An Interview with God was far more thought-provoking than I expected. When we pray, we talk to God. Only when prayers get answered do we feel that God has spoken to us. Imagine if we had a chance to actually sit down and have a heart to heart with the Lord.
Paul Asher (Brenton Thwaites) is a veteran journalist who just got back from covering Christians in War over in Afghanistan. While he struggles with PTSD, his marriage is falling apart. The film writers throw you a curveball on this one since you may think you know why his marriage fails when the ultimate reveal occurs much later in the movie.
While he’s trying to take a mandatory break from work, he is summoned to interview a guy who claims to be God (David Strathairn). After the usual questions about the Bible, salvation, and faith, Paul tries to dig deeper into why God chose him but doesn’t get very far.
I enjoyed the interactions between Paul and The Man. They were insightful, filled with meaning and purpose. The film is set around their three conversations, which has many exciting moments to it. Now when I say exciting, I don’t mean action-packed; I just mean they are real. Both characters try to push each other out of their comfort zones, and that’s what made these sit down sessions so engaging. These conversations worked so well because of Strathairn’s performance as The Man. He looked and talked the part. It seemed effortless for him to always be on cue.
An Interview with God will make you think. Whether it is about your own situation or the story you are watching. There’s not a lot going on outside of these conversations, and since it takes place over just a few days, it keeps things straight to the point. I got to admit that the ending is anti-climatic in the sense that the build-up seemed destined for a bigger payoff. Yes, The Man does alter Paul’s life for the better, but I guess I was expecting a little more. 5/10
Ten Stars or Less 