So, we saw that Jesus movie. I can't say we were particularly impressed.

I'm uncertain what, precisely, Mr Gibson was trying to achieve with this long slog of a gore-fest (and it was - I've seen zombie movies with less blood). There didn't seem to be any coherent message or theme coming through apart from: "Jesus was betrayed and then he hurt quite a bit for quite a while, and then he died."

Thanks. Really didn't need a movie to tell me that. Especially not in flesh-ripping detail.

I mean, honestly. What do we get out of a movie lavishly depicting every last element of Jesus' suffering? The more interesting aspect for our faith, as followers, is what comes after his death, when those followers have to deal with it, and the resurrection, ditto. (All of it not explored in the movie.) The Passion is really a test of Jesus' faith, if anyone's, and the movie really didn't get very involved in that sort of thing at all (after a promising start, we were left high and dry).

At no point was I challenged in any way by what happened in the movie. The "bad guys" were almost charicatures - totally inexplicable Jews and psychotically sadistic Romans - the disciples and followers bland - Gibson only knows why such a high-profile actress was cast to play Magdalene, when all she did was cry all movie - and the common people completely faceless.

So, confronted? No. Affronted, yes.

(The only good part, in my view, was the casting and depiction of Satan. Androgynous, insidious, slinking around the edges. Beauty of a seraphim, and made the blood run cold. But beyond that - showed up in the wrong places, and was entirely absent where I thought he definitely had a part.)