It's been millenia (and that's a gross understatement) since Lucifer
(Nathaniel Sylva), once God's favourite archangel, has been cast out of
heaven - and for what? For complaining that God has favoured humans over
him? For complaining that he and his brethren were told to serve humans,
who other than angelkind were given the gift of free choice even? Sure,
Lucifer has waged war against heaven even - and lost -, but wasn't he at
least allowed to express his hurt pride? Of course, God doesn't listen
to Lucifer's pleas, he remains as silent with him as he's silent with his
favourite children, the humans. But Lucifer is able to talk to archangel
Gabriel (Chris Goodwin) - who seeing Lucifer down though turns out to be
nothing more than a gloating asshole. Archangel Michael (Jay Dunigan),
who hardly ever leaves the church, pretends to be more sympathetic at
least ... but just like the church he inhabits, he hides behind dogma to
not have to become directly involved. And Death (Diana Porter), who
always had a good relationship with Lucifer because of his work on earth?
She does show sympathy and understanding, but she's an older principle
than even God himself, so the best she can do is to promise God will die
eventually. So what's a Devil who doesn't want to go back to hell to do? Basically,
Devil May Care is a refreshingly light-footed dramedy that does
raise several questions about religion and faith and the like, but without
ever becoming pretentious or trying to force its own religious visions
onto the audience. Instead it puts its emphasis on telling its story, a
story that presents pretty familiar characters in rather unfamiliar ways -
but the characters are well-drawn and well-played, and add to that a
subtle direction and you've got yourself a really nice movie - no matter
what your own views on faith and religion are ...
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