The Gospel Review
by Michael Dequina (twotrey AT gmail DOT com)October 16th, 2005
_The_Gospel_ (PG) *** (out of ****)
With a title like _The_Gospel_, it would
be easy to peg Rob Hardy's faith-themed drama to
be a piece of exclusionary,
preach-to-the-converted propaganda. But the
writer-director manages to achieve the tricky
feat of creating a film that respectfully
represents its milieu while effectively
delivering a resonant message that is as uplifting as it is universal.
The basis of the film is recognizably,
specifically Bible-based, however, as it is a
variation on the story of the prodigal son. Here
it is David Taylor (Boris Kodjoe), a successful
R&B singer who returns to home to Atlanta when he
learns of his estranged bishop father's (Clifton
Powell) ailing health. The Bishop's condition
also happens to reflect the sad state of his
beloved church, for which David's childhood
friend Charles Frank (Idris Elba), now a reverend
and heir apparent to the Bishop, has grand
recovery plans. David's plans of a smooth
homecoming, though, are quickly quashed when he's
not exactly welcomed with open arms but rather
raised-eyebrow whispers and condescension; his
celebrity status matters little even to a simple
young woman like Rain (Tamyra Gray), the single
mom choir singer in whom David takes an interest.
Oddly enough, while David's thread is
the one that is overtly scripture-inspired, it is
also the least interesting and involving, partly
because of the rote familiarity of it, but also
due to the casting of Kodjoe. While the
erstwhile ensemble member of Showtime's
_Soul_Food_ admirably takes on a stretch for his
first big league big screen lead, he never really
rises above the merely adequate at best. He
never quite owns the character's musical numbers,
whether the opening R&B number or his centerpiece
gospel performance; while the lipsynching task
(David's singing vocals are provided by Greg
Kirkland) does put Kodjoe at a disadvantage from
the get-go, he doesn't put forth the necessary
effort to make the illusion of David's "singing"
convincing. Ironically, in other areas his
performance too visibly shows his strain, coming
off as uneasy and a bit of a dramatic lightweight
in the presence of his more formidable co-stars,
whether the likes of seasoned veterans such as
the terrific Powell and Aloma Wright (especially
noteworthy as church secretary Ernestine) or the
effortlessly commanding Elba and Nona Gaye (as
David's cousin and Charles's wife Charlene).
Luckily there are those other actors and
storylines to carry the film when interest in
David and his plight flags. In fact, Hardy could
have easily made the film about Elba and Gaye's
characters, and it probably would have been
better for it. Both Charles and Charlene go
through their own individual spiritual
journeys--Charles in reconciling the ego boost of
his "mega-church" ambitions with their selfless
intent; Charlene in coming to grips with her
buried feelings of inadequacy--that lead to
epiphanies in a far less predictable and hence
involving manner than the prodigal son track, but
even more engrossing is the story of their
strained relationship. While the reasons for
their marital troubles are never explicitly
stated until the end, Elba and Gaye are
remarkably eloquent and captivating in their
silence and stillness, reaching levels of nuanced
emotional complexity not present anywhere else in
their film. When their subtle anguish finally
reaches a climactic eruption, the searing scene
just underscores just how much more powerful the
film and impactful its faith-affirming message
could have been had the film centered around them.
Even so, in its existing, simpler state
_The_Gospel_ effectively conveys that message
without bludgeoning a specific belief structure
into its audience. Hardy approaches the film as
though it just so happens that this particular
story takes place within the Southern Black
Christian church, no more, no less; the
underlying theme about recovering one's sense of
identity, home, and faith--in whatever that may
be--comes across in a relatable way regardless of
one's denomination. Helping immeasurably is the
buoyant music; the soundtrack features a number
of rousing original tunes by Kirk Franklin and
stirring performances by Gray as well as a number
of gospel stars appearing in cameos, such as Fred
Hammond (who executive produced), Yolanda Adams
and Martha Munizzi. But beyond the music itself,
these energetic sequences are effective because
they ring so true; unlike the glossy Hollywood
movie musical number treatment in films such as _The_Fighting_Temptations_ or even the climax of _Diary_of_a_Mad_Black_Woman_, _The_Gospel_'s
performance scenes feel genuine, playing as if
directly culled from an actual Sunday
service. In focusing his camera on those singing
and clapping in the pews as much as those doing
so in the choir, Hardy creates a palpable,
welcoming sense of community; the musical moments
here are not about highlighting singers' voices
but how these voices can bring people together
despite their differences and flaws and then
create and share in a greater sense of uplift.
_The_Gospel_ works in a similar way;
despite some unevenness and technical turbulence
along the way, everything assembles into an
appealing and entertaining package that makes up
for whatever it lacks in perfectly polished sheen
in exuberance and passion for its subject and
message. From top to bottom those involved in
the project obviously believe, and by the time
the last note rings out, one may be surprised as to how much one does as well.
Like many film soundtracks released
these days, _The_Gospel_'s tie-in album from
Verity Records features a number of songs and
alternate versions that do not appear in the
film. While these tracks (Dietrick Haddon's
"Change Is Gonna Come," Hezekiah Walker and LFC's
"I Need You to Survive," Kirk Franklin and Papa
San's "He Reigns," and Fred Hammond and Natalie
Wilson's "Put Your Hands Together") are
worthwhile in their own right, it's a bit
disappointing to hear their inclusion over some
of the defining musical moments in the film, such
as "Peace Like a River" performed by Cynthia
Simons or, most notably, Tamyra Gray's "Seasons
Change," which is the film's soaring showstopper
(and a potential Oscar contender if campaigned
properly--heads up, Sony Pictures awards
team)--and yet nowhere to be found on the
disc. Gray, who is more or less the key musical
voice in the film, is only represented here once,
with "Now Behold the Lamb"; her on-screen version
of "Put Your Hands Together" with Greg Kirkland
(Boris Kodjoe's stand-in voice) is supplanted by
the one offered here by Hammond and Wilson.
Kirkland is also shortchanged somewhat, as he
also is only represented a single time with "You
Are Good," but at least that's his character's
most prominent number. His early-in-film R&B
number, "Let Me Undress You" (written and
produced by Daron Jones of 112) is also absent,
but its exclusion is understandable (though still
a little disappointing) considering it's hardly
of a piece with the inspirational theme of the
album--and, indeed, _The_Gospel_ soundtrack is a
solid collection of contemporary gospel
selections and an uplifting listen; that a few of
the tracks ("He Reigns," "Now Behold the Lamb,"
and Martha Munizzi's "Glorious") are live
recordings enhances the rejoicing spirit. It's
just that the disc is not the ideal commemoration
of the film's musical experience--which is one of the film's strongest virtues.
(c)2005 Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
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