Joaquin Phoenix & Rooney Mara star in new film 'Mary Magdalene'
'Mary Magdalene' is set in 33AD in the small town of Magdala, Judea, and follows the title character as she begins to follow Jesus in the weeks leading up to his crucifixion. In 2016, the Vatican seemingly redeemed Mary Magdalene from the misrepresentation of more than a thousand years of being unfairly labelled a prostitute. Luckily, the film makes it clear to the audience that the misogynistic label my have stuck because she refused to settle down and have children. Mary understood that the lifestyle was not all that was meant for her, and actively pursued her destiny where the other women in her village accepted their fates as mothers and wives.
While Rooney Mara may not be considered the strongest actress, at times appearing like a deer in the headlights, she gives a solid performance under the direction of Australian Garth Davis ('Lion'). It’s unfortunate, however, that the material she’s given to work with is rather limited.
Mara is surrounded by veteran actors such as Joaquin Phoenix - despite his recent venture into music, and the ever brilliant British-Nigerian Chiwetel Ejiofor. Although Phoenix’s Jesus did showcase some excellent character performance moments, he did seem somewhat out of place in this role. A similar feeling could be said of Ejiofor, who was unfortunately misused for the majority of the film until the final scenes.
A major highlight of the film, however, is the cinematography and use of natural light. The audience can tell the team went to extraordinary efforts to make this film look as natural as possible - and they really pulled it off.
'Mary Magdalene' is the last film composed by Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson (known for his scores on 'The Theory of Everything', 'Prisoners', 'Sicario', and 'Arrival') before his passing earlier this year. Jóhannsson's score definitely added to the tone of the entire film for the better. As a film, 'Mary Magdalene' may not stand out as unique, and at times it does feel too modern, but it is a well-made movie nonetheless.
