Calvary

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Calvary Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Mature material in thoughtful, powerful Irish drama.

R 2014 100 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Calvary is a thoughtful drama about an Irish priest. It has lots of mature content, including shooting and blood, a dead dog, and suggested violence against women and children. No real sex is shown, but there's strong innuendo throughout, and one female character is said to be openly having an affair. A male character is shown with his pants unbuttoned, only barely covering sensitive parts, and there's a reference to transsexual pornography. A character urinates on a painting (no body parts shown). Language is also strong throughout, including "f--k," "s--t," and "c--t." The main character struggles with alcohol and is seen drinking excessively and getting violently drunk in one scene. Other characters are shown briefly snorting cocaine, smoking pot, and smoking cigarettes. Other types of drugs are mentioned. Despite the strong material, Calvary is extremely well-made and acted, and it tackles some very interesting, thought-provoking ideas, including forgiveness.

Community Reviews

Ncarb
Ncarb Adult
January 2, 2015
age 16+

thought provoking and beautiful, a grown up piece of cinema.

Brendan Gleeson is on stunning form in the story of a good priest who is told, in the confessional, that he's going to be murdered in 7 days. the clock starts ticking and Gleeson tries to figure out who the murderer is, whether to run or stay, and most importantly whether going to meet the murderer in the appointed place, to attempt to talk him out of committing a mortal sin, is sacrifice or suicide. the parishioners around Gleeson, behaving dreadfully, include Chris O'Dowd and Aiden Gillen. Gillen has a speech which stays in the mind long after the film has ended, but a prison scene with Gleeson acting opposite his real life son, steals the movie. the fact that the film grapples with some key questions of faith including Jesus sacrifice v Jesus suicide, and the accountability of the church in cases of sexual abuse, is what makes it a film for older teens; the nuanced questions it raises are maybe just too complicated for younger/mid teens. unapologetically smart, and quietly beautiful. a challenging and thought provoking film which offers no easy answer to difficult questions.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In a small Irish seaside town, Father James Lavelle (Brendan Gleeson) hears a Sunday confession. A man tells him that, as a child, he was raped by a priest -- and he now intends to kill the innocent Father Lavelle in one week's time. Father Lavelle goes about his week, trying to help his flock, having deep discussions, but often leaving things frustratingly unresolved. A beautiful young wife loses her husband in an accident, and he reads the Last Rites. His grown daughter, Fiona (Kelly Reilly), fresh from a suicide attempt, visits for a few days, and they discuss their troubled past. Someone burns down the church. Finally, Sunday comes, and Father Lavelle heads to a pre-arranged meeting place on the beach. Can he save the troubled man's soul?

Is It Any Good?

This is a beautifully composed film centering on a great performance. Director John Michael McDonagh's previous film, The Guard, was great fun, but CALVARY -- which reunites McDonagh (brother of playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh) with his Guard star, Gleeson, and cinematographer, Larry Smith -- is definitely something a bit more.

The movie doesn't generate much suspense from its a simple "countdown" motif. Instead, it's mainly focused on conversations, which are so brilliantly written and so ambiguous that they manage to convey many complex, overlapping ideas. And the cinematography supports the images with nuanced use of space, temperature, and character composition; it's a very visual film, as well as a verbose one. The final, hopeful moments show the entire cast of characters; Father Lavelle has failed to reach many of them, but he did in fact get to a few, touching their hearts. The ambiguous ending is worth discussing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Calvary's violence. What's shown and not shown? How do these decisions affect the story? How many characters are shown with guns, and how are they used?

  • What kind of sexual references did you notice in the movie? What are the characters' attitudes toward sex? What role does it play in the story?

  • What are the characters' attitudes toward drinking? Are there realistic consequences when characters drink/get drunk/use other substances?

  • What are some of the ideas that Father Lavelle successfully discusses with others? What was the content of some of his "failed" conversations?

Movie Details

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