The Most Reluctant Convert

Saw this movie on opening night and was floored by the writing and acting. MaxMcLean was mesmerizing and the movie was so well done. Worth seeing again and again to see there is so much more to CS Lewis than one thought.

My wife and I were part of a full house for the first showing at our theater. The movie was beyond our hopes and expectations. Acting is superb, costumes are perfect, music is just right. We loved the way they maintained the feel of the "one man show" while telling this amazing story of one of our favorite writers. Well done!

It was the first movie I saw that felt exactly like reading a book, which to me is a great thing if the book is interesting and well narrated. The flow of the movie is perfect, it's funny, the cinematography is top notch and it was very well acted. I liked the narrator, C. S. Lewis himsefl, played by Max McClean, being inside the story and being filmed as a travelling shot. The text is engaging and delivered with expression, if you care to follow the change of mind of a man's position before the belief in God, pay attention to what's being said and you will pick up well constructed arguments against materialism that I see myself using to explain my beliefs to others, because this movie achieves that kind of clarity. It's like watching moments of epiphany, without the fireworks of other lives and stories of people that converted to something spiritual. Christianity is not oversold and it's actually not the main theme of the movie. This is about C. S. Lewis spiritual journey and it fits many beliefs and religions, it's just a personal path, but one that can be universal if people want to read it like that. Some critics here say it's too slow, too short or boring but I think if it was longer than one hour it would ruin its effect. Didn't feel neither boring and certainly not slow, the story is always told with movement and the entire movie flows very smoothly, never getting stuck or dragging. I already think that I will share this movie with some friends, hope more people do that too.

This movie charts the early life of CS Lewis which he covers in his autobiography Surprised by Joy. I found it absolutely riveting to trace Lewis's journey from his early idyllic childhood, to his disillusion at his mother's death to become an atheist driven by rationalism. It is revealing then that his discovery of faith was not by some Damascus Road experience but by the application of his rationalism to the question of the existence of the Creator.

The movie charts this journey in the most entertaining fashion with Max McLean brilliantly leading the cast as the older Lewis. This has originally been a stage play but thankfully the producers have used all the advantages of cinematography here so the effect is brilliant. Do see this. I was gripped from beginning to end.

This is not a biography of C. S. Lewis but rather his way to conversion. At times monologue, at times play, the film creates a fitting atmosphere and manages to insert the viewer in the picture. The transition through the various phases of C. S. Lewis' life are smooth and at no point does one feel bored. On the contrary, one feels eased into the era and the story. His journey from nominal Christian to atheist to Christian is explained smartly and the philosophy, theology and intelligence involved never feel out of place. Indeed I have worn his shoes while watching this film. I've read a low rated review claiming Christians consider it a sin to leave a bad review. Not at all. Most Christian films, especially older ones are below par. There you have it. This one isn't. In fact I would watch this before Shadowlands (1993) and never feel out of pace. It is such quality.