By Kyle Osborne
We learn in the first minutes of “Calvary”, an Irish film starring the great Brendan Gleeson as the Priest of a small seaside town, that Gleeson is a good priest, a good man. And that is precisely why his life is in mortal danger.
Inside the confessional booth, a parishioner (heard but not seen) tells the good Father that he was a long time victim of brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy. It has scarred him as a child and now he wants to get revenge and make a statement. The would-be assassin’s logic is that to kill a good Priest and decent man like Gleeson will have a much more profound effect and make a stronger statement than simply killing a Priest known to have been an abuser.
Okay, so our disturbed gunman’s logic may or may not be right, but at least he gives Gleeson’s character a week to get his affairs in order. The Padre has been flat out told that he will be killed on the beach come next Sunday. Period.
So, that sets up the start of a solid story that deftly handles the “problems” of Catholic Priests without (you’ll pardon the pun) being too “preachy.” At the same time, the film’s tone is (again, sorry) “irreverent” and matter-of-fact. This is a Priest who swears, who was once married and then widowed, who has a grown daughter who resents the distance she and her dad share and wants to reconcile, perhaps.
Each day of the week begins with an onscreen title telling us, in effect, how many days are left before that promised day of reckoning. A sort of Agatha Christie-style mystery takes over the narrative. As Gleeson interacts with the townsfolk, we see that there are any number of potential suspects—several folks with a possible motive. And if that procedural approach sounds a bit pedestrian, it’s actually a fun mix of colorful characters, delicious profanity, and some good ole hand to hand bar fighting.
What I haven’t mentioned is that Gleeson actually knows who has threatened his life—he easily recognized the voice in the confessional booth. He tells us as much up front. But we the audience can only guess who the villain of this little story is until it’s finally revealed. You may or may not be surprised by his identity, but that’s really not the point.
What’s the point? Well, as Don Henley once sang: “I think it’s about forgiveness. Forgiveness.”
That’s the point. To have it delivered with such a light touch, by such a great cast, in such a gorgeous Irish burg, makes “Calvary” a worthwhile trip to the art house cinema.
‘Calvary’ is rated “R” and earns 3 out of 4 Stars.
P.S. I was so taken by the beauty of the film’s location, that I found myself on Google Earth, searching for that glorious and ever-present “hill” in the exterior shots. Allow me to save you some time—you can learn what and where that iconic chunk of rock is at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Bulben