Of Gods and Men

I don't do movie reviews, but my wife and I saw an exceptional film last weekend.

"Of Gods and Men" is French with English subsitles, but don't let that put you off.  

There's relatively little dialog in the film, but its images -- sometimes of only a face -- are very moving.  

It's all based on a true story that took place in Algeria during the late 1990s.  

A small Muslim village that grew up around a Catholic monastery gets caught up in an Islamic jihad.

The monks have to decide whether to stay or flee the violence. The decision they make, how they make it, and its consequences are the movie's spine.

In terms of bad press, the Catholic clergy have probably been second only to Muslims in recent years. This beautiful movie reclaims them both, without pulling any punches or sugar-coating anything.