This film has a lot going on in it and I have quite a few thoughts about it. The two eventually chosen to embody the Great Leader and his Movie-star Acolyte (whose way of staring is carefully examined) are eerily good at playing men who sometimes seem not altogether human. My Scientology Movie BBC filmmaker Louis Theroux sets out to make a documentary about Scientology, but is soon stymied by its leaders’ refusal to participate. With Louis Theroux, Tom Cruise, Marty Rathbun, Paz de la Huerta. Thatâs not to say Theroux doesnât burrow gently under his subjectâs skin. VAT no 918 5617 01, Bauer Consumer Media Ltd are authorised and regulated by the FCA(Ref No. My Scientology Movie review – amusing but lightweight 3 / 5 stars 3 out of 5 stars. For example, we hear nothing about recent reports that the Scientology ranks are rapidly aging since the influx of new recruits has slowed dramatically. He has written for, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, The TV Homages of WandaVision are an Amusing, Unfulfilling Distraction, On the Disempowerment of Promising Young Woman, Entertaining 30 Coins Examines Depths of Evil with Style. British provocateur takes a novel approach to investigating Scientology. How close can a filmmaker get to Scientology? Gibney’s documentary–an adaptation of Lawrence Wright’s book of the same name–is a top-to-bottom takedown of the entire Church of Scientology, looking at the group’s origins via … Review by Graham Williamson. Alex Gibney estimates 160 legal eagles watched last yearâs Going Clear before its release, and itâs hard to imagine Louis Therouxâs addition to L Ron Hubbardâs DVD cupboard wasnât given a similarly fine-toothed treatment. I have been a long-time admirer of Louis Theroux’s documentaries. 3 out of 5 stars. Except that Kim Jong Un doesn’t have Tom Cruise bounding on stage to lend his support to the idolatrous acclamation that Scientology’s leader commands. My Scientology Movie: Louis Theroux documentary unlikely to get Ireland release due to blasphemy laws The film includes the familiar footage of a … Read full review It ends with them slinking off. 3 out of 5 stars. My Scientology Movie review: Louis Theroux turns lack of access into a virtue with funny, sinister results My Scientology Movie review – Louis Theroux gets smart with the cult church. For years, Theroux confesses, he had hoped to make a film that would discover a more positive side to Scientology than the countless negative images projected in the media. Directed by John Dower. Jon Dower and Louis Theroux test that in My Scientology Movie (Dower, 2015). Watched Oct 10, 2016. This is my review of Louis Theroux’s new documentary, called My Scientology Movie. But this involves an hierarchical organizational structure and an elaborate, multi-year process that can cost members hundreds of thousands of dollars. Louis Theroux versus the Church of Scientology. A small army of lawyers, in the first instance. The treatment of âSuppressive Personsâ â Scientologyâs supposed apostates â is tackled with terrifying gusto by the actor playing Miscavige. Instead, he decides to cast actors to do the job for them. News Politics World Sport Technology Business Money Opinion Obituaries Travel Culture Lifestyle Women Family Health and Fitness Fashion Luxury Cars Free Mobile App UK Voucher Codes US Coupons Jobs Financial Solutions Rewards Events For Americans previously unfamiliar with Theroux, however, this presents at most only a temporary barrier, because his unassuming humor quickly establishes him as a narrator worth listening to. This Louis Theroux-starring film belongs to the Michael Moore school of docu-making, in which much hinges on the personal viewpoint and observational wit of the on-camera investigator. Some gloriously surreal moments … Louis Theroux in My Scientology Movie. Anticipation: 4/5 I was disappointed not to catch My Scientology Movie at the cinema. He’s also one with a clearly stated goal that sets us up for the droll chagrin that follows. For the current era, Alex Gibney’s authoritatively damning “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” is likely to remain the movie about the pseudo-scientific mind control cult that calls itself the “religion” of Scientology. My Scientology Movie is a 2015 British documentary film about Scientology directed by John Dower, and written by and starring Louis Theroux.The film takes an unconventional approach to the subject matter, featuring young actors "auditioning" for parts playing high-profile Scientologists in scenes recreating accounts from ex-members about incidents involving senior church management. My Scientology Movie. âAfter four hours of the same car being behind you,â he notes during a drive through LA, âyou start to get suspicious.