recommended

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I caught a showing of Of God and Golf at the Eugene International Film Festival, and it was far and away the best picture in the festival. Ryan Mains holds down his director's chair effectively. There is nothing technically spectacular on display here, but he shows good instincts with his actors, and I predict that he could really tear things up in television comedy. More importantly, his screenplay is bulletproof.The real centerpiece of the film is the performance by Michael Teigen as God, played (almost) throughout for shock, raunchiness and belly-laughs. One highlight sequence flashes back to God's quest for inspiration while designing the female genitalia. Draped in an unbuttoned white linen shirt, God stands, eyes fixed out into the ocean for a vision, dripping with all of the melodrama of a Telemundo soap opera, while he rattles off slang terms for feminine anatomy over the narration. This is a powerhouse comedic performance. Morgan Freeman and the late George Burns should be ashamed of themselves.It would be safe to say that American director Kevin Smith is a source of inspiration to Mains and his crew, but aside from one plot point in the final act that skirts uncomfortably close to Chasing Amy territory, Ryan's screenplay avoids cheap imitation and does a fine job finding a style of its own. This is due primarily to the chemistry between the two central males. Hence, when Teigan pulls back a bit during the final act of the film in order to make room for the love story, a loss in momentum is felt. The romance here is strong enough and hits mostly all of the right notes, but doesn't hold up in pure popcorn value to the comedy. Still, as a calling card for Ryan Mains, this is a movie that shows off impressive versatility.This could kill at a hipper festival than the EIFF. Programmers, are you reading this? A hit is what you make of it, and this one has all of the essential ingredients. Don't let it fall by the wayside!

I was fortunate enough to see Of Golf and God tonight at the Eugene International Film Festival. I enjoyed this film from start to end. It is insightful, joyful, funny, and irreverent...undoubtedly one of the most perfectly cast, scripted, and directed films I have ever seen. All of the actors are a joy to watch, especially the two male leads. They play off of each other in the grand tradition of Bud Abbot and Lou Costello, or Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz. Of Golf and God is a laugh a minute, but is not without substance, as it has much that just about anyone who has ever been in any kind of romantic relationship can identify with. The director and some of his crew were at the screening, and I was impressed by how humble and grounded they are! This is a do-not-miss movie, and I am looking forward to future projects from this team of filmmakers.