Review of Calvary (2014) by Troy C — 07 Jul 2014

Coming after their fantastic odd couple comedy The Guard, writer-director John Michael McDonagh and actor Brendan Gleeson are back with this darker and more intense tale of a well-doing priest (Gleeson) who is told in the confessional box that he will be murdered in a week for the sins of other priests.

McDonagh is already acclaimed for his razor sharp dialogue, yet he takes it up a notch here, coupling his witty banter with emotional beats that hit on a very deep level. Delving into themes of familial relationships, suicide and isolation, as well as focussing on the fallout of sexual abuse within the Church, this is not always an easy motion picture to watch, but thanks to its intelligence and poignancy it is utterly essential.

A touching conversation between father and daughter (Gleeson and Kelly Reilly respectively) as they walk through a blowing field is perhaps one of the finest, most subtly affecting scenes of the year, and epitomises just how compelling this film is.

As Father James Lavelle, Gleeson is in career-best form; his grounded turn is equal parts depressing, heart warming and humorous, creating a captivating performance that should be acknowledged when award season comes around.

He's given powerful support from an array of recognisable faces, including Reilly as his emotionally vulnerable daughter, M. Emmet Walsh as a reclusive author, Dylan Moran as an arrogant millionaire, Aidan Gillen as a twisted nurse and Chris O'Dowd as a going-nowhere man stuck in life.

Set in the windswept, coastal outskirts of Ireland, McDonagh's movie also looks remarkable, exploring a part of the world rarely glimpsed in cinema and all the more intimate for it. Impeccable, thought provoking, ground shattering: Calvary is a modern masterpiece.