SEQUEL CATCH-UP: THE JESUS ROLLS (2020) * ½

The Jesus Rolls isn’t exactly a sequel to The Big Lebowski.  It’s more of a spin-off/prequel featuring the character of Jesus (John Turturro, who also wrote and directed).  It’s a remake of a ‘70s French movie called Going Places with the Jesus dropped in as the main character.  It’s liable to disappoint fans of The Big Lebowski and leave everyone else scratching their heads.

Jesus gets out of jail and reconnects with his buddy Petey (Bobby Cannavale, who left his charisma at home).  Along with their mutal girlfriend Marie (Audrey Tautou), they wind up getting entangled in a series of misadventures while committing several crimes along the way. 

It's obvious Turturro has a lot of love for the character.  I just think he should’ve given the movie some tough love.  He was such a presence in Lebowski, but here, he just seems a little sad and tired.  Seemingly unsure how the audience would take a “pederast” as a main character, he goes through great pains to show it was all a misunderstanding up front.  It’s odd that the movie goes out of its way to show he’s not such a bad guy, but then never does anything to endear him to the audience.  So, then we’re left wondering… what was the point? 

Sadly, the more the film tries to trade in on the Lebowski cult, the more desperate it feels.  There’s no comic momentum whatsoever and any dramatic moments seem to be caught by accident.  The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you realize the character is one-note, and what worked in small doses in a cult classic only gets you so far in a limited release spin-off. 

It's a shame because the supporting cast is stacked.  We have Christopher Walken as a warden, Jon Hamm as a hairdresser, and Sonia Braga as Jesus’ mother.  You can tell they’re just chomping at the bit for something to do, but the script never gives them the opportunity. 

Occasionally, you can see what Turturro was going for.  Susan Sarandon invigorates the film when she shows up halfway through as a jailbird the boys pick up fresh out of prison.  More often than not, the movie Turturro was aiming for didn’t quite make it onto the screen.  Ultimately, the Jesus Rolls a gutterball.