There Be Dragons, directed by Roland Joffe

A quick peek at Roland Joffe's filmography tells you all you need to know about the man's career. Big, epic, political dramas that hit hard and leave a lasting impression. I defy you to find two better examples of this type of film than The Mision and The Killing Fields. However in recent years, Joffe has struggled as he's gotten further away from his wheelhouse. The prime example would be 2007's Captivity, which is probably best remembered for it's controversial ad campaign featuring star Elisha Cuthbert. Certainly the film itself isn't worth occupying space in your brain.  There Be Dragons sees Joffe returning to what he does best.
Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, There Be Dragons tells the mostly true story of St. Josemaria Escriva, played by English actor Charlie Cox(Stardust). Running parallel to that is an odd tale of Manolo, a fictional friend of Escriva's played by Wes Bentley(American Beauty). Growing up together, the two took very different paths in life. While Escriva was pious and respectful, Manolo rebelled against his Catholic school teachings and turned out to be a vengeful thug. As men, Escriva turned his attention towards the church, founding the controversial religious group, Opus Dei. Manola became a hired gun and staunch anti-Unionist, committing murder and betrayal as a means of survival. Throught their varied journeys, Manolo's jealousy towards Escriva remained.

Joffe's gift for sweeping dramas is still his strongest attribute, most prevalent during Manolo's part of the story as he goes deep undercover in a rebel squad led by the charismatic Oriol. It's there that he meets and falls in love with a free-spirited revolutionary played by an almost unrecognizable Olga Kurylenko(Quantum of Solace).  Bentley carries these scenes stoically, but isn't nearly enigmatic enough to make the conflicted Manolo very interesting. I could see someone else knocking the role clear out of the park.

Cox, as Escriva, has the unenviable task of giving life to a script that feels very "paint by numbers". He acclimates himself to the job pretty well, actually. His half of the story is mostly about hitting all the important notes of Escriva's career, but gives us very little of the man's thoughts and personal battles. Movies about well-respected, revered people are notoriously hard to make because there's something of an agenda that has to put forth. While Joffe has stated before in the past that he's not all that political or spiritual(he's an agnostic), there seemed to be a concerted effort to paint Escriva is almost too perfect. Just because the man was declared a saint doesn't mean he was infallible. Trying to draw such a clear line between Escriva and Manolo is a major stumbling block.

Opus Dei has come into the spotlight over the last few years as a result of it's inclusion as a fairly sinister cabal in The Da Vinci Code. Those seeking out There Be Dragons due to this involvement will find only a few passing references to some of the group's most controversial practices, including a brief scene where Escriva mortifies his own flesh much to the chagrin of his associates. Wisely, Joffe stays out of the debate on the group, choosing to highlight how Escriva's belief influenced others in their everyday lives.

Escriva's life was an interesting one that saw him cross paths and influence many people, and took him to many far off places. While Joffe has created a grand film with a beautiful message about love, hope, and even destiny, it's ironic that the only thing that really holds it back is a lack of faith in the source material.