Let me start by saying, as soon as Pastor Shephard pulled up in his car with the license plate that read "SINNER," I was ready to give the movie at least 7 stars. And then my dude had tattoos and opened up the church gates to the neighborhood, I thought, "alright, I LOVE this reverend!!!"
However, there were a few things that didn't quite add up. This was not a megachurch. This was a small neighborhood church. So why were they so afraid of addicts and prostitutes? Speaking of prostitutes, our heroine, Gigi, really showed up to church in full prostitute attire? These things seemed improbable.
Other than that, the story was FANTASTIC! I had read reviews regarding the acting, but I've seen far worse in my Lifetime/Hallmark movies. The acting was adequate. Besides, the chemistry between Ginger and Leo was amazing, and there were so many heartwarming moments.
In one scene, Leo pays for Gigi's time, but she mistakenly thinks he paid for sex and came out of the shower naked. Leo quickly turned his back and said, "I'm in a covenant with God. Sex is for marriage!" Gigi, mortified, exclaimed, "Oh my God, I just got naked in front of a pastor." Leo replied, "It's okay to be naked---in front of God." That became a repeated theme in the movie. And there was a beautiful montage of Gigi and Leo bonding, and him baptizing her.
Gigi and Leo had instant, credible chemistry. The actors looked perfect together, but storywise I didn't understand why Leo was so attracted to Gigi. When Leo's backstory was revealed, it all made perfect sense.
None of the leaders in the church could be trusted, so Leo (Pastor Shephard's) wise counsel came from the church's facility director, One Eye, who was once a notorious drug dealer.
Despite being warned about the ending, I initially thought it tarnished the message, but upon further reflection, I see the purpose behind it and it makes perfect sense--sometimes our direction in life is revealed through our suffering. Gigi's transformation is the message.
The movie also did a great job of exposing the hypocrites within the church and ensuring that the bad guys got what they deserved in the end.
Overall, an excellent movie deserving of many, many stars!!
