Judging by the stark poster featuring Brendan Gleeson in full priest attire on a desolate Irish beach, it was difficult to tell whether Calvary, the second film from The Guard (2011) director John Michael McDonagh, would feature any of his debut’s caustic humour. Were it not for the tagline “Killing a priest on a Sunday. That’ll be a good one”, Calvary looked to be a morose affair of bleak, intriguing drama. After establishing a cracking high concept it is clear from the start that the cutting comedy of its predecessor is very much present and, as the plot unravels, it compliments both the characters’ eccentricities and the haunted darkness at the story’s core.
Brendan Gleeson is Father James; a hairy, humble and widowed priest, who, whilst in confession, has his life threatened by a man wanting to kill him in the not-so-distant future. The film follows James as he mingles with the locals (a shower of twisted town folk) in a community whose spirit lies somewhere between Royston Vasey and Craggy Island and quietly comes to terms with his encroaching demise. Unravelling like a murder mystery, even though one hasn’t been committed, McDonagh’s screenplay weaves absurdist traits, genre elements with heavyweight issues of faith versus family dedication into its characters and narrative. James knows who it was that threatened his life but the audience doesn’t and this simple yet ingenious angle engages the viewer at a visceral level, forcing them to psychoanalyse the town folk while observing their colourful antics and kinks.
There are few red herrings and plot twists. Calvary is more a brooding character study, while emerging themes embellish its ominous ambience, making the crisp, sardonic dialogue all the more delightful. Underlying themes are evoked via solemn cinematography combining Coen Brothers’ quirks with Kubrickian bleakness and there is solid support from Kelly Reilly as James’ daughter and Chris O’Dowd as a quirky town butcher. Calvary’s plot and characters untangle majestically while the protagonist’s unnerving tensions mount and James struggles, not with his faith, but whether what he is doing is the right thing. Despite the starkness Calvary is a bold and beautiful film that glistens with poignancy and scathing humour then blossoms into a cathartic masterpiece.
Daniel has awarded Calvary five Torches of Truth
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