TV Reviews : Biblical Duplicity in TNT’s ‘Jacob’

The story of Jacob, as recounted in the book of Genesis, is filled with even more twists than the average Old Testament tale, thanks to the astonishing levels of duplicity resorted to by its principals. The amount of sheer lying that occurs therein--even (especially?) by the hero and his beloved--has on occasion confounded Sunday school teachers, but, of course, is just the sort of double-dealing that helps drive a good TV movie.

Which is where TNT’s “Jacob” steps up to the ladder. As the second in a series of Bible sagas made into telefilms, “Jacob” enjoys the distinct advantages (at least in television terms) of not only having a younger, handsomer leading man than the earlier “Abraham” but also of operating from source material full of sex, lies and combat with angels.

Before Jacob (Matthew Modine) gets his hip thrown out of joint by that wrasslin’ heavenly messenger near the climax, he has a lot to learn. At the start, he’s a mama’s boy, a conscientious but bitter lad encouraged by his mother to steal his hunkier, hairier brother Esau’s (Sean Bean) birthright. This he does by disguising himself as Esau just long enough to fool his sightless father, Isaac, and receive the blessing that will lead to the establishment of Israel.

Bad blood inevitably ensues, and the shamed-yet-blessed Jacob runs for his life to uncle Laban’s (Giancarlo Giannini) outpost, where he works for nothing for seven years in return for the promise of landing Laban’s lithesome daughter Rachel (Lara Flynn Boyle).

Sir Peter Hall, longtime leader of Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, keeps the story moving at just the right clip, without an undue amount of narrative embellishment. This desert saga (lensed in Morocco) is a little on the dry side, though; surely there’s dark humor inherent in these turnabouts that could’ve stood to be played up some.

And Modine, though creditable in a tough gig, never is quite able to convey a passion that would lead a fellow to engage in fisticuffs with a divine emissary.

For the most part, though, “Jacob” admirably strikes the near-impossible balance hoped for: a biblical telefilm textually faithful and sober enough to work as a church study tool and just saucy enough to suffice as the stuff of which movies of the week are made.

* “Jacob” airs on TNT Sunday at 5, 7 and 9 p.m., with repeat broadcasts Wednesday and Dec. 10, 11, 14 and 17.