Customer Reviews

The Ministers [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Considering the two major stars and intriguing plot synopsis, I expected a lot more from this movie than it delivered. It had a low budget feel and many technical errors in plot and editing that were confusing and amateurish. John Leguizamo did a good job with the dual part of twins, one disfigured by fire, both on a quest for revenge against slumlords and crooked cops, but they hardly represent a "secret shrouded religious order" as promised in the plot synopsis. Instead, they are merely two bickering brothers living in a crummy apartment, occasionally "shrouding" their faces with ridiculous fright wigs. Harvey Keitel does a fair job with what he is given, but he isn't given much. This is miles away from his performance in "The Bad Lieutenant", and not all of the blame lies with Harvey. Indeed, the character he portrays and his overall performance are entirely forgettable.

Why is the "dirty cop" part necessary? It has no bearing on the story. Why is everyone always angry, shouting, and arguing? Is the arrest of the drug kingpin by Santana a dream or reality, and why is it filmed so differently than the rest of the movie (with a "tacked on" look)? The accidental killing of the third, religious brother is poorly staged and completely unconvincing. A seasoned cop, running into a stranger standing openly on a well-lit corner does not "accidentally" shoot them in the chest. The whole mistaken identity concept that occurs afterward is absurdly unlikely. Santana, supposedly a young rookie, appears to be at least 35 years old. None of the characters resemble the alternate actors chosen to portray them at an earlier age, except for Harvey who looks the same (very old) all the way through, etc. etc. etc.

Overall, this productions comes off as a poor man's version of "Boondocks Saints", with a drastic reduction in dynamic acting, humor and clever dialog, and exciting plot. I rented it at RedBox for $1, and that's all I think it's worth. In fact, had I been informed of the numerous deficiencies in this movie, as I am informing you, I would not have rented it at all.

This little indie is the second movie John Leguizamo produced and stared in for Franc Reyes, the other being Empire, Reyes first film.
When I first saw the movie poster...I though...meh...they are trying to capitalize on the Boondock Saints 2 that hit theaters around the same time, but because I love Johnny Legz and Harvey Keitel...I figured I would give this a shot. While there are slight similarities between the two films THE MINISTERS is no Boondock Saints..and that is a good thing. It is original, and visceral in it's own right. The story is a large one that spans decades but is crammed into a one hour and twentyfive minute film, because of this it seems like the writing is rushed...or perhaps it is the editing which makes the film feel a bit rushed... I guess Reyes does not have the clout to pull of a 3 hour flick yet in his career...this film could have been allot better with more time spent on character development and story arch. That being said I do not think this was a bad movie at all...in fact I LOVED IT.
Johnny Legs plays twins Dante and Perfecto, from the Bronx New York. The two had an accident in the 70's and feel like the lord has given them the go ahead for a little divine vengeance. Reyes does well with what he is allotted in terms of run time, and John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel are stellar...in the film would have not been the same without them. This was one of Keitel's best performances in years...if not ever.
The story develops in a way that can be a bit predictable because of the pacing but it is action packed, and highly entertaining....a must see to start your new year.

From the box @ the rental store, I'd assume that this was about intrigue within the church. However, the story is quite different. John Leguizamo turns in a solid performance as two twin brothers, Dante and Perfecto Mendoza. Orphaned due to a landlord's placing assets over people, they embark on a vigilante mission against wrong-doing fat cats. There's a bit of a modern-day Robin Hood feel, albeit the brothers execute rather than rob. Celeste Santana plays a cop whose policeman father was gunned down. She falls in love with the brother who was not disfigured by fire. The story unravels bit by bit as the hidden relationships and conflicts bubble to the surface. Harvey Keitel plays the partner Joe Bruno. Wanda DeJesus gives a nice performance as Captain Diaz. While not a classic, this is a strong character-driven crime drama. Enjoy!

A bold and challenging gaze about the unsuspected ramifications of religion, ethical politics, race and vengeance around Celeste Santana, a police detective of New York police whose father was killed during his job. the only clue is a pamphlet about a mysterious religious group better known as The ministers.

Thirteen years after the gang has reappeared. Celeste claims vengeance for herself but she will be out of the investigation by obvious reasons. Her terrible loneliness will lead her without knowing an erroneous decision. And then a web of unsaid details around this painful incident will be reopened showing us that in last instance all of us have something to hide; and this statement will even include the good guys.

Once more, Harvey Keitel proves he is overtly, one of the top six actors of his generation, the other five would be to my mind Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, James Woods, James Caan and Robert Duvall, gives a brilliant performance as the police partner of Celeste in this interesting movie.

