Mary Magdalene

A restless young woman from the community of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee is given purpose by a maverick prophet named Jesus in this religious drama, which takes a revisionist look at the familiar Gospel tale. In this version, Mary is not the morally questionable outsider on the fringes of Christ's ministry, as she's often been viewed. Instead, Rooney Mara brings to life an individual whose own turbulent inner faith makes her especially attuned to Christ's vision, making her a key intermediary between him and her fellow apostles. It's an intriguing interpretation, but once Lion director Garth Davis's film has showed its hand there are few other surprises, with events playing out along familiar New Testament lines. If genuine dramatic punch is lacking, however, the film's beautiful pastel-toned rendering of ancient Judea is exquisitely achieved. It's also hard to fault the performances of Mara or indeed Joaquin Phoenix, who delivers a touching, careworn turn as a very human Christ burdened by the weight of the fate in store for him.