Review of Calvary (2014) by Mikael H — 10 Jan 2015

After a mysterious person confesses that he will kill innocent Father James as payment for his suffering at the hands of another priest, Father James is faced with a week to wander his final days in a world where God appears to be dead.

Its a bleak yet comical film that manages to stir a sense of frustration in the viewer on behalf of the priest as everyone in the town mocks and belittles the idea of God and the Catholic church. Its an entertaining observation of the state of religion in the world today and could be taken one way or another in terms of its intent.

Its almost cartoony in parts but strikes an interesting balance by experimenting with its degrees of seriousness and humour. The film is filled with a mix of characters, all equally unmoved and unrepentant - Father James being another, refusing to apologise for his faith.

But as the film observes and attempts to illuminate the many and murky definitions of sin, from adultery to church corruption to murder, Father James himself makes a definitive statement in his final days that there is too much talk of sin and not enough of virtue: forgiveness being the biggest.