It does not exploit women, pander to prurient tastes or intend to arouse. And, in its own way, it is devout. If the film had not become an international cause celebre, I can imagine a scenario in which, instead of being attacked by one wing of the church, it could have been embraced by another wing, as a thought-provoking statement on Mary's humanity. As I suggested earlier, the film is not very good. People who have not seen a lot of films by Godard will find it especially slow-moving.
Scenes are shapeless and often lead nowhere.
There is a curious detachment, a lack of emotion. The actors are too passive. Although some of the story elements, such as Gabriel arriving in a jet plane, may sound satirical, the film handles them in a serious, deadpan, non-comic way. While you are conducting your service tonight, other Catholics will be picketing Facets Multimedia, which is showing the film. My own feeling is that the people on the picket line will be protesting a film most of them have not seen and will not see.