Review: Calvary

Released: 11^th April

Certificate: 15

Director: John Michael McDonagh

Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aiden Gillen

The first scene in Calvary encapsulates the film perfectly: it is tense, surprising, brilliantly acted and possesses twin veins of humour and menace. Brendan Gleeson’s Father James Lavelle is threatened with death by a person from his small County Sligo village whilst in confession. He knows who his would-be killer is; we do not. The film follows Father Lavelle over the following week, which leads up to the death-date set by his assailant.

Quick disclaimer: although I will try not to reveal any major plot spoilers, if you’d prefer to go in completely cold to this film (which I recommend), read no further and just skip to the verdict.

Calvary is less a whodunit than a ‘who-might-be-about-to-do-it’, and as we follow Father Lavelle it seems like everyone in the village has a bone to pick with him and the church he represents. However, while the audience is playing detective Lavelle himself has a far weightier task: deciding how likely the mystery confessor is to make good on their threat.

Gleeson’s skill is undeniable and it is evident from the first scene- a minutes long close-up shot in which Lavelle reacts to the death threat- that his talent stands up to close scrutiny. This same tight framing is often used during dialogue scenes, inviting the audience to look into the eyes of all of the characters and try and work out who could have it in for Father Lavelle. This technique serves to create a confrontational atmosphere, and encourage the audience to really listen to the challenges (and there are many) which are put to Lavelle.

These challenges are at the heart of Calvary, which meditates upon the relevance of the Catholic Church in light of revelations of years of shocking and sometimes systematic child abuse. Initially Father Lavelle appears to be positioned as a living example of the best the church has to offer: he is intelligent, unflappable and willing to traipse endlessly around the village to help his truculent congregation. However, as the film progresses Lavelle is revealed to be a more complex character than the ‘good priest’ we meet in the first scene. The arrival of his daughter, who is recovering from a failed suicide attempt, unearths old problems, and as the troubles of the villagers mount up, we see his initial sangfroid start to fade under the pressure to provide answers. This adds a bitter-sweetness to his counsel: when he says that there is ‘too much talk about sin, and not enough about virtue,’ and that ‘forgiveness is underrated,’ is he being magnanimous or seeking to feel better about his own failings?

Despite the weighty subject matter Calvary has comic moments. The cast make full use of a script which revels in throwing the absurdity of existentialism and religion into sharp relief. It is also a work of metafiction: Lavelle’s response to his aggressor’s shocking revelation which opens the film is ‘that’s certainly a startling opening line.’ This self-referential aspect crops up throughout, notably when Aiden Gillen’s Dr Harte talks about the character of the doctor and what he’s supposed to say as Father Lavelle comes to perform the last rites at a patient’s deathbed. So how does Father Lavelle fit into the story? If his would-be killer makes good on the threat is he a Christ surrogate, dying for the church’s sins? However although these references are interesting, they’re never quite made clear enough to be truly satisfying.

In Calvary, McDonagh and his cast produce a fascinating piece that is part scathing satire and part harrowing drama. Although this is truly Brendan Gleeson’s film, the supporting cast, from Dylan Moran’s feckless ex-financier to Domhnall Gleeson’s teenage serial killer also put in wonderful performances. Patrick Cassidy’s sweeping score and the wind-blasted scenery of rural Ireland provide a stirring backdrop to the action.

Verdict: 4.5/5