‘Father Joe’ Review: Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino in a Holy Mess of an Action Flick
The Hollywood Reporter's review of "Father Joe" delivers a scathing takedown of the latest Luc Besson-produced action film, questioning why acclaimed actors Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino agreed to star in it. The film, directed by Barthélémy Grossmann from a script by Besson, follows Sutherland as a gun-toting, vigilante priest battling drug syndicates and a mob kingpin played by Pacino, but the critic argues it fails to deliver even passable B-movie thrills despite a few well-staged fight sequences.
The review highlights numerous flaws: an unclear time period mixing 1970s cars with 1990s-era technology, a plot involving organ harvesting and Russian traffickers that veers into cliché, and lacklustre performances from both lead actors, who seem disengaged throughout. Ever Anderson, who plays a teenage addict taken under Father Joe's wing, is singled out as the sole bright spot. The film premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival and is expected to have only a modest afterlife on streaming platforms.
- Critic slams "Father Joe" as a poorly conceived Besson-produced action flick
- Sutherland and Pacino give lacklustre, uninspired performances throughout
- Film premiered at Venice, likely heading to a quiet streaming release
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Faith Grossmann's "Father Joe" is a new action thriller produced by Luc Besson, the French filmmaker known for stylised crime films such as "Léon" and "Nikita". It stars Kiefer Sutherland as a priest who takes up arms against organised crime, with Al Pacino playing the mob boss he comes up against. The film is directed by Barthélémy Grossmann, from a script written by Besson himself.
The film has just had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, one of the world's most prestigious film events, though it screened out of competition, meaning it was not eligible for the festival's main awards. Its appearance there has drawn early reviews from critics, offering the first public judgement of how the film, and its well-known cast, have turned out. It is expected to reach most audiences later via streaming services rather than in cinemas.