A convincing, absorbing and dark thriller that well deserves to be watched.

The costume Designer deserves an oscar ,Just not for the work in this Reyes film . Michael Anzalone is an amazing designer crafting a world so real its goes unnoticed.This artist is in a league of his own !

Keitel & Leguizamo, what a crew!
Nah, they aren't partners, but they make the movie memorable.
It's not over the top, very believable.

Cop killers get away with it for years.
Slumlords get out of jail, then whacked.
Clues point to the cop killers.
Let the fun begin.

The only thing not explained is how Leguizamo's face became disfigured.
One assumes due to the slumlord fire, but it's never shown.

Not much eye candy ...

plot > Who killed the cop?
sub plots > What happened?, Who's the bad guy?, Can people heal?

good balance of action, drama, relationships, family, violence & teamwork

This is storytelling.
;)

Those are one and a half hours of my life that I can't get back. Although John Leguizamo did an excellent job in his dual role as twin brothers Dante and Perfecto Mendoza from the Bronx bent on revenge against slumlords and crooked cops because of an accident in their past, I found the movie confusing, disjointed and kind of 'B-movie-ish'. Harvey Keitel is okay but nothing memorable imho as cop partner Joe Bruno. Wanda De Jesus, who I have never seen before, was very good in her role as police Lieutenant Diaz.

The film begins with a teenager witnessing her detective father's murder outside a restaurant by a 'messenger of the Lord'. Fast forward thirteen years ahead and this teenager, Celeste (played by Florencia Lozano), is now a NYPD detective investigating the execution of slumlords, an execution carried out in the same style as that of her father. In the process, she becomes involved with one of his killers.

Not worth the watch.

This little indie is the second movie John Leguizamo produced and stared in for Franc Reyes, the other being Empire, Reyes first film.
When I first saw the movie poster...I though...meh...they are trying to capitalize on the Boondock Saints 2 that hit theaters around the same time, but because I love Johnny Legz and Harvey Keitel...I figured I would give this a shot. While there are slight similarities between the two films THE MINISTERS is no Boondock Saints..and that is a good thing. It is original, and visceral in it's own right. The story is a large one that spans decades but is crammed into a one hour and twentyfive minute film, because of this it seems like the writing is rushed...or perhaps it is the editing which makes the film feel a bit rushed... I guess Reyes does not have the clout to pull of a 3 hour flick yet in his career...this film could have been allot better with more time spent on character development and story arch. That being said I do not think this was a bad movie at all...in fact I LOVED IT.
Johnny Legs plays twins Dante and Perfecto, from the Bronx New York. The two had an accident in the 70's and feel like the lord has given them the go ahead for a little divine vengeance. Reyes does well with what he is allotted in terms of run time, and John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel are stellar...in the film would have not been the same without them. This was one of Keitel's best performances in years...if not ever.
The story develops in a way that can be a bit predictable because of the pacing but it is action packed, and highly entertaining....a must see to start your new year.

John Leguizamo's performance in dual roles as twin brothers, and the intelligent, almost poetic love story that starts to develop - bumped this movie up to a 3-star rating for me. However, the largely irrelevant, mean streets gang violence interjected into the "Ministers" keeps trying to drag the movie down into the gutter - literally.

The potentially engrossing character development is constantly being interrupted by the retaliatory violence of vicious drug lords and the contrived antagonisms of the police station. Harvey Keitel is left to flounder around the periphery of these clichéd departmental power plays, such as the ones that take place between the station Sergeant and the young policewoman whose father was killed by some mysterious, biblically inspired gunmen years earlier. The mysterious gunmen descended, leaving a religious tract at the scene of their crime. When these moralizing murderers resume their attacks, the young cop is admonished, "You're too involved! This is too personal for you! So I'm telling you - you're off the case, and I'll see that you stay off!"

How many times have we heard that before? Needless to say, the young policewoman is soon re-enlisted to investigate the shootings, and finds herself more involved than ever. All this hackneyed violence and vociferation just muddies the picture.

If the writer and Director Reyes had more cleanly stuck to the plotline involving the twin brothers and let us get deeper into their eternally linked yet fatefully divided lives, this could have been a touching film. As it is, Leguizamo's portrayals still make this movie worth checking out.

The story is far from 5 stars because of the disjointed flow of the story. Keeping the "secret" until the end added little to the story or the surprise. Cops make mistakes and like crooks some run away and hide making their partners keep quiet. In this case making their partner pay the price for the unfortunate "mistake". Acting is good, story has holes but will hold your interest. I never understood the "copycats" and their role in the plot. I suggest you rent but don't buy