Movie Review: Calvary (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Calvary can be a challenging film to sit through. Given Ireland’s dark history with the Catholic church and sexual abuse, it’s not at all difficult to see why, and John Michael McDonagh’s latest effort deals with this extremely bleak theme in an appropriately dark manner. Part black comedy and part drama, the film focuses on a good priest’s struggles with his establishment’s reputation, as well as his faith. Led by a brilliant performance by Brendan Gleeson, it’s an extremely resonant and memorable little film, and it’s one of the year’s best.
When Father James (Brendan Gleeson) gets threatened during a confession in a small Irish town, he’s given a week to sort his affairs before supposedly getting killed. Rather than cower in fear and run to the police, Father James goes on living, trying to help his community and parish by being there for the people who need his guidance the most, even if their bitterness towards the church has turned them against him. It’s the story of a good man grappling with the nature of his faith when everyone around him seems to have lost all sense of hope.
As I mentioned, Calvary is a dark and slightly twisted experience, in the sense that McDonagh has managed to infuse wry humor into an extremely painful subject matter. The film’s opening scene is a brilliant testament to the balance that was struck between the two; it’s equally frightening and painful as it is funny. I laughed quite a few times during the picture, but plenty of those laughs were more than a bit uncomfortable.
It’s also quite difficult to watch a genuinely good man constantly get skewered for something he himself had nothing to do with. Simply being a priest is enough reason for him to be universally mocked, even by people who turn out to really want his help. Brendan Gleeson gives yet another nuanced, complex performance, and makes you care about Father James just a few seconds into the film. He carries this entire thing, and it’s worth watching just for his work.
The supporting cast, which includes Chris O’Dowd, Aiden Gillen, and Kelly Reilly, is great, and helps make the film’s “who done it?” aspect work brilliantly. Everyone in that small Irish town struts around as if they’re entirely happy and content, when in reality they’re all hiding behind a wall of pain and loss. While James knows who his potential aggressor is, he refuses to reveal his identity to the authorities, and the audience is kept guessing until the very end.
The Verdict:
Dark, honest, strangely funny, and anchored by another brilliant Brendan Gleeson performance, Calvary is one of the year’s finest efforts.
Numerical Score: 9/10
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