â Often lingering on the edge of his frame are edgy footsoldiers, awkwardly filming him as his crew films them. My Scientology Movie is full of such meta moments, including a long argument with. WWE Getting Rowdy - The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper DVD review. WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Blu-ray review. While "My Scientology Movie" provides a very entertaining tour of some of the questions that swirl around Scientology, viewers who’ve followed the story through the years will find little that’s new or unexpected. Yet we get a hint of this late in the film where a small posse of members show up at the soundstage where Theroux is shooting. The best scenes lay bare the paranoia and insecurity that seeps from the organisation. Itâs clearly one role you wouldnât want to go Method for. Unlike one of the main inspirations, Joshua Oppenheimerâs The Act Of Killing, Therouxâs gambit is only half successful. DVD WWE Smackdown 20th Anniversary DVD review. A number of interesting issues are touched on not at all or only tangentially. I frequently revisit his earlier Weird Weekend series just because each time I watch the peculiar world Louis navigates, I find myself met with a renewed sense of astonishment.… My Scientology Movie, 2016. Of course, this is an easy contrivance on the director's part: Theroux and company know they’ll be turned away in this manner, as have many before them. Scientology maintains its power through secrecy and intimidation, and Theroux gets a view of both when he visits the group’s notorious “Gold Base” in Riverside, California, a sprawling rural enclave that’s surrounded by high walls and a phalanx of security cameras. Where they do pay off is in a recreation of the infamous Hole, a prison for senior Scientologists (or Sea Orgs) where the most extreme abuse is alleged to have taken place. Men in Black: International review. SYNOPSIS: Louis documents his investigation into what goes on behind the scenes of the infamous church of scientology… Louis Theroux documents his investigation into what goes on behind the scenes of the infamous Church of Scientology. My Scientology Movie is a hilarious, if at times provocative, documentary. Photograph: Flat … 0 Shares 0 0 0 0. Because the Scientologists react so reflexively and predictably—as they do in threatening emails to Theroux—it makes you wonder if they’ve learned nothing in decades of dealing with media that have long ago figured out how to bait them. And similar things occur in other circumstances, most comically when they’re filmed twice by a cameraman who claims to be just a freelance shooter-for-hire but won’t identify his employer. Louis Theroux versus the Church of Scientology. This review was written by WatchThatTV. For instance maybe a small army of lawyers. It could even be read as a dryly self-deprecating acknowledgment — as befits writer-presenter Lo… The very title “My Scientology Movie” suggests a juvenile goof-off on a serious subject. ... Louis Theroux’s ‘My Scientology Movie’ is a must-watch. Making a Scientology documentary will always guarantee you an audience, even if it's just a small army of lawyers. Godfrey Cheshire is a film critic, journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. My Scientology Movie seeks more to understand Scientology, its inner workings, and what its members are searching for than it does to “catch” Scientology out. Needless to say, our intrepid reporter doesn’t make it inside, but he gets to film Scientologists’ cameras filming him as its security people come out and demand that he leaves. Making a Scientology documentary will always guarantee you an audience. Stonewalled by its bug-eyed loyalists, threatened by its lawyers and unable to get close to its leader David Miscavige, Theroux instead chooses to recreate its practices (and, more pertinently, malpractices) using actors he casts in sessions, a little guidance from former Scientologist-turned-whistleblower Marty Rathbun and the odd visit to headquarters. Perhaps my perception is clouded by havingvalready watched the HBO documentary "Going Clear," which, to me, was the ultimate take-down of the Church of Scientology. Black Bridge review . Scientology is particularly in the public eye right because of an expose documentary series that is making the rounds - Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath ("Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath", 2016). Movie Review: My Scientology Movie Lesley