Saving God

    Ving Rhames' strong performance saves "Saving God" from the ash heap of mediocre movies. It is not that the picture is bad cinema, it is just not a particularly well produced film, and has the feel of a low budget film. "Saving God" stores a good message, it just doesn't appear to understand the best way to present it, with some ineffective dialogue, or maybe it is the way it is delivered.

    Ving Rhames, the central character of this inspirational vehicle certainly has no trouble delivering his standard intensity that is his trademark, which essentially brings believability to the eternal message of God's grace. Actor Rhames wears well the stiff clerical collar of the priest of a poor inner city church in a small steel town; that is riddled with drug dealers, their overseer is a menacing minion of Hell named Blaze, played by Dean McDermott.

    Duane Crichton's direction of this Michael Jackson's screenplay presents a compelling story of redemption, however, the viewer must stay with the story lest he lose that which is intended as theme. Thank God for Ving Rhames. The big man certainly does carry this picture on his wide shoulders and it concludes well enough.

    Rated PG13. Released on DVD October 14, 2008