REVIEW: Calvary (2014)

I have always been a huge fan of dark comedy. In fact, two of my all-time favorite movies, Fargo (1996) and American Beauty (1999), fit into this genre. In keeping with this month’s “Irish” theme, the Cardinal Film Society’s first member's screening was writer/director John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary, and the film definitely did not disappoint the darker portion of my movie tastes.

The Cardinal Film Society (CFS) screening was actually the second time I had seen the film, and watching it this time was a lot more enjoyable than the first. I was able to pay better attention to the dialogue and interaction between characters because I knew what was going to happen throughout the movie.

Released in 2014, Calvary stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Braveheart) as Father James, a Catholic priest in a small Irish town. The film opens on a close-up of Father James in a confessional, where an unseen man tells him that another priest, who has since died, sexually abused him for years as a child. Because this man cannot seek revenge against his abuser, he announces to Father James that killing a “good priest” will have to do, and that he is planning to murder the Father the following Sunday, giving him time to get his affairs in order. The identity of the parishioner is well known to James, but remains a mystery to the viewer until the end of the film.

The rest of the film follows Father James over the course of the next week where he deals with his impending death while simultaneously acting as a shepherd to his degenerate flock, including Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) as Jack, a butcher whose wife is having multiple affairs around town. Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Frank Harte, an atheist doctor who snorts cocaine and has a morbidly dark sense of humor. Killian Scott (Black Ice) as Milo, a young man who admits to feeling hatred towards women for not being attracted to him and wants to join the army. And Dylan Moran (Shaun of the Dead) as Michael, a millionaire trying to buy himself some morals. Father James is also trying to repair his relationship with his estranged and suicidal daughter, Fiona (played by Kelly Reilly of Sherlock Holmes fame), who he had with his wife before she died and he joined the priesthood.

The one aspect of this movie that really caught my attention was Brendan Gleeson’s portrayal of a Catholic priest. It was interesting to see his character as a man who had a different life before the priesthood, an element that I think made him more patient and realistic in his teachings, his faith and his interactions with the other characters -- unlike his counterpart Father Leary. I also think Father James’ attitude made his exchanges with his parishioners more credible as they were not afraid to speak or act freely around him, which really brought out the dark humor in the movie.

Overall, McDonagh managed to fit in just a little bit of everything with a healthy measure of mystery, drama and comedy. Calvary provides a hard look at faith, sin and the Catholic Church in itself.  It’s certainly got me looking into some of McDonagh and Gleeson’s other work -- such as 2011's The Guard -- and is unquestionably a film I’m looking forward to watching several times again. 

Review by: Megan Fisher
Rating: 4.5/5