As the film’s focal point, Wilson gives a wide ranging, charismatic performance that both capitalizes on his typical allures and reveals unexpected ones. Though known for his scruffy charm, he is particularly – and surprisingly – effective when angry or anguished. He imbues an inherently unlikeable character with pathos and depth. Similarly, as local zealot Esperanza, co-star Adriana Barraza crafts a layered creation that bounds smoothly between manipulative and didactic and pathetic and kind. The interactions between the two almost redeem the film’s thinness.

Weighty issues are at play, but too often fall through easy cracks. Poole spouts off a handful of fantastic neo-aphorisms, but these fail to support conceits that should be palpable. Also, the film tempers its hefty subject matter with interjections of mini music videos and occasionally stumbles into melodrama (look for Patience’s trite miracle) and obliqueness.

Director Mark Pellington wants to employ his camera symbolically (a potential lover stands behind a chain link fence; a wall separates Henry and a Priest (George Lopez)), but this obviousness often feels contrived. Still, he and Director of Photography, Eric Schmidt, well-use the suburban landscape, creating a couple of pretty shots, notably a juxtaposition of Wilson’s worn face against a sun-drenched Californian sky. As well, an intelligently placed shot of the moon has an esoteric appeal (the moon is a good place to see shapes that may or may not exist).