in brief: it’s 33ad, and Jerusalem hustler Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is sick of struggling. inspired by the success of a preacher from Nazareth, he begins to stage some ‘miracles’ of his own, but as the followers and sheckels roll in, Clarence begins to ask himself some of the bigger questions.
for me: Brian Cohen casts a long shadow. so much so that i assumed this film was going to be a comedy with a point, especially given that ‘Lower Jerusalem’ was basically being presented as a ghetto, complete with street gangs and crime lords. however, as funny as The Book of Clarence often is, and as shamelessly as both the film-makers and the characters riff on bible stories, this is a surprisingly sincere film with open messages about family, faith, and self-respect. it’s even more overt than Life Of Brian about the fact that it skewers blind faith, authoritarianism, and control rather than Jesus or ‘the church’ (unless of course your church is authoritarian or keeps you blind…), with a crooked and jealous Clarence deciding to fake miracles to take money off gullible believers. there’s a subplot that should have stayed a sight gag, and an uneven film-making approach to the real Jesus, but the sincerity of the message and the audacity of the setting make it work more than it fails.
mvp: it’s hard to look past Jeymes Samuel, the writer, director, and londoner, who has followed The Harder They Fall with a more interesting if slightly less successful second film. however, more than his script and direction, i want to praise him for his music this time, not just in a score that reflected the biblical epics of hollywood’s golden age but also the original songs that he wove into the soundtrack. the man is a true polymath, and i hope that the industry gets behind him as he develops his craft. from his choices so far i have no idea what to expect next, and that is an exciting place for such a talented artist to come from.
verdict: think Sorry To Bother You rather than Life Of Brian and your expectations should be correctly adjusted for The Book Of Clarence. come for the laughs, but stay for the vibes.
director Jeymes Samuel // writer Jeymes Samuel // released 19/04/24
onedottoomany 