Molokai: The Story of Father Damien

This well-meaning, at best, self-certified "epic" recounts the story of Father Damien, who in the late 1800s devoted--and eventually gave--his life to aid a colony of lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Battling both the church and the politicians for his cause, the Belgian missionary worked tirelessly to bring both comfort and dignity to the dying in his short, but saintly, life. A numbingly dull tale, Molokai stars David Wenham, who in the lead turn as Father Damien gives a performance as flat as any I've seen, though the surprisingly all-star supporting cast--Sam Neill, Derek Jacobi, Kris Kristofferson and Peter O'Toole (who wisely bows out early)--fare little better. Director Paul Cox, who wrote and directed the brilliant 1987 biopic Vincent, does the best he can with John Briley's plodding script, which somehow manages to find little humanity in such a humane man, but this one should be avoided like the plague. Not recommended. (S. C. Sickles)