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Calvary
Kill Confession
Ireland / UK 2014
produced by Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez-Marengo, James Flynn (executive), Ronan Flynn (executive), Robert Walak (executive) for Reprisal Films, Octagon Films, Lipsync Productions
directed by John Michael McDonagh
starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Isaach De Bankolé, M. Emmet Walsh, Marie-Josée Croze, Domhnall Gleeson, David Wilmot, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, Killian Scott, Orla O'Rourke, Owen Sharpe, David McSavage, Michael Og Lane, Mark O'Halloran, Declan Conlon, Anabel Sweeney
written by John Michael McDonagh, music by Patrick Cassidy
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is the rare example of a "good
priest", one who does more than just preaching from the pulpit, but
who helps out in the community, who doesn't condemn but forgive, who isn't
interested in his flock's sins half as much as how he might be able to
assist ... and yet, one day during confessions, a man who was raped by a
priest promises to kill him in a week's time. Sure, it wasn't Father James
who has raped him, and he knows Father James is a good man, but in the
(yet-unidentified) killer's mind it wouldn't make much difference if one
shot a raping priest - but shooting a good priest, that would make a whole
lot of a difference. Father James is shocked by the threat, but he
continues to make his rounds, even though he thinks he knows who the
wouldbe killer might be, and even though he knows he's one of his parrish.
He doesn't even go to the police, instead tries to mend what's mendable in
his parrish - including trying to get the life of his daughter (Kelly
Reilly) from a marriage before his priesthood back on track. Whoever it is
delivers blow after blow though, burning down the church, slitting Father
James's dog's throat and the like. And Father James is all but infallible,
getting roaringly drunk once, and insulting his colleague Father Leary
(David Wilmot) to such a degree that he decides to leave the parrish ...
but in all, he does good, mostly, and is sure to keep his date with his
killer ... Chris O'Dowd plays a slightly dim-witted butcher, Aidan
Gillen a cynical doctor and atheist, Dylan Moran a constantly drunk
millionaire, and veteran M. Emmet Walsh an eccentric writer. Calvary
is an extremely interesting mystery movie that is made up mainly by pieces
of social drama, black comedy, character piece and morality play though - to a degree that
the suspense often takes backseat to some subplot or other, but without
ever destroying the picture as a whole. This is thanks to a well-balanced
screenplay, a subtle direction, and of course an excellent cast. Plus, the
ending really packs a punch!
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