Critical Film Condition

Funny as hell!!!

There is a perfect movie for every season. The last ones I watched were: “The Ice Harvest” for Christmas, “Turn your head and cough – Army Physicals Revisited” for Valentine’s Day (just kidding!) and “The Life of Brian” for Easter. This year however, there is another strong contender for the holy holidays: “Religulous”.

“Religulous” is a documentary written by and starring Bill Maher, a well-known American stand-up comedian, television host and author, famous for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary. Currently he is the host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher”.

“Religulous” is directed by Larry Charles (formerly known for “Borat”, “Entourage” and “Curb your enthusiasm”). If you have ever made the second-hand acquaintance of either one, be it on TV or on the big screen, you should pretty much know what to expect. Maher stated he used a fake title for the film to obtain interviews: “We never, ever, used my name. We never told anybody it was me who was going to do the interviews. We even had a fake title for the film. We called it ‘A Spiritual Journey.’ It didn’t work everywhere. We went to Salt Lake City, but no one would let us film there at all”.

“Religulous” (religion/ridiculous) examines and satirizes organized religion and religious belief. And religion is probably the touchiest subject on the market right now and you have to give Maher and Charles credit for tackling it at all. Maher says: “Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it’s wonderful when someone says, ‘I’m willing Lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.’ Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas”. To me this makes sense, simply because the number of crimes committed in the name of God is ridiculously gigantic and human defense mechanisms are designed to trick you like that, but to a large number of this planet’s population, it is more of a war cry (sorry to drag Freud into this).

Bill Maher, who has a Jewish-Catholic background, goes on a worldwide quest (to such exotic locations as Jerusalem, the Vatican and Salt Lake City) to prove that faith is irrational by definition, religion is pretty ridiculous and may be due to a neurotic disorder.

And since the number of non-believers or rationalists, as he refers to them, is increasing in North America and is therefore grossly underrepresented, he sets out asking probing questions about faith. And here lies the problem, because faith and probing questions just don’t mix, because religion is fear-based (and fear is the greatest motivator of all, not love or money). I was able to watch this movie appreciating the satire without fearing that one or all four of the riders of the apocalypse will suddenly come crashing through the screen.

Watching Maher I always have to remind myself that he waltzes a very fine line between commentary and entertainment (kinda like Jack Nicholson in “One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”), with varying results. I have to remind myself that he is info-taining. And though this movie in very entertaining and thought-provoking (thank you!), I have a problem with it when it gets preachy. I agree with a lot of the things he says, but punchlines are just band-aids. It becomes very evident in the clever but bordering on cocky editing.

Maher visits a garden variety of people, interviewing believers from a variety of backgrounds and groups, including Muslims, former Mormons and Hasidic Jews, scientists, gays and atheists. He travels to Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London and preaches Scientology beliefs. He interviews a former Satanist at the “Truckers Chapel” in Raleigh, North Carolina. He talks to Steve Burg, a former missionary with Jews for Jesus, on personal miracles, though he has trouble recalling any of them. Mark Pryor, a Democratic US Senator from Arkansas with THE quote: “You don’t have to pass an IQ test to be in the Senate”. He comes across various tourists and employees, including an actor who plays Jesus, at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Florida and the proprietors of “Habibi Ana”, a Muslim gay bar. And saves a man from burning his hair at the Cannabis Ministry. And the list goes on and on. It certainly left me with more questions that before and I am a very, very confused person when it comes to religion. I think it does not have a monopoly on truth or beauty and certainly not morals and I know I am lucky to be able to feely choose not to believe.

“Religulous” is the highest grossing documentary of 2008, but wasn’t nominated for an Oscar, which Bill Maher mentioned during presenting the Oscar for “Best Documentary”.

Overall I totally agree with Film critic Roger Ebert who said: “You may very well hate it, but at least you’ve been informed. Perhaps you could enjoy the material about other religions, and tune out when yours is being discussed. That’s only human nature.”

If Maher is going to hell, everyone this amused is going with him. See you there!

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