Calvary (2014): A Looking Closer Film Forum

At Christianity Today, Alissa Wilkinson got my attention early by saying,

Calvary

I love that. "I don't think it will be winning any awards from the Christian world. ... It takes place in a universe very like ours."

Then I saw it and enjoyed most of it very much, until...

...the end, when admiration grew into deep gratitude. The more I reflect on it, the more I'm certain that this will remain one of my favorite films of 2014.

John Michael McDonagh's movie has its weaknesses — primarily in its resemblance to UK comedies about country communities full of colorful characters; you know, shows like Ballykissangel, in which characters who reveal more than one character trait are the complicated ones).

But the movie's strengths are remarkable and, in the case of its lead actor, formidable. I have a feeling that its reputation will grow, and that critics' respect for it will deepen over time.

I meant to write you a review. I knew it would take a lot of time and attention. And... well, I haven't found the time and attention that the film deserves. So instead, for now, I'm going to share the reviews and commentaries that resonated with me (with thanks to J.A.A. Purves, who shared some of these links at ArtsandFaith.com).

Let's start with a review at The Curator, where my friend Joe Kickasola writes,

CalvaryThe Apostle

Calvary is another.  There is nothing particularly remarkable about the artistry of the film, but one must respect that as humble and wise restraint in the wake of Brendan Gleeson. It’s his film, his cross to carry, and he does so, admirably.

In an article at Reel Spirituality about big screen priests, Gareth Higgins writes,

Calvary

At First Things,Lauren Ely asks,

...

[Calvary is] a surprisingly complex, if imperfectly executed, meditation on the nature of sin and mercy, set in the epicenter of the sexual abuse scandal.

Responding to that review at The National Catholic Register, Steven Greydanus writes:

essay at First ThingsCalvary

Justin Chang at Variety says:

Amid all the accumulated waste and despair, two scenes stand out for their extraordinary tenderness: a beachside reckoning between the priest and his troubled daughter (a superb Kelly Reilly), and a thoughtful conversation with a woman (Marie-Josee Croze) who has lost her husband but not her faith. Hope, it seems, has not been completely extinguished. And yet, as it follows the priest on the lonely walk to his own personal Golgotha (the seven days of his journey conjuring any number of biblical allusions), “Calvary” makes clear, with utter conviction, that the Church’s incalculable abuses have exacted and will continue to exact a terrible human price ...

Jonathan Romney at Sight and Sound:

The film’s claim to moral and philosophical substance rests partly on the formidable shoulders of Brendan Gleeson, whose muscularity as an actor makes him more than credible as a man wrestling with the dark forces of human fallibility

In Financial Review, John McDonald writes:

Diary of a Country PriestThe Nazarene

At Urban Cinefile, here's Louise Keller:

... Plaiting strands of drama with gentle black humour, McDonagh has created a solid platform for the superlative Gleeson whose soulful, grounded presence is a compelling guide for a rich insight into the small coastal village inhabitants' sins and virtues. Like the pull of a quicksand, the deeper we tread, the more we are sucked in; this is a complete work that beautifully showcases life's contradictions and complexities.

And finally... Josh Larsen at Larsen on Film:

CalvaryCalvary