Film Diary 2014: Calvary

Gleeson plays Father James Lavelle, anachronistically wearing his sontane practically 24/7 as he attends to his rounds on County Sligo, Ireland. His week begins with a confession and a threat, that in seven days he will be killed as an act of reparation for the confessor's years sexually abused by Catholic priests, and, the voice says killing a "good priest" would be more shocking than killing a bad one.

James knows who has made this confession, and, as he asked for no absolution James is at liberty to report him to the authorities, though he chooses not to. Instead he continues about his week's work, seeking advice here and there from his superior, but largely engaging - as is normal - with the inhabitants of his parish.

This, on a very basic level, allows a whos-gunna-do-it layer to the proceedings; is it the scowling barman (Pat Shortt), the self-loathing businessman (Dylan Moran), the butcher (Chris O'Dowd) whose wife is having an affair with a mechanic (Isaach De Bankolé), or could it be the athiestic doctor (Aiden Gillen), there are all manner of possibilities. As we meet each character James is engaged in discussions on all manner of topics, from nihilism, the banking crisis in Ireland, God's responsibility for an individual's actions, and love, to name but a few.

Elsewhere James' daughter Fiona (Kelly Reilly) is visiting after a failed suicide attempt, and the push and pull of their relationship acts an extra depth and warmth to a film that could otherwise feel quite cold.

Though there are elements and images here and there that partner this with The Guard, there's also a kinship to Stephen Frear's brilliant Philomena in its look at the fallout of a country's shameful history. But, like Philomena, the emotional resonances extend far beyond country borders, and, with the added bonus of the rich intellectual heft of this film, there is an abundance of resonant material that will leave you shaken once the lights go up.

It's a film to feast upon, one that engages you on every level, full of beauty and horror, sadness and hope. It also asks difficult questions of the audience, never afraid to be provocative, and challenges our passivity as a viewer and what we want to see unfold on screen. A powerful, important, hugely impressive film.

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