Aarcflick

 Presenting the story of a struggling “nobody” whose exploits parallel those of Jesus of Nazareth in AD 33, “The Book of Clarence” is less “The Life of Brian” and more a fan-fiction version of the gospels, although the star of the same name of Jeymes Samuel's latest film (played by LaKeith Stanfield) shares the living situation of the protagonist of Monty Python with his mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). And, like Brian, he is a "very naughty boy," at least at first. Unlike Martin Scorsese's "Life of Brian" or "The Last Temptation of Christ," Samuel's reworking of the New Testament is unlikely to offend anyone of Christian faith, other than avowed racists or people who are staunchly opposed to the use of the term “son of a bitch”. By giving the last days of Christ an allegorical and contemporary spin, “The Book of Clarence” is more concerned with entertainment value than delivering a sermon. The results are tonally erratic, but absolutely intere...