The Prophet

This animated adaptation of Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran's inspirational volume of essays—a passion project from producer/actress Salma Hayek—reframes the simple premise of the 1923 book as a political allegory with spiritual dimensions. The noble poet Mustafa (voiced by Liam Neeson) is a political dissident released from house arrest and promised freedom as long as he returns to his homeland forever. As he's being led out of town by a pompous, somewhat sinister Sergeant (Alfred Molina), he is feted by the grateful villagers and invited to wax eloquent on love, marriage, work, children, and other topics, taken directly from Gibran's poems. Some are read by Neeson in a rich, gravelly, compassionate voice, others are transformed into songs, and all are set against lovely, expressionistic animated sequences directed by talented guest filmmakers, including Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues), Joann Sfar (The Rabbi's Cat), Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells), and Oscar winners Joan Gratz and Bill Plympton. The rest of the film is directed by Roger Allers, who co-directed The Lion King, and he brings a Disney quality to the central story, ranging from the slapstick humor around a mute girl named Almitra (a character created for the film) to the design of the caricatured villains (although The Prophet features some fairly dark material and is not a kid's film, per se). Fans of the beloved book will appreciate this respectful adaptation, while others may find it too new-agey, but the guest sequences are beautiful works in their own right. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an animatic version of the film (83 min), a segment on the animation (15 min.), “An Interview with the Filmmakers” (13 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film featuring striking animation.] (S. Axmaker)