Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5 stars
What would you do if someone held a gun to your head and told you to question your faith in Christ?
The Saratov Approach is based on a true story. In March 1998, two LDS missionaries, Elder Tuttle (Corbin Allred) and Elder Propst (Maclain Nelson), are following up a missionary contact in Saratov Russia. They're there to meet a young man who seemed to believe in Christ and wanted to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but what the two missionaries faced while entering the apartment wasn't at all what either expected. Immediately the two are pushed to the ground and beaten, eyes and mouth taped, pushed into a car, and posed in a terrifying position holding their name tags for a polarized photo. They are being held captive for a $300,000 ransom.
The movie then becomes a day-to-day successful suspense film, where we see the parents get involved, government workers, federal authorities, and even President Clinton being made aware. All faiths come together to pray for their safety.
Instead of the happy go lucky Tony award winning The Book of Mormon Musical, which chops and mocks everything I hold dear, you see a true reality of the dangers of missionary service. It's what all of us fear when sending out loved ones with nothing more then emails, letters, and two shared phones calls a year (on Christmas and Mothers Day). I know someone personally who, just last year, was beaten by gang members, breaking his jaw. He had to come home early for surgery and be wired shut.
What Elder Tuttle and Elder Propst faced is every parents nightmare. This story is one of faith, of not giving in, and I was very impressed with the quality of the film and the acting. The acting was very good! The two playing the missionaries weren't the only great actors, but the two who played the Russian captors (Nikita Bogolyubov and Alex Veadov) did a superb job as well.
I highly recommend this movie to everyone.
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violence
Awesome! Can't wait to see it!
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