I remember as a child, when I was in primary school, I was once asked by a friend whether or not I believed in God. I told him I did not, but I could see that my answer bothered him. For ten minutes or so he squirmed in his chair and kept making annoyed faces until, finally, he blurted out, "Do you believe in the Devil?" By this point, this friend of mine was really getting on my nerves, so in an attempt to please him, and to get him to shut up, I said, "Sure, why not." My youthful, naive mind thought that if I played along, even for a short while, he would be happy. He was not, and for the rest of the day he kept making cross signs at me and calling me a devil worshiper. I have not thought about that day for roughly twelve years, but when I sat down to see Tim Chey's Suing the Devil, memories of that day, and the irritation it brought on, came flooding back.
The plot of Suing the Devil centres on a young man named Luke O'Brien (Bart Bronson), a devout Christian having "the worst year of his life". His mother has been killed by a drunk driver, his girlfriend has a mysterious cough (which in cinema terms means she has a deadly disease) and, according to him, everything good in the world has turned rotten. This can only mean one thing, that the Devil is to blame, and the only way to fix all the world's problems is to sue him for eight trillion dollars. Expecting to be laughed out of the courthouse, O'Brien, as well as the judge, are both shocked to see none other than Satan (Malcolm McDowell) himself traipse through the courthouse doors to accept O'Brien's challenge. What started out as a simpering little twerp blaming all of his problems on a mythical beast turns into the (and I am quoting the film's tagline here) "the trial of the century".
As you may have noticed from my transparent, condescending tone, I am being sarcastic. This is, quite frankly, one of the worst films in Malcolm McDowell's questionable career. This is the kind of movie that would go down in bad movie legend, if it was not for the devoted cult of Christian right-wing fans who keep insisting that this is an inspiring masterpiece. Perhaps the most insulting aspect of the film is that it pigeonholes people into boxes of "good and evil" based on their faith alone. For example, Satan's team of high priced lawyers all share a hatred of God and would have no problem selling their souls to make a quick buck, so we know they are evil. Also, when O'Brien inexplicably puts an oil executive on the stand, he proceeds to chastise him for being an atheist and a capitalist; as if either fact has anything to do with this man's qualities as a human being. Then there is Satan himself, who, among other things, takes credit for gangster rap, which just goes to show how primitive and dangerous this film's ideas are. As if hip-hop music is evil simply by being aggressive and coarse, which of course, it is not.
The honest truth is, there is nothing wrong with religion in the media. Johnny Cash, for example, in his lifetime was one of the most sincere, honest musicians working, and it just so happens that he was a devout Christian. Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest living filmmakers, often uses themes of Catholicism in his films. However, both Cash and Scorsese live(d) in the real world, and are, or were, aware of the fact that simply being a Christian does not make a person good or bad. Simply put, a lot of the greatest art in the world, from the Renaissance era to the modern day, has been influenced by Christian teachings, yet each piece of work has been made with talent. That talent, however, is not inherited through belief, but is instead inspired by it. One cannot simply put a camera in the hand of an incompetent filmmaker and expect a masterpiece, simply because of his belief.
Although, what burdens the film most is the staggering lack of focus. Is O'Brien suing the devil for all of the world's problems, or just his problems? It flips between doing both, with some scenes referencing the great flood and others referencing Satan's punishment of Job. One was an incident in the Bible that affected the whole world, the other was a personal incident. If O'Brien is looking simply for self gratification, then Satan's case against him is hardly airtight. As each of Satan's lawyers question O'Brien, all they can determine is that he once made a racist remark, once cursed God, and watched internet pornography before he met his girlfriend. Concrete character assassination there, guys! Although, to be fair, perhaps these scenes would have been more interesting if either the actors playing the lawyers, or Bart Bronson as O'Brien could actually act. Instead they simply alternate between whispering and shouting their lines. Also, the script is no better, lurching awkwardly between drama and comedy.
What is perhaps most disheartening about the film is that the premise is a good one, and that there are infinite possibilities that one could do with Satan in a courthouse setting. For example, The Devil's Advocate did just that, making Satan the head of a law firm, and was a fairly successful film. However, it wont work if filmmaker's keep making film's such as this, with a condescending, almighty tone. Unfortunately, it is Malcolm McDowell who comes across as the worst, despite being the most competent actor, because he truly deserves better than this. My patience with Malcolm McDowell is beginning to wear thin, and if he does not stop agreeing to star in, and produce, schlock like this, I may have to terminate any good will I have towards him.
In conclusion, any enjoyment you may have watching this will only be on an ironic level, and not on any level that the Tim Chey intends. Malcolm McDowell is wasted and one wishes he will find better work in the next few years or so, but it is doubtful considering his output of late. If you are not the kind of person who enjoys watching bad movies simply to laugh at them, then please avoid this patronising mess. Avoid this like hell (sorry, I could not resist).
2/10
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