'The Book of Clarence' review: The Good Book gets a rewrite

A big, bold biblical epic that lands roughly half the time, "The Book of Clarence" is admirable in its scope and vision, even if those ultimately outweigh its execution.

The always interesting LaKeith Stanfield stars as Clarence, who is down and out in Jerusalem, where he's deeply in debt to Jedediah the Terrible (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) after losing a chariot race to Mary Magdalene (Teyana Taylor). It's 33 A.D. and Clarence — twin brother of Thomas, he of the 12 apostles (also played by Stanfield) — is skeptical about the whole Jesus thing. So in order to make some quick cash, he decides to start calling himself a messiah, and he amasses his own following, and the riches that come with it.

But to what end? Writer-director Jeymes Samuel, who both upended and embraced Western movie clichés in his 2022 outing, "The Harder They Fall," is taking a crack at making his "Ben-Hur," or his "The Passion of the Christ." But in so doing, the movie occupies an unsteady space between comedy and drama, where the comedy isn't outlandish enough to make it an all-out romp, but the humorous elements are interrupted by moments of shocking intensity. One of the chapters in "The Book of Clarence" should be titled Whiplash.

The film's look, costuming and production values are all outstanding, and the cast is full of notables, including RJ Cyler as Clarence's sidekick, Alfre Woodard as Mother Mary, David Oyelowo as John the Baptist and James McAvoy as Pontius Pilate.

Samuel's dialogue-heavy script can be a lot to chew on at times, and he lightens the mood with comic elements, including a scene where clubgoers dance to Detroiters the Jones Girls' "Nights Over Egypt," a full 1,948 years before it was released. Blunts are smoked throughout, and one scene plays like "Up in Smoke" or "Half-Baked," further blurring the lines of Samuel's ultimate intent: is he sending up the Bible, or honoring it?

Mainly, he's asking questions. "The Book of Clarence" will give theologians and Bible study groups plenty to discuss and dissect, though it might miss the mark with mainstream audiences looking for something more down the middle. It's about belief, faith, denial and acceptance, issues that are well worth examining, even if the answers aren't as easy to come by.

agraham@detroitnews.com

'The Book of Clarence'

GRADE: C+

Rated PG-13: for strong violence, drug use, strong language, some suggestive material, and smoking.

Running time: 129 minutes

In theaters