but rather simple blather that has no more impact than the rest of the events in the film.We have seen far worse films and far better films. This left me with no more emotional response than a sigh and a wish the writer and director had given us a bit more mental fodder to chew on. As it stands I don't expect to give it a second thought over the next few days. The events have no impact upon the viewer, and as such leave as much mark as a passing shadow on a stone.