Calvary

After the fantastic The Guard, John Michael McDonagh’s follow up has been eagerly anticipated. Be warned though that Calvary is a change in style and tone from his directorial debut that may leave some disappointed. Teaming up again with Brendan Gleeson, we kick off with a verbal assault on the ears as during a confessional an unseen parishioner explains to Father Lavelle (Gleeson) that he was sexually abused by a priest when he was child and that he will take revenge on the Catholic Church by killing Lavelle the following Sunday. Lavelle pretty much takes the threat in his stride and the film follows him as he goes about his business for the week, mixing and speaking to a number of eclectic people that are resident in the town. Gleeson is great as always, but the film gets a bit lost in its addressing of it’s weighty issues. McDonagh has said he made this film as he wanted to tell the story of a “good” priest, which in effect he has done, but the constant church bashing gets tiresome, highlighted by a forced scene where a father “protects” his lost daughter from the kindly Lavelle. It’s more dramatic than funny (though the occasion moments do produce some hearty guffaws), but the storyline doesn’t hook you like it should due to the slow pacing and a cast of mainly unlikable characters. McDonagh has a way with a script though and the films conclusion will certainly play on your emotions. Throw is some beautiful cinematography and the end result is an above average production overall but, unlike The Guard, this is unlikely to warrant further viewings. On that note it’s rumoured that McDonagh is teaming up with Gleeson for a third time for a film where Gleeson will play a paraplegic ex-copper who hates able-bodied people. Now that sounds a bit more like it…..Rating: 7/10.