MACHINE GUN PREACHER – The Review

MACHINE GUN PREACHER is an unusual entry into the biographical film genre. Like other works this one involves ongoing news events, but it’s unusual nature reflects the title subject. Sam Childers is as a preacher ( or pastor ) of a small church who, unlike other men of faith that embrace pacifism, takes up arms ( like machine guns as in the title ) in order to protect the innocent from evil. These ideological conflicts should leave many film goers with much to discuss after the lights go up at the multiplex.

After a horrific pre-credits sequence set in a remote Sudanese village, the film heads to Pennsylvania to introduce us to Childers ( Gerard Butler) as he is released from jail. It appears that incarceration has not changed his ways. After some reunion sex while parked off the side of the road, he and his wife Lynn ( Michelle Monaghan) return to the trailer park where they’re greeted by their young daughter and his mother-in-law ( Kathy Bates ). Sam and Lynn get into a fiery argument. After joining a local church, she quit her job at a local strip club.Minutes later, Sam kicks open the trailer door and returns to his favorite tavern. There he meets up with his party pal Donnie ( Michael Shannon ) and soon Sam picks up where he left off. The two are boozing, shooting up, and ripping off a local drug dealer. When one of their wild nights almost ends in a fatality, Sam finally decides to change his ways. He joins his wife’s church, starts a construction business, moves the family into a new house, and eventually ends up building his own church. Before branching out on his own, Sam hears a missionary tell of his work in Uganda. Inspired, Sam travels there to use his building skills. During some down time he chooses to visit the Sudan instead a party hot spot. Accompanied by a local soldier, Sam’s horrified by the conditions there. Children march from their village into the town to sleep at night to avoid being kidnapped ( the boys are trained for combat ) by rebel forces. Later Sam walks through a burned out village and sees a boy killed by a land mine. Now Sam has a mission: to build an orphanage school in Sudan. He divides his time over there with his life in the states. He tries to raise funds and keep his family and church going ( he’s become the pastor of his new church ).Childers soon becomes a man of two worlds. In Pennsylvania he fights apathy ( and often hostility ) in getting the money for his overseas church and in Africa he literally battles (packing an arsenal ) alongside a small group of soldiers to protect the children.

In many ways the film itself is of two worlds. We’re shown how a man on the path to Hell can make a detour and become a caring husband and father. And we also see him taking up a noble cause and fighting fire with fire. It’s a spiritual awakening drama and a Rambo-like shoot-em-up. It seems to have a tough time meshing ( particularly in a scene in which Childers preaches that, ” God wants wolves, not sheep!”). It also veers into the controversy which THE HELP has encountered, namely poor, black folks that need to be rescued by a noble white man. Putting the ethical issues aside, the film becomes repetitive. The battle scenes are a loud fury of gunfire, running, and explosions ( lots of rocket-launchers ). It’s at least 25 minutes too long. The actors do their best to make the material work. Butler has taken a much needed brake from “rom-com” hell, but is not completely convincing as this “Pennsylvania hillbilly”. He still seems to be struggling with his accent work. Monaghan and Baker have little to do besides look on with concern at the pre-pastor Sam and smile encouragingly at him later. The real stand out is Shannon’s Donnie who tries to change his ways with Sam, but can’t quite find his way out of the booze and drug fog. I look forward to his next roles. MACHINE GUN PREACHER should be commended for a shining a light on this troubled part of the globe, but it takes a fairly simple approach to the conflict.

Overall rating : Three Out of Five Stars