{"id":32812,"date":"2020-03-09T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T04:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=32812"},"modified":"2020-03-08T19:08:54","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T23:08:54","slug":"the-jesus-rolls-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/09\/the-jesus-rolls-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jesus Rolls (2020)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As a hardcore fan of \u201cThe Big Lebowski\u201d I felt it was my duty to check out \u201cThe Jesus Rolls,\u201d one of the most inexplicable movies of 2020 so far. For fans of the original 1998 Coen Brothers masterpiece, Jesus Quintana is a familiar name, an adversary of The Dude who is also a very small supporting player in \u201cThe Big Lebowski.\u201d For reasons never quite clarified (or even justified), John Turturro who portrayed Jesus, brings the character back for a pseudo-sequel that is kind of a follow up to \u201cThe Big Lebowski,\u201d but not quite. It\u2019s a surprisingly saccharine and dramatic film and a pretty dull one at that.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hours after being released from prison for good behavior, Jesus Quintana (John Turturro) reunites with his best friend Petey (Bobby Cannavale). Stealing a vintage car parked in front of an upscale salon, they hit the road for a joyride — until the car’s gun-toting owner (Jon Hamm in an abrupt cameo) catches up with them, shooting and wounding Petey. Fleeing with free-spirited shampooist Marie (Audrey Tautou is painfully miscast), Jesus and Petey begin a spiritual quest in myriad stolen cars all while committing a series of petty-crimes and engaging in a three-way romance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Big Lebowski\u201d is a near perfect comedy, but there\u2019s no denying that Jesus Quintana was a one note supporting player with John Turturro providing his obligatory cameo for the Coens. There\u2019s really not a ton of reason why we needed a solo film for Jesus, especially almost twenty five years after the fact. Lo and behold, though, Turturro brings us the adventures of Jesus, a man who is released from prison and has adventures that\u2026 somewhat fit within the Dude\u2019s universe. It\u2019s hard to place when the movie ends, and \u201cThe Big Lebowski\u201d begins. Jesus looks much older, but there\u2019s clear establishing that the jail time was based around Walter\u2019s story from the 1998 movie.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably intentional, though, as Turturro has a lot more in mind for the character, which involve him going on some kind of existential journey. The writers stage a fuzzy narrative that redeems the character for us, but also never shies away from what a bastard he is. Turturro takes great pains in explaining that the whole \u201cpedarast\u201d incident was a complete misunderstanding, and only minutes later, Jesus \u201ccomically\u201d tries to rape Petey in a bathroom. The movie is very much a Lebowski sequel\/spin off in the first twenty minutes as we go through the usual fan service Turturro was probably pressured to check off. There\u2019s the bowling scene, Spanish covers of pop songs, obligatory \u201cNobody fucks with the Jesus\u201d declarations (ad eye roll), as well as his warning of sticking a gun up someone\u2019s ass and shooting until it goes click.<\/p>\n

You\u2019d think the fan service would be a treat, but it instead comes off forced and absolutely clunky. Once Turturro gets it all out of the way, \u201cThe Jesus Rolls\u201d opts for a surprisingly dramatic road trip film that\u2019s more Jim Jarmusch than The Coens. This involves Jesus touching base with his mother, engaging in heavy existentialist dialogue with Petey and Marie, and a meeting with a released convict (Susan Sarandon) who seduces both men. There\u2019s also the climax with a subtly depressing implication toward its characters. All in all, it\u2019s a tedious and dull affair that (without the Big Lebowski connection) might have ended as a mediocre drama comedy rather than an abysmal sequel to a classic.<\/p>\n

Now on VOD and Limited Release.<\/strong><\/p>\n