As an admirer of Florian David Fitz as an actor I was really looking forward to see his debut as a director, but sadly this movie left me disappointed.
The story to me unfortunately totally lacks drive, during the whole film I was desperately waiting for something like an arc of suspense, but it just didn't happen. No real ups or downs, rather a constant flow of lukewarm happenings stringing together, I just couldn't relate to any of the characters nor to the storyline, it just didn't "get me".
Something I want to mention positively were the well done, not overdone special effects and some beautiful and good placed photography of the wonderful showplaces.
You don't have to be religious to understand the basic plot around Jesus and all the bible-related innuendos. The subject is handled respectfully and does not polarize. Florian David Fitz with no doubt successfully avoided to split the audience in believers or non-believers,but by trying to represent Jesus in a way that pleases everyone the character sadly also lacked charisma and passion. His try to represent Jesus as the gracious kind character ended up in appearing extremely sleepy, almost "stoned" or sedated. From his former performances in "Meine verrückte türkische Hochzeit", "Die Vermessung der Welt" and specially in "Vincent will Meer" I remember Florian David Fitz as an incredible multifarious lively charismatic actor that never failed to impress and to entertain me, the more strange it appears to me that his first own movie seems to be the only movie so far he didn't dare to show 100% of his acting skills.. and I wonder why.
Jessica Schwarz on the other hand often comes along TOO officious and hyper. The only highlight to me was Henry Hübchen in his role of archeangel Gabriel.
At no point of the film I started to feel with characters or to hope for the characters, it sort of simply let me cold. So it wasn't much of a disappointment when the movie simply ended as fanciless as the whole plot was.
The original idea of that story would have had potential, but what was made of it was too predictable and unfortunately got spoiled by feeding every clichè you can think of.
For his next try to agitate as a director I wish Florian David Fitz more courage to leave the accustomed usual trivial style of German TV romances, because there are too many of them already and I'm absolutely sure he has the potential to make something more extraordinary.
The German audience and his fans CAN indeed digest more substance than that, just do it!
