Well performed and revelling in the power of its mystery, An Interview with God may not deliver answers but will instigate thought and conversation about its eternal themes.

From the burning bush in The Ten Commandments to Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty, depictions of God have appeared in not so frequent occurrence through the years. The reason is simple: in the portrayal of “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”, there is a very high expectation that no amount of Oscar winning actor or visual effect can live up to. No, to truly appreciate the power of God one must become much more intimate, for God is as much the small as he is the universal. An Interview with God understands this and proves to be a blessing of a faith based movie in the process.

An Interview with God stars Brenton Thwaites (and his fabulously messy hair) as Paul Asher, a journalist whose time covering the war in Afghanistan and crumbling marriage forces him to question his place in the world, and the faith that affirms it. A work assignment with an interviewee who claims to be none other than God (David Strathairn) further challenges Paul and the faith he is clinging on to.

Directed by Perry Lang (Men of War) and written by Ken Aguado (his feature debut), An Interview with God is compelling faith-based drama that deals with its subjects and its characters seriously, without resorting to exploitative sermonising. While there is indeed a message to be shared in its story of faith tested and introspected, it is done so with a maturity and mystery that is compelling and wholly engrossing.

Paul’s story is one that is as intimate as they come, and Thwaites portrays that struggle and intimacy with much dramatic heft in what is most definitely the Australian actor’s best performance to date. On the other side of the table is the always dependable David Straithairn, who gives the right amount of wisdom, intelligence, personality, and a slight hint of cockiness that is both intriguing and entertaining.

Those looking for answers of a divine nature from An Interview with God will be disappointed, and suitably so. Afterall this is a movie, not the Sermon from the Mount. Rather An Interview with God provides a spiritual journey of the cinematic kind that is as fulfilling as it is perplexing, just as it should be.