Machinegun Preacher (2011)
Certified: 16
Duration: 123 minutes
Directed by: Marc Foster
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Madeline Carroll, Souleymane Sy Savane, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon
KRS release
Machinegun Preacher is an adaptation of the memoirs of Another Man’s War of Sam Childers – a former gang biker who, since the 1990s, has dedicated his life to saving the children of Sudan.
The change of title gives the audience an idea of a B-movie, when in actual fact this is a biopic that takes its subject seriously. Many are the biopics that simply seem to tell just another story or a variation of many a familiar tale.
Mr Childers’s story is quite unique and deserves to be seen. The film, injected with an action movie element, has all the ingredients to deliver a message while simultaneously entertaining the socks off its audience.
Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) is a rough biker recently released from prison. He soon finds himself back in trouble with his friend Donnie (Michael Shannon). This causes much consternation not only to his mother Daisy (Kathy Baker) but also to his wife Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) and his daughter Paige (Madeline Carroll).
While he was in prison, his wife converted to a born again Christian and now wants him to follow suit.
Sam only accepts when an incident occurs. He decides to go on a mission to Sudan where he is left horrified by the Lord’s Resistance Army actions.
Soldiers seem to have a freehand murdering and killing, abducting the children to become boy soldiers and sex slaves.
Sam finds help from a soldier called Deng (Souleymane Sy Savane) to open an orphanage.
He then starts to take the law into his own hands. Meanwhile, his family is suffering the side effects of his obsessions and Sam must decide what he really wants.
Gerard Butler embodies the spirit of the character well, as he alternates between action hero and guilt-ridden character. He manages to take us on some dark inner trips along with his character.
It’s interesting to witness his transformation, from a man who demands that his wife take up stripping to earn money, to one who becomes a righteous saviour of children.
This is probably Gerard Butler’s best turnout since 300, where he delivers both drama and charisma.
Michael Shannon as his troubled friend also injects the film with a quota of intensity. Michelle Monaghan does her best Sandra Bullock performance, a thing that she has been doing for quite a long time.
The film brings us close to the horrors that had been perpetrated by Joseph Kony and his army on innocent village people.
The film does not shirk away from delivering its punches; it is an exposé of a news item that sadly gets booted to the news coda since it doesn’t seem to hit too close to home. Under Marc Foster’s direction and Jason Keller’s linear and simplified script, Machinegun Preacher emerges as a well thought- out drama.
The film journeys down the usual path; “white guys saving Africa” – a formula that is as old as time, yet one which possesses that extra flavour and zing.
It’s a film that proves words alone are not enough and that sometimes a stand needs to be taken.
Having the preaching backed up by an AK 47 only adds punch to the film.