Into Temptation DVD Review

John Buerlein (Jeremy Sisto of “Law & Order”) is an overworked and underpaid pastor of the struggling St. Mary Magdalene’s Catholic Church in the October 27th DVD release of Into Temptation from First Look Studios.

John’s soul purpose in life is trying to shepherd his flock and keep his church alive.  One day, a beautiful call girl, Linda (Kristin Chenoweth of Four Christmases) comes in to the church to confess that she is going to kill herself in less than one month, on her birthday.

Linda leaves before John gets a good look at her.  Unable to let the experience go, he begins his own under cover search for the mysterious woman.  His investigation takes him to the dark underground including sex shops, peep shows and brothels.  Despite warnings from his friend and mentor (Briam Baumgartner of “The Office”) and doubts circulating in the church about his leadership, John is determined to save Linda’s life and redeem his own.

Jeremy Sisto first hit the scene as a depressed and deviant brother in HBOs “Six Feet Under”.  Since then, he has had some small movie roles along with his foret in “Law & Order”.  His performance in Into Temptation is nothing short of stellar, considering his lack of previous experience and his previous character personas.

While not a fast-moving drama, Into Temptation is a story that keeps you engaged to the very end.  Sisto’s character, John, is intriguing and charismatic.  The film is well written and directed by Patrick Coyle.  Kristin Chenoweth is gaining respect as a supporting player in films and Brian Baumgartner is great in a role that proves he is not the ditzy guy he portrays on “The Office”.

Into Temptation is a nice drama movie that tells a compelling story about one woman’s pursuit of death, and the man determined to save her life.  One of the best features of the film is a subtle, but poignant ending.  There is a nice surprise in the story that is not over the top compared to the make up of the story and the movie.

MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 95 minutes
Release Date: October 27th, 2009

Grade: B+

Director: Patrick Coyle
Starring: Jeremy Sisto, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Baumgartner

DVD Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews