DVD Review: The Brand New Testament

If the news here in the U.S. is getting you down, you are far from alone. We have to take breaks from the horror show that is the Trump administration in order to maintain any sort of morale and sanity. One film I’ve discovered that should raise your spirits is The Brand New Testament. Seriously, this is a wonderful film, a total delight from beginning to end. It tells the story of God’s rebellious daughter, who, fed up with her father’s mean methods, decides to change things for humanity by revealing to each person the date of his or her death.

It is told from the perspective of Ea (Pili Groyne), God’s ten-year-old daughter, who narrates the film. The first line is, “In the beginning, you don’t know it’s the beginning.” It’s perfect, right, to open the film with “In the beginning.” She goes on to say: “You don’t know it starts. And, suddenly, here we go!” Indeed! God exists and lives in Brussels, where he’s gone about his business of creating. Right away, the movie tickles me with its images of giraffes in the streets of Brussels, and chickens watching a film, before the invention of man. And then Adam walks in the streets and goes to the cinema, in place of giraffes and hens. Even Eve’s name tag made me burst out laughing. Now God spends most of his time in his office, creating irritating laws like, “Law No. 2128: The other line always moves faster.”

Ea does have some powers, of course. “Just like your brother,” God says to her. And one day when God (Benoit Poelvoorde) leaves his office door open, Ea enters and sees the misery God has unleashed upon humanity. She grabs six files at random (these people will be her apostles), and before leaving, sends messages to every single person, letting them know exactly how much time they have left to live. Except, I suppose, all those people without cell phones (and yes, the film does address that issue later on). And this is just the beginning of the film.

The big question is, what would you do differently if you knew how much time you had left? The montage showing people receiving the messages on their phones is one of the most touching and affecting montages I’ve ever seen in a film. And that’s something I need to point out. As funny as this film is, it also does have a point, something to say, and I was often emotionally moved during the course of the story.

Ea solicits the help of a homeless man named Victor in finding her six apostles, and to act as her scribe in writing down the wisdom of these apostles. She also reveals to him (and to us) that there is no life after death. Earth is Paradise. How differently would people act if they kept that notion in mind? The film introduces us to each of the six people Ea has chosen, including Martine, played by Catherine Deneuve. Meanwhile, God works to track down and stop Ea, and finds himself suffering under his own little rules.

In addition to the humor, there is a lot of beauty to this film, a lot of magic. And it is full of excellent performances. One of my favorites is actually by Yolande Moreau as Ea’s mother, who comes across as timid in the presence of her husband, but who just might be what we all need. Certainly, the United States would be better off with a woman in charge.

Special Features

As is often the case with Music Box Films DVD releases, this disc contains a lot of special features. God Is Among Us: The Making Of The Brand New Testament is a featurette in which cast and crew members joke about working with God. The entire thing basically runs with the joke that God is actually working on the film, and it does get old rather quickly. It is twenty-one minutes. There are also two interviews. The first is with director Jaco Van Dormael, in which he talks about the idea behind the film, the cast, and about the idea of people’s inner music. This is approximately ten and a half minutes. The second is with actor Benoit Poelvoorde, who plays God in the film. He talks about accepting the role without having read the script, and about his role, the film and his own beliefs. This is approximately seven minutes.

There is a special effects featurette, which is presented as a montage set to music, showing how some of the visual effects shots were put together. There is also an episode of Home Cinema, with Jaco Van Dormael, showing some behind-the-scenes footage in addition to the interview. This is approximately eighteen and a half minutes. The film’s trailer is also included, as well as a booklet featuring an interview with Jaco Van Dormael. But perhaps the best special feature is E Pericoloso Sporgersi, a short film by Jaco Van Dormael from 1984.

The Brand New Testament was directed by Jaco Van Dormael, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on March 7, 2017 through Music Box Films. The film is presented in French, with optional English subtitles.