INFIDEL

I hadn't heard much about this film save for one trailer recently. I didn't have much of a desire to see it but with so few new releases hitting cinemas due to COVID-19, I took a flyer on it. The film is obviously low budget, not a lot of marketing behind it, and it's not going to break any box office records. People will notice Jim Caviezel as the lead who plays Doug Rawlins, an outspoken American religious blogger. He's invited to a religious conference in Egypt that he attends to discuss the similarities between Christians and Muslims, rather than our differences ("to build bridges" in his own words). While there, he's gets kidnapped and taken to Iran where he's tortured and placed on trail for being an American Spy. Jim is the only redeeming aspect of this film. He's calm, confident, and unapologetic about his beliefs (both in the film and real life). His wife Elizabeth, played by Claudia Karvan, lacks any sort of emotion of a woman who's husband is kidnapped and put on trail for his life. The marriage between Doug and Elizabeth in the film is rocky due to a prior accident that shook Elizabeth's faith but not Doug's. Other than that and one other scene, she's completed detached in her performance. In addition, she's too naive and trusting (especially in a foreign country where strangers seem to know her and want to "offer her assistance," which she accepts before finally questioning if they're being truthful or not). Finally, the story is a bit lite and could have used some more meat to not only flesh out the story but also the characters, and the dynamics of their relationships. 4.5/10