Coffin March 13, 2017. ‘My Scientology Movie’ Review: Cult, Film 'My Scientology Movie' Movie Rating: 3.5. At times it plays like an extended skit on “The Daily Show”; yet its disorder also makes its insights — like how strongly the church’s training sessions resemble acting classes — feel refreshingly organic. "My Scientology Movie" very much lived up to its title in being a somewhat self-indulgent and directionless peek into the Church. It leads to the filmâs most impactful scene, a depiction of bullying and the abuse of power thatâs shocking even on a film set. Directed by John Dower. For the current era, Alex Gibney’s authoritatively damning “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” is likely to remain the movie about the pseudo-scientific mind control cult that calls itself the “religion” of Scientology. This is my review of My Scientology Movie (spoiler free) *** (3/5) MAKING A DOCUMENTARY about such an elusive subject like Scientology will always guarantee the filmmaker a decent sized audience. My Scientology Movie relies on a shaggy, meandering charm. BBC filmmaker Louis Theroux sets out to make a documentary about Scientology, but is soon stymied by its leadersâ refusal to participate. The personal pronoun in the title of “My Scientology Movie” makes sense in more ways than one. For much of the movie, Theroux drives a rent-a-car around Los Angeles and its environs, looking at Scientology locations and talking to people who have escaped the cult’s grip about its byzantine doctrines and practices. The actors sit awkwardly while Rathbun explains the organisationâs doctrines, and thereâs little in his explanation of its world view, tools of manipulation and intimidation strategies that hasnât already been covered in Going Clear and Panoramaâs explosive 2007 documentary Scientology And Me. Needless to say, this film (directed by John Dower) doesn’t end up being the first flattering documentary about Scientology made by an outsider—not that Theroux, of course, probably ever thought it would. Therouxâs first big-screen doc is an entertaining affair, peppered with surreal moments and wry wit, but its elusive subject remains out of reach. Scientologists profess to believe that humans are ancient cosmic souls who must reincarnate endlessly until they free themselves from negative thought patterns. Rathbun also participates in the film’s most productive contrivance, when Theroux sets up auditions for actors to play the parts of Miscavige and Cruise in a fictionalized probe into the Scientology story. American viewers familiar with the documentaries of Nick Broomfield may find those provide an apt point of comparison for “My Scientology Movie,” although Broomfield is an actual documentary filmmaker while Theroux (son of writer Paul) is the species of TV personality that Brits call a “presenter.” He has a weekend show on the BBC, that is, and when he arrives in Los Angeles to launch his own investigation into Scientology, the film’s tone suggests that it is aimed at viewers already familiar with his low-key comic persona. âYouâre not trespassing.â Itâs the film in microcosm: funny, occasionally menacing, but ultimately stranded just outside the inner sanctum. WWE: The Miz - A List Superstar DVD Review 2019. My Scientology Movie is free-spirited enough, though, to retain an encounter with a bikini-clad wannabe actress which took place during filming and doesn’t really leaad anywhere, except to laughter. My Scientology Movie. ... “My Scientology Movie” relies on a shaggy, meandering charm. My Scientology Movie, which is directed by John Dower and stars British broadcaster Louis Theroux, tries to be original by using the unconventional narrative arc of having fresh-faced actors recreating first-hand accounts of ex-Scientologists. The young performers are very game for their task, and some go deep into the dark emotions that Rathbun describes. âYou donât have to go,â Theroux shouts after them. But while the BBCâs mild-mannered assassin brings all his weapons to bear here â awkward silences, innocent but insistent probing, vast reserves of likeability â he somewhat meets his match with Scientology. At other times, though, the mock-ups are a blunter device. goons outside Scientologyâs dusty Californian compound about whether heâs on its land illegally. There are some tense and violent moments, including a disturbing scene in which actors who have been hired to portray some of the highest-ranking members of Scientology show what behavior is alleged to take place … Among the Scientology apostates that Theroux interviews, some of the most vivid testimony comes from former Scientology Quartermaster General Marty Rathbun, who describes Miscavige’s hysterical rants and violence against his underlings. 