If "Divination" is Christian propaganda, than I guess "A Dark Song" is super propaganda for Ordo Templi Orientis. Of course, I don't believe either are necessarily propaganda, I'm just making a point. When a film is about something you don't like just scream "PROPAGANDA" and "FUNDAMENTALISM" to discredit it! Works like magic, or so you would think Atheist think. To further address this point before I get into my review: This film represents NOTHING about real fundamentalism, but atheist love to use that word as a "win all battles" weapon, sorry, you lose.
This film, if you are an actual Christian, isn't at all Christian. While it contains many themes borrowed from the Bible, it make no mention of the Bible, God, Jesus, or salvation. The closest it comes is an entity called "The Perfect One", but outside of mentioning the creation of angels, it really doesn't resemble anything from the Bible. Whereas "A Dark Song" literally goes painstaikingly through a REAl Allestair Crowley Ritual. My point is, don't call something something it isn't just because it contains themes you are uncomfortable with. As a real Christian I find "Divination" repugnant on multiple levels, simply because it spits on the Bible just as much as "A Dark Song" does. It borrows heavily from "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti. Pentacostals love to use Frank Peretti's book as a jumping off point for spritual warfare and it has FAR more in common with that book than the Bible.
I found this to be a relatively well-done low-budget supernatural drama regarding the battle between good and evil. I think the beliefs put forth in it are utter hogwash, and certainly this does not, as already stated, resemble anything close to real and orthodox Christianity. In reality, Christians cannot see the supernatural realm like some people claim, such as: Mike Bickle, Bob Jones, Cindy Jacob, Benny Hinn, etc, etc, and FYI none of those represent genuine Christinity, they represent the NAR or WoF teachings, that's it.
I actually felt the dialog in here was somewhat realistic, the problem was, much of the acting as very wooden. The best acting came from those playing Jason, Joshua, and Dee. Lisa Coronado as Dee probably had the best acting overall, and she has the longest resume of anyone on this film, so I think that bolsters that.
Unfortunately the direction is dull, the camera work is dull, and the editing is just not great. There are a whole lot of confusing cuts and confusing dialog early in this film, particularly revolving around The bald guy and the blonde character, her involvement with other characters and the primary plot seems to be there, but its not.
The fight seems while interesting, are sometimes a bit cheesy due to the effects overlaying the scenes, the best fight seen involves the least effects and while performed a bit wooden, the actually choreography is pretty decent, coming from someone who knows martial arts, I thought it was not bad.
On the whole, this is NOT a Christian movie, and it absolutely not fundamentalist in any way shape or form, and though it certainly has a good versus evil theme, and is not positive about the occult, it does not contain anything explicitly Christian. Even many New Agers believe in angels and demons, that isn't exclusive to Christians. If that bugs you go watch "A Dark Song" instead, that movie has some equally cheesy moments, and was equally convoluted at times, even though it's a better film. I only bring that movie up to make a point that the primary arguments made against this film are silly and baseless. Its not a bad film for what it is, and the script is honestly pretty good, it just isn't as well executed as it could be.
God Bless ~Amy
