Friday
03Oct2008
Movie Review - 'Religulous'
Friday, October 3, 2008 at 12:11AM ReligulousFeaturing Bill Maher
Directed by Larry Charles
Rated R
They say you should never bring up politics or religion
on a first date. Therefore,
Religulous is a lousy date movie. Comedian and
talk show host
Bill Maher has skewered the institution of
organized religion countless times on his Real Time with Bill Maher, and
even more on the sorely missed Politically Incorrect, so it should come
as no surprise that his new documentary is rather pointed. He doesn't care what
religion you believe in; Maher thinks you're wrong.
But Religulous is not a lightweight film. This is
serious discussion about the world's most serious and divisive subject. If Maher
has fun with it, that's because it's really the only way to address it. Thanks
to director
Larry Charles (Borat), the film isn't stuffy, although it does
have its moments of self-righteousness. A lot of that has to do with Maher, who
is very smart and very smug, often too smug. His personality is a great fit
here, pointing out the hypocrisy and outright foolishness incorporated by the
major religions and its most extreme derivatives.
There's a great quote by Stephen Roberts that is
essential to understanding this film: "I contend that we are
both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand
why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss
yours." Maher doesn't say Christianity is bad or Islam is bad or Judaism is bad,
he's saying they're faulty. And when eliminating the Greek gods or the Egyptian
gods, why can't people of faith point those same questions at their own beliefs?
Maher travels all over the world in his film, getting
kicked out of the Vatican, welcomed into the Dome of the Rock, talking to a
congressman about his belief in the Garden of Eden, being shooed by security at
the Mormon Temple in Utah, and asking a theme park Jesus the tough questions.
It's enlightening, funny, and appropriate. Maher's premise is that religion is
not only followed too blindly but that it can be dangerous. Well, yes, it can.
The Crusades, the Holocaust, the Inquisitions, the Arab-Israeli conflict that
has been waging for dozens of generations all prove that. Religion is probably
the most lethal influence in the world, with millions of acts of violence
carried out in its name since the beginning of time.
Another thing we learn from Religulous is how
unbending people are when it comes to their own beliefs. Will we ever see a
shift in the Middle East? Will evangelical Christians in America ever accept
that homosexuality may be genetic, or will they ever think that Darwin fellow
had a point?
Colin Boyd | Permalink | in Documentary, Religulous, Reviews | Print Article | Email Article | 2 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (2)
Unfortunately those who understand and accept other religions already get it, and those who don't, probably wont go see this.
I have been looking forward to this film for months.
Brave man being an out of the closet atheist in the US...Maher should get a medel or something!
Check out this site for a heap of good atheist documentaries...
http://onlinedocumentaries4u.com