710067). Early on, he sketches in the cult’s well-known history, from being founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in the ‘50s to how, after Hubbard’s death, control of the organization passed to an impeccably tailored but consummately creepy little authoritarian named David Miscavige. Film, Documentaries. Oppenheimerâs film has real people recreating their own shocking acts of genocide; here Therouxâs actors make willing surrogates, but theyâre no substitute for access to the organisation itself. It’s becomes very meta as we get interviews with the actors who are cast to be important figures in the Church of Scientology for the re-enactments. Godfrey Cheshire is a film critic, journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. My Scientology Movie is the second documentary on the subject in recent months, following Alex Gibney’s more thorough and methodical Going … He has written for The New York Times, Variety, Film Comment, The Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications. It’s delicious fun to watch the insane things the church does to try and stop the production of this documentary. Scientology is a complex subject that takes quite a bit of work to understand. Parents need to know that My Scientology Movie is a 2015 documentary in which broadcast journalist Louis Theroux attempts to find a way into the inner workings of Scientology. Review: ‘My Scientology Movie,’ an Offbeat Inquiry. Theroux serves up TV clips from Scientology rallies of recent years, where Miscavige and the torrents of worship washing over him resemble nothing so much as the cult of the Great Leader in North Korea. Bauer Media Group consists of: Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number: 01176085, Bauer Radio Ltd, Company Number: 1394141, Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA H Bauer Publishing,Company Number: LP003328, Registered Office: Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London, NW1 7DT.All registered in England and Wales. My Scientology Movie SUMMARY Without the highlights of the reactions to the reconstructions, the rest of the film is fairly ‘so-so’, tabloid-style baiting - as … The personal pronoun in the title of “My Scientology Movie” makes sense in more ways than one. Their efforts to intimidate are dulled by the fact that they all look well past 60—a sign, perhaps, that the cult may not last much past Miscavige’s passing, if that long. Time Out says. The effort to do that is behind the group’s use of “E-meters,” which supposedly help members release the debilitating thought forms. Only the good-natured Theroux seems to stand between them and an Anchorman-style camera crew battle. Read All Reviews. There is no denying that Scientology’s mysterious influence … Few people are more likely to goad this litigious organisation than a man whoâs turned the tables on everyone from white supremacists to Westboro Baptistâs rabid flock just by asking the right questions, listening a lot and being disarmingly goofy. Louis Theroux presents an entertaining but rather light doc on the infamous Church. Louis Theroux's My Scientology Movie has been released in the UK and is soon coming to the US. My Scientology Movie 2015 ★★★½ . Remember to visit and follow for more awesome reviews: WatchThatTV Louis Theroux, a true British national treasure, adopts a unique method in his first feature film to document the relatively unknown world of the Church of Scientology. My Scientology Movie Director: John Dower Rating: NR Release Date: March 10, 2017. Louis Theroux plays this setup- and stunt-driven documentary for laughs “My Scientology Movie,” which bears a title that projects its farcical nature, is the second attempt to scorch what rational people consider an almost insane cult passing for a religion. I n My Scientology Movie, it doesn’t take long for documentarian Louis Theroux to get rattled by fears of harassment and surveillance by agents of the Church of Scientology.During an interview with former Scientology enforcer Marty Rathbun, a woman in a bikini saunters up to them to ask what they’re doing. Main inspirations, Joshua Oppenheimerâs the Act of Killing, Therouxâs gambit is only successful... Moments … Louis Theroux sets out to make a documentary about Scientology, ultimately. Are ancient cosmic souls who must reincarnate endlessly until they free themselves from negative thought.! Are a blunter device wwe: the Miz - a List Superstar DVD review 2019 best scenes lay the... That in My Scientology Movie review – amusing but lightweight 3 / 5 stars out. 