This pious work is clearly designed to send believers into a state of ecstasy, but it may be a bit of a slog for the secular. Essentially, it’s a biopic that takes a trudge through the life highlights of the Greek Orthodox holy man who would eventually become canonised as St Nektarios of Aegina (1846-1920). Russian writer-director Yelena Popovic mercifully eschews all the boring early years stuff and plunges into Nektarios’ story when he is in his 30s; he is played by Greek actor Aris Servatalis, who mainly speaks English throughout.
Already a Metropolitan bishop and living in Egypt, Nektarios gains a reputation among the common people for good works and what will later be considered miracles of healing. This rubs other, less-well-liked priests the wrong way, so like a gaggle of mean high school girls they contrive to block Nektarios from being made Patriarch of Alexandria. So he gets sent to Athens where, after a few years in the wilderness writing religious tracts and teaching young priests at an ecclesiastical school, he establishes a monastery and does various nice things. In what feels like a play at appealing to contemporary audiences, much is made of Nektarios’ championing of nuns, especially those trying to escape enforced marriages. Around the time he gets to Athens he develops a close friendship with his assistant and friend Kostas (Russian actor Alexander Petrov, who is very easy on the eyes if nothing else) which allows for some expository dialogue about Nektarios’ good works and so on.
Even if you are as religious as a lamb before Easter, this will at least be interesting as a document of a particular culture – an experience akin to reading the only random book you find in some spinster aunt’s bedroom while paying a duty visit. And the film goes quite weird when out of nowhere Mickey Rourke shows up covered in bandages, as a man paralysed that Nektarios heals just before he shuffles off his mortal coil.
• Man of God is released on 9 September in cinemas.
