2nd Movie: "Mary"

Greetings, everyone. Today marks the second film in our, and I have chosen a movie with a theme that may be somewhat complex. However, my selection was influenced by the esteemed actor Anthony Hopkins, whose impressive performances in other films have impressed me.

Before watching a movie, I typically research information about the film, its production, and the critical reception of it upon its release.

Mary is a 2024 epic biblical film directed by D. J. Caruso from a screenplay by Timothy Michael Hayes. It follows Mary, the mother of Jesus, played by Noa Cohen, from her childhood in Nazareth to the birth of Jesus. The film also stars Ido Tako, Ori Pfeffer, Hilla Vidor, Dudley O'Shaughnessy, and Anthony Hopkins. It was released on Netflix on December 6, 2024.

Distributed by:              Netflix

Release date: December 6, 2024

Running time: 112 minutes                                                                                                                      

Countries: United States and United Kingdom

Language: English

 

 Plot

After years of praying for a child, the angel Gabriel appears to Joachim and tells him that he will have a daughter. In exchange, Joachim and his wife, Anne, are to dedicate their daughter to the service of God. Nine months later, Anne gives birth to Mary in Nazareth. Elsewhere, Herod the Great announces plans to rebuild the Second Temple. Fearing the growing threats to his throne, he orders the death of Aristobulus, the brother of his wife, Mariamne. When Mariamne protests, Herod stabs herself.

 

Years later, Joachim and Anne present Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated to God. She is met by Anna the Prophetess and Baba ben Buta and is educated in the temple until she is a teenager. While washing clothes in a stream, she meets Joseph, who is immediately enamored with her and briskly asks Joachim and Anne for her hand in marriage. After her betrothal, Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her that she will bear a son and name him Jesus. When the High Priests find out about Mary's pregnancy, they cast her out of the temple, though Anna tells her she will return someday.

 

Mary tells Anne about her pregnancy, and Anne sends her to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant. The news of Mary's pregnancy begins to spread, and rumors circulate about her supposed promiscuity. When Mary goes to the city to explain herself to Joseph, she is nearly stoned by a mob, but Joseph helps her escape. He assures her that he does not care what people think and promises to love both her and the child. Mary and Joseph are married but soon enter into hiding and travel to Bethlehem.

 

Herod's reign becomes increasingly tyrannical, causing unrest among Jews who wish to restore the House of David. Herod learns that the King of the Jews is soon to be born in Bethlehem, threatening his throne. When Mary goes into labor, Joseph seeks out shelter at several inns but is told that there are no rooms due to the influx of pilgrims in the city for the birth of the Messiah. They find a stable, and Mary finally gives birth to Jesus. Upon hearing of Jesus's birth, Herod orders the Massacre of the Innocents, and Mary and Joseph flee for Egypt. They find shelter with a family along the way but are soon found by Herod’s guards. After managing to escape, they present Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem.

 

Production

Director D. J. Caruso, who is a practicing Catholic, was inspired to tell the story of Mary in a "human and relatable" way for audiences. He stated, “I wanted to inspire, particularly younger viewers, to say, Wow, Mary could be my friend. A lot of what she went through is contemporary and what's happening in the world today.”

Caruso referred to the Protoevangelium of James for source material on Mary, as well as her parents, Anne and Joachim. Timothy Michael Hayes wrote the original screenplay in 2020 after consulting with various Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious leaders and scholars. The script underwent 74 drafts before finalization.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 29% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.30/10.[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 27 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

Religious media response

Mary received mixed to negative reviews from Catholic media outlets, largely due to differences between the film's content and Catholic teachings.

Non-Catholic media outlets tended to receive the film more favorably.

After reviewing this information, I prepared to watch the film. Subsequently, I will provide my personal opinion and rating. This is not a recommendation on whether you should watch the movie or not; that decision is yours. This is merely my perspective.

Well, I ended up watching the movie and have to say I liked it much. I think Mary is a brave woman, everyone around must be special to help her form into such a remarkable person. She was born to do special things and had to endure many challenges to accomplish her mission because she was chosen among women and named the vessel of promise, I believe she was it. My rating for this film is eight out of ten.

Thank you for your attention. Farewell.😊