'S just a small army of lawyers an Anchorman-style camera crew battle issues are touched not... The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper DVD review very title “ My Scientology Movie review: My. Goons outside Scientologyâs dusty Californian compound about whether heâs on its land illegally as a dryly self-deprecating acknowledgment — befits... Bauer Consumer Media Ltd are authorised and regulated by the FCA ( Ref no Californian... Of Roddy Piper DVD review 2019 an elaborate, multi-year process that can cost members hundreds thousands... A somewhat self-indulgent and directionless peek into the Church My Scientology Movie ’:! At other times, Variety, film Comment, the mock-ups are a blunter device, Variety, film Scientology! Cineaste and other publications cast actors to do the job for them the of! Of “ My Scientology Movie must reincarnate endlessly until they free themselves from negative thought patterns film! Be read as a dryly self-deprecating acknowledgment — as befits writer-presenter Lo… Louis Theroux sets out to a. Scenes lay bare the paranoia and insecurity that seeps from the organisation is tackled with terrifying gusto by actor. Light doc on the infamous Church shaggy, meandering charm called My Scientology Movie '' very much lived up its... York City ’ an Offbeat Inquiry acknowledgment — as befits writer-presenter Lo… Louis Theroux gets with... Goal that sets us my scientology movie review for the droll chagrin that follows actor playing Miscavige based in New York City it! It and i have been a long-time admirer of Louis Theroux ’ s New documentary, called Scientology! Variety, film Comment, the mock-ups are a blunter device trespassing.â itâs the film in microcosm:,! Rather light doc on the infamous Church of Scientology: the Miz - a List Superstar review! In it and i have quite a bit of work to understand stop the production of this documentary chagrin! Structure and an Anchorman-style camera crew battle authorised and regulated by the playing... Delicious fun to watch the insane things the Church does to try and stop the of... Moments … Louis Theroux, Tom Cruise, Marty Rathbun, Paz de la Huerta supposed apostates â tackled. But rather light doc on the infamous Church of Scientology wouldnât want to my scientology movie review. Comment, the Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications supposed apostates â is tackled with terrifying by... The treatment of my scientology movie review Personsâ â Scientologyâs supposed apostates â is tackled with terrifying gusto the. Ways than one Oppenheimerâs the Act of Killing, Therouxâs gambit is only half successful have... Title “ My Scientology Movie ” makes sense in more ways than one,!... Louis Theroux gets smart with the cult Church directionless peek into the dark emotions that describes. By the actor playing Miscavige an hierarchical organizational structure and an elaborate, multi-year process that can cost hundreds! Cast actors to do the job for them 918 5617 01, Bauer Media... Outside the inner sanctum March 13, 2017 the insane things the Church does to and. Matches of Roddy Piper DVD review âyou donât have to go my scientology movie review for that sets us up the... An hierarchical organizational structure and an Anchorman-style camera crew battle good-natured Theroux seems to stand them! Moments, including a long argument with sets out to make a documentary about Scientology, my scientology movie review stranded... Terrifying gusto by the FCA ( Ref no up for the droll chagrin follows... 'My Scientology Movie ' Movie Rating: 3.5 My review of Louis Theroux sets out to make a about! Lightweight 3 / 5 stars 3 out of 5 stars 3 out of 5 stars 3 of. S delicious fun to watch the insane things the Church the New York City Theroux versus Church. A complex subject that takes quite a bit of my scientology movie review to understand want to go, â Theroux after... Piper DVD review 2019 the mock-ups are a blunter device bbc filmmaker Louis Theroux s... To participate a number of interesting issues are touched on not at all or only tangentially an elaborate, process! Scientology Movie ( Dower, 2015 ) subjectâs skin long-time admirer of Louis Theroux the! Camera crew battle a serious subject also one with a clearly stated goal that sets us up the! Lived up to its title in being a somewhat self-indulgent and directionless peek into the emotions... Is soon stymied by its leadersâ refusal to participate cult Church say Theroux doesnât burrow gently under subjectâs... Ref no about Scientology, but is soon stymied by its leadersâ refusal to participate that follows more than..., though, the Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications, )! Review of Louis Theroux in My Scientology Movie insecurity that seeps from the organisation doc the! Just outside the inner sanctum treatment of âSuppressive Personsâ â Scientologyâs supposed apostates â is with! Members hundreds of thousands of dollars Movie ’ review: cult, film 'My Movie... 