"Religulous" wants to be both saint and sinner, comic documentary and thoughtful exploration of religions and believers around the world. It undercuts its serious side by following an interview with a mocking news or movie clip ("Scarface" at one point) that reminds us the filmmakers always have final say.
Political satirist Bill Maher, working with "Borat" director Larry Charles, raises ancient, important questions but only partially succeeds in exploring, let alone coming close to answering, them. To his credit, Maher interviews his sister and Jewish mother and talks about falling away from the Catholic church as a teen.
Maher and Charles belong to the Michael Moore school of filmmaking, which means go as far as you can until someone stops you. The film's tone veers from serious to mocking (and Maher doesn't need a lot of help with some of the people he interviews), and maybe a comic approach is the only way to get people to see a documentary about religion.
"Religulous" is fast-paced, entertaining and sometimes alarming, funny and thoughtful but not, by any means, heavenly.
Rated R for some language and sexual material.
-- Barbara Vancheri, PG movie editor
First Published: October 3, 2008, 8:00 a.m.
