Word of God (2017)

Despite references to the family patriarch as "God", this isn't a fantasy story. Word of God is set very much in the real world. It's a vignette rather than a plot-driven story, a tale of a cranky man and how his wife and three sons deal with him while trying to maintain their dignity and sanity.

The youngest son narrates the tale. He, his brothers, and his mother are all sympathetic characters, relatively normal people, though each has their own beliefs, quirks, and problems. The failure of my-way-or-the-highway Dad to show respect or even empathy for those who disagree drives the story. He could have been portrayed as an easy person to hate, but even with his limitations, it's obvious he is still trying to do good. To that extent, this film succeeds.

Vignettes are usually less than totally satisfying, lacking resolutions commensurate with their conflicts. But this story, despite its interesting situation and fine production, feels emptier than most, because the resolution is largely driven not by action but by happenstance. Since Word of God is an autobiographical piece, I can't argue with what it shows, but the result seems to lack impact or message.

NB: Who in their right mind makes onion soup without removing the skins?