Review: Calvary

156. Calvary
Sometimes a movie is just not really my thing, and that's the case with "Calvary". For a while it was intriguing, but as the film went on it became more obvious that there wouldn't be a satisfying ending coming, and I started to become detached from the viewing experience.

The most praiseworthy element of the film is Brendan Gleeson's performance. He alternates between many states and shades of emotion while always staying grounded in his character. He plays a Catholic priest who, in the film's opening moments, is visited in the confessional by someone who promises to kill him in one week's time as revenge for their abuse at the hands of a different priest years before. This is a compelling way to start a film. The exploration of a small town's dark side is well done for a time, especially when the camera is allowed to linger on shots of the Irish countryside. These landscapes are typically seen in cinema as the backdrop for fantasy films, and their appearance here, accompanied by a dark, imposing soundtrack, is unsettling and effective.

The film's first major mistake comes early. While we, the audience, are presented with a whole town full of suspects, Gleeson's character admits that he knows who has threatened him. He just won't reveal it. This makes what could have been a fascinating central mystery far less interesting. Having characters hold back information from the audience is one thing, but actually informing the audience of this deception defies all logic. Much of the film's attention is spent on exploring the town and the relationships that Gleeson has with various members of the community. If he had been trying to solve the mystery of who was trying to kill him, his interactions with the other characters would have been much more exciting to watch. In "Twin Peaks" the "who killed Laura Palmer" mystery served as a gateway through which to explore the title town. The mystery of who was out to kill Gleeson could have been a similar gateway if it had actually been a mystery to him.

This one mistake took most of the wind out of the film's sails. Watching a man go about his life in the week before he knows someone will try to kill him is not nearly as interesting as watching a man try to save his own life. I understand that is not the film the filmmakers wished to make, but I think this was a mistake. The film had other problems as well. Gleeson's character has a dog who, the second it showed up, I predicted would get killed at some point. While this is an effective technique (at least for me, as I am very sensitive to the suffering of animals), it is also lazy and clichéd--it may manipulate me into feeling a certain way, but I am more than aware that I am being manipulated.

This is the kind of film that may appeal to some people. Just not to me.

C-