Calvary

2014 • 100 minutes

À propos de ce film

A good man intent on making the world a better place, Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is continually shocked and saddened by the spiteful and confrontational inhabitants of his small country town. One day his life is threatened during confession. He shrugs off the altercation and continues to perform his pastoral duties, trying as best he can to help his parishioners. Soon, however, the sinister and troubling undercurrents he has tried to ignore start to make their presence felt more keenly, and as the forces of darkness close in around him he begins to wonder if he will have the courage to face his own personal Calvary. (Original Title - Calvary) CALVARY FILMS LIMITED / THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE 2013.

Notes et avis

It's kind of like "Father Ted" but without the intelligence, the wit and the acting ability. It has all the profundity, intellectual depth and philosophical heft of a Stevan Seagal movie. The characters are cartoonish, the plot is ludicrous and the dialogue is ridiculous. One of the worst best-reviewed films I've had the misfortune to see.

I'm looking forward to the third in the Guard trilogy. The poor acting, dodgy sound and meandering narrative doesn't prevent the the movie from working as a whole. The story is of a good man being forced to leave the area he is needed the most, feels fresh and provides a nice contrast to recent religious movie topics. Its about the importance of trust and the need for forgiveness; and by the end of the movie you are left fully aware that this is the fact.

After seeing Brendan Gleeson in The Guard, I expected a similar fare but was pleasantly surprised. Here, he delivered a more subtle part that worked far better - contrasted against the crazy group of character that punctuate the story. The Irish scenery provides an ideal backdrop for a sad story, it is almost another actor in the plot. If you like your films to be deliciously unpredictable, then this may be for you.