Having just been thrown out of his house by his wife (Dawna Lee Heising), con-man Brother Billy (Richard Rossi), who has so far made good money with psychic readings, needs a new grift - and then he stumbles upon Sister Sara Sunday (Rebecca Holden), a truly gifted preacher whose project could go places with the right help - and that help would of course be Brother Billy, who plans to use her front to funnel donation money into his own pocket. But first he of course has to win her trust first, and does so using observation techniques to find out where to bump into her, and which talking points to use to gain her confidence. Plus, knowing his way around the bible also really helps, as do his natural charms. So soon, Brother Billy and Sister Sara are a team, and she also falls for him. And to his credit, he does indeed help her to get her message out there as he's a good showman, and he gets their church many authentic celebrity testimonials. Plus, the services he holds are great shows, including at one instant raising a man from the dead. But that said, while he's concerned about the show business side, Sister Sara's concerned about their flock, and that way she turns a blind eye to his practices when collecting donations. Of course, others are more attentive, and a group of investigative reporters actually blow up his whole operation - and now he falls, and falls far. And it's only when he has hit rock bottom and with the help of a prostitute aptly named Angel (Alex Rinehart) that he finally gets in touch with the true meaning of Christianity, and ultimately decides to make good again ...

Now I'll admit, as a non-religious person faith-based movies don't really do it for me - but this one's one with a difference as it does shed light on the ugly underbelly of religion-for-profit and grifts performed "in God's name" ... without generalizing of course, and in a satirical rather than matter-of-fact way - and that way the film manages to win over audiences not usually into this kind of thing, as Canaan Land shows all this in a very entertaining, sometimes wickedly funny way, with pretty perfectly cast leads and a very solid supporting cast. Unexpectedly enjoyable, actually.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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