The Sin Eater Details

The undead have it all their own way in this religious farrago which is not so wild nor so profound as it thinks it is: it suffers, sadly, from a terminal case of farcical script. Working with the romantic leads from his medieval fantasy, A Knight's Tale, writer/director Brian Helgeland has constructed what might be called a roman policier about young priest Alex Bernier (Heath Ledger) who's sent to Rome with whimsical love interest Mara (Shannyn Sossamon) to investigate the suspicious death of his mentor, Father Dominic (Francesco Carnelutti). Dominic was involved in the dreaded practice of the sin eater who literally absolves people by consuming their moral offences. But the film's candle-lit goings on, familiar religious trappings and diabolical dialogue really diminish the occasional moments of ecclesiastical high thinking: originally called The Order, its new title sums up its freak-show concept.