this film be far more ambitious in it scope than it be successful in deliver it message . despite the illustrious cast and there be nothing remotely spiritual in either the character or the performance and save perhaps forest whittaker scene of repentance in church towards the end and which nevertheless leave much unresolved and be ultimately unconvincing . i think this be therefore inadvertently more a demonstration of the inability of the contemporary film industry to discuss spirituality and than it be about jesus and the apostle or mary magdalene . juliette binoche be feeble in her portrayal of mary magdalene and deliver a confused and slightly hysterical and nondescript portrait of a woman who be otherwise know to be both an extraordinary person and supposedly the film central concern . the character play by matthew modine be the most convincing and in his cynical and hypocritical and totally materialistic egotism and i think this fact alone say something about the pirit which guide the whole movie . but even this admittedly interesting character be leave sketchy and undeveloped . discern viewer should be warn represent not only be the film an attempt to justify heresy the church have know and reject for valid reason since the dawn of christianity ( as well a some new fangled one ) and but it fail even in it heretical intent the whole film be a series of loose thread lead nowhere . it leave one with a vague feeling of religious unease and a sense of the demonic gnawing monotonously away at christian tradition while yet another rusty nail in the resurrected body of christ . i should mention that i be not against free speech or even the misrepresentation of religious truth and here ably convey in their fictional interview by the purveyor of error themselves and jean yves leloup and elaine pagels and would be academic prostitute their respective discipline for the broad public while but if you be go to make a movie with a heretical or blasphemous message and at least make it good artistically . in all and a waste of 2 . 5 hour .