Here's a question for the ages: Can fimmakers produce a truly original film about Jesus? <br /> <br />Mel Gibson's extraordinary The Passion of the Christ is the rare exception that proves the rule - most films in that crowded genre are tired, derivative affairs. <br /> <br />It's all the more reason to celebrate Risen, a modestly budgeted drama set in the days following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. <br />A faith-based Christian film co-written and directed by Kevin Reynolds (Tristan & Isolde, Hatfields & McCoys), Risen is an innovative narrative that tells Jesus' story from the point of view of a most unusual character, a fictional Roman official named Clavius who helped execute Jesus in the first place. <br /> <br />Portrayed by Joseph Fiennes as a charismatic, intensely intelligent army officer, Clavius and his assistant (Harry Potter's Tom Felten) are asked by Pontius Pilate (MI5's Peter Firth) to find out how Jesus' body disappeared from his tomb. <br /> <br />Slowly, the Roman wakes up to the truth of what Jesus' followers preach. <br /> <br />Risen, which features Cliff Curtis (Training Day) as Jesus, plays like a clever procedural. While it descends too often into the melodramatic, it's a solid, smart picture and a welcome addition to the genre.
