Passion Play (2010)

Passion Play: Directed by Mitch Glazer. With Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox, Bill Murray, Kelly Lynch. An angel under the thumb of a ruthless gangster is saved by a trumpet player down on his luck.

“I know itu0026#39;s hip to slam 2010u0026#39;s u0026quot;Passion Play,u0026quot; maybe because Megan Fox is an easy target, but the film doesnu0026#39;t deserve it. This is a reverent drama with outlandish aspects and a profound ending.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTHE PLOT: Nate Poole (Mickey Rourke) is a down-on-his-luck musician in the Southwest who gets on the bad side of a mob boss, Happy (Bill Murray). In his flight he stumbles upon Lily (Fox) at a carnival, a u0026quot;freaku0026quot; with wings. They discern a deep connection and take off together with Happy u0026amp; his hoods on their trail.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is very similar to 2008u0026#39;s u0026quot;The Wrestler,u0026quot; which also starred Roarke. In both films Rourke plays a languishing has-been. In both films he struggles with his love for a young woman. In u0026quot;The Wrestleru0026quot; itu0026#39;s his daughter; in u0026quot;Passion Playu0026quot; itu0026#39;s an exceptional young woman with whom he has a love connection.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat surprised me is Foxu0026#39; acting. Sheu0026#39;s known for playing the stereotypical hot chick, but here she plays a sweet, innocent woman struggling with an abnormality, and she does it very convincingly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlso, Rourke (Nate) and Fox (Lily) have good chemistry. Yes, Nate is about 30 years older than Lily, but – it doesnu0026#39;t matter – their connection is real, sort of like Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in u0026quot;Lost in Translation.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe score is reverent and moving and fits the tone of the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe ending is both surprising and effective, even though there are obvious clues. See u0026quot;COMMENTARY ON ENDINGu0026quot; below.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film was shot in New Mexico and runs 94 minutes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGRADE: Bu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e***SPOILER ALERT*** (Donu0026#39;t read until youu0026#39;ve seen the film)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCOMMENTARY ON THE ENDING: Although some interpret the ending to mean the bulk of the story is Nateu0026#39;s death dream, it more likely indicates that Nate was in some type of purgatorial spiritual realm where God offers a second chance for the lost. Nate passes the test and is ushered into eternal bliss. Since itu0026#39;s some type of spiritual realm where God is sovereign, the reality may be set-up in a holographic sense, similar to Star Treku0026#39;s Holodeck. In that case, the people Nate experiences arenu0026#39;t real at all; theyu0026#39;re there simply as a part of Nateu0026#39;s test.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt any rate, the ending gives the story purpose in an eternal scope. Instead of some silly fantasy about a hard-luck musician meeting some ultra-beautiful woman with wings who learns to fly while simultaneously delivering the man from some serious heavies (why sure!), the story becomes a tale of eternal redemption for a languishing dumb bastage who foolishly messed around with a mob bossu0026#39; wife.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt the end you see Nate smiling with true joy as the angel sweeps him off to heavenly bliss. God gave him a second chance at redemption and he escapes this piece-of-sh** world.”