luck be our lady

And the pretty-and-principled-but-so-boring Catholic and Apostolic Church is wonderfully played here by Sergeant Sarah Brown, whose sweet voice sings perfectly the syrupy and substanceless calls of the Church to “Follow the Fold”, the words unheard by any ears, but the pretty mouth gladly ogled.

When the Devil (Old Blue Eyes), needing quick cash, bets the Lord Jesus (Sky Masterson) that He can’t take the frigid Church out to a dinner date in Havana, the bold gambler can’t help but accept.

Jesus appears to the Church, who sees that He’s not for Her, that He’s Danger, and sees it all the more as she feels herself craving His seduction. Sterile Sarah’s perfect, laughing him off, but hopeless to hide her thirst from the All-Seeing Son. He already knows his thousand’s won. But He, nursing too a frenzied infatuation, needs one more word to close the deal, to get the doll’s Fiat mihi. He promises her, on his unblemished Marker, a great catch of sinners if she’ll dine with Him.

Her heart beating hard for it, her reason nudged, to prelapsarian Cuba they fly. The innocent and inexperienced Church gets quickly pissed on Love’s Liquors while Masterson Jesus, knowing well the World and Liquor and Love most of all, keeps a convincing control amid the fantastic dance.

Jesus adores the Church; the Church adores Him. But she lacks faith. Crying for the Church, loving Her, the Lord, even though victory was His, humbled Himself and accepted less, even a thousand dollar loss.

Having obediently taken the L and having descended into the underworld and having participated in another pristine dance number, He truly risks it all. And his wager for the whole World is won. The markers of all Power are His. And while in reality their honor is worth little, while in reality they would need some forcing, we are fine with the film’s eliding over violence and showing us a glad scene of the Father (General Cartwright) gazing upon a room packed with repentants and praising the Church for her missionary gifts.

Audiences are sure to rejoice when the Church leaves her old fruitless life to live with the Lord of Constant Victory, and when even the Devil gets a happy ending and (we hope) an exit from the game.

★★★★★★★