Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature material in thoughtful, powerful Irish drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
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Calvary
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
- In theaters : August 1, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : December 9, 2014
- Cast : Brendan Gleeson , Kelly Reilly , Chris O'Dowd
- Director : John Michael McDonagh
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fox Searchlight
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual references, language, brief strong violence and some drug use
- Last updated : March 13, 2020
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