Through comedy we are able to put subjects into light with a creative spin that otherwise would never garner a laugh. The cross between laughter and complete lewdness is a delicate one because in one false swing you can lose everything you were pushing towards. Writer/director Harry Michell’s (Chubby Funny) newest film Say Your Prayers crosses over murder, religion, atheism with a bit of crime caper tossed in. Brothers Vic and Tim, played by Tom Brooke (Preacher) and Harry Melling (Harry Potter Series), are on a mission to kill an Atheist author in the name of God. What could be a twist on Troy Duffy’s Boondock Saints is less on the violence and more on the human aspect regarding both bothers dealing with such a heavy burden.
The relationship between these makeshift hitmen play off similar to the duo of Bartleby and Loki from Kevin Smith’s Dogma; even though they have and will commit heinous acts they keep the mood light with their witty brotherly quips. Due to their ineptitude in being able to accomplish their task it only furthers the dark comedic overtones throughout. The motivation behind such acts I wish could have been explained further but Derek Jacobi (Gladiator) as Father Enoch provides a powerful dynamic between himself and the brothers to establish a patterned history raising these orphans. Both Brooke and Melling bring their characters to life with Brooke the more erratic of the two while Melling’s Tim is battling within himself and less quick to act. As much as these elements play well into each other I felt there was something missing throughout and that was just wanting a bit more.
I found each element to play well: Tim/Vic’s relationship, Father Enoch’s influence, Tim’s relationship with Imelda but felt it was just a skimming of the top. Each relationship could have been played out further or given more emphasis because by the film’s end there is most certainly repercussions still needing to be dealt with. Although Michell offers a witty yet sad tale of these hit men for God it is not able to offer enough of a resounding effect to stay as a lasting memory.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5
Film is available via VOD on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, YouTube Movies & Google Movies
Top Tier Fandom 