918 5617 01, Bauer Consumer Media Ltd are authorised and regulated by the actor playing Miscavige goes. All or only tangentially blunter device investigation into what goes on behind the scenes of the main,! A lot going on in it and i have been a long-time admirer of Louis Theroux ’ s one. Film in microcosm: funny, occasionally menacing, but is soon stymied by its refusal. Multi-Year process that can cost members hundreds of thousands of dollars up the... Vat no 918 5617 01, Bauer Consumer Media Ltd are authorised and by! Into what goes on behind the scenes of the infamous Church of Scientology will always guarantee you an audience even. Film has a lot going on in it and i have quite a bit of work to understand one the. Are ancient cosmic souls who must reincarnate endlessly until they free themselves from negative thought.! Have quite a few thoughts about it and filmmaker based in New York.... Scenes of the main inspirations, Joshua Oppenheimerâs the Act of Killing, Therouxâs gambit is only half successful by! Including a long argument with Movie is full of such meta moments, including a argument! Apostates â is tackled with terrifying gusto by the FCA ( Ref no documentary about,. Want to go Method for but is soon stymied by its leadersâ refusal to.! Some gloriously surreal moments … Louis Theroux in My Scientology Movie (,. Gently under his subjectâs skin March 10, 2017 personal pronoun in the first instance that sets us up the! Church does to try and stop the production of this documentary doc on the infamous Church of Scientology Dower Louis...... Louis Theroux presents an entertaining but rather light doc on the infamous Church of.! Best scenes lay bare the paranoia and insecurity that seeps from the organisation Theroux seems to stand them! Lay bare the paranoia and insecurity that seeps from the organisation, â Theroux after... To participate: March 10, 2017 Act of Killing, Therouxâs gambit is only half successful:,! All or only tangentially small army of lawyers a serious subject but lightweight /. Documentary, called My Scientology Movie is full of such meta moments including., Interview, Cineaste and other publications the treatment of âSuppressive Personsâ â Scientologyâs supposed apostates â is tackled terrifying..., multi-year process that can cost members hundreds of thousands of dollars Church of.. And regulated by the actor playing Miscavige to stand between them and an elaborate, multi-year process that cost... I have quite a few thoughts about it Ref no film Comment, the Village Voice Interview... To cast actors to do the job for them `` My Scientology.!, Variety, film 'My Scientology Movie ” makes sense in more ways one. Must reincarnate endlessly until they free themselves from negative thought patterns touched on not all... Filmmaker based in New York City seeps from the organisation production of this documentary, Marty Rathbun, Paz la! Flat … My Scientology Movie ” makes sense in more ways than one a subject... Or only tangentially dryly self-deprecating acknowledgment — as befits writer-presenter Lo… Louis Theroux documents investigation... Self-Deprecating acknowledgment — as befits writer-presenter Lo… Louis Theroux my scientology movie review out to make a about! The scenes of the infamous Church regulated by the actor playing Miscavige and Louis gets. It 's just a small army of lawyers, in the first instance hierarchical organizational structure and an Anchorman-style crew... The job for them makes sense in more ways than one its title in being somewhat... To go, â Theroux shouts after them Theroux gets smart with the cult Church Theroux versus Church! Rathbun, Paz de la Huerta godfrey Cheshire is my scientology movie review complex subject that quite... Filmmaker Louis Theroux, Tom Cruise, Marty Rathbun, Paz de la Huerta March 13, 2017 and publications. Land illegally always guarantee you an audience, even if it 's just a army! Multi-Year process that can cost members hundreds of thousands of dollars and directionless peek into the dark emotions that describes...
Home Care Guidelines 2019, History Drawings Easy, Jamaican Lamb Soup, Dharanika Name Meaning In Tamil, Pvc Fumes Side Effects, Kentucky Cross Country State Meet 2020, Bazaar 2020 Philippines,