Reviews for this film from our members:
- Marco Albanese @ Stanze di Cinema [Italian]
- Excerpt: McDonagh va controtendenza e pur tenendo sempre presente lo scandalo dei preti pedofili che ha flagellato il suo paese, lo lascia sullo sfondo, decidendo di raccontare le contraddizioni di un pastore che cerca di guidare i suoi parrochiani con l’umanità ed il buonsenso più che con la fede. Padre James non è certo un santo: beve come tutti gli irlandesi, risponde a tono alle provocazioni, è sarcastico.
- José Arce @ LaButaca.net [Spanish]
- Excerpt: John Michael McDonagh y Brendan Gleeson vuelven a formar equipo en una propuesta que nos invita/obliga a mirar al abismo que late dentro de cada uno de nosotros. Un mazazo emocional fascinante, conmovedor, aterrador, terrible y divertido a un tiempo. Genial.
- Chris Barsanti @ PopMatters
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat @ SpiritualityandPractice.com
- Excerpt: An impressive morality play about an Irish Catholic priest forced to suffer for the sins of others.
- Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: It’s the Stations of the Cross in an Irish fishing village soaked in despair, drink and debauchery…”Calvary” is divine filmmaking.
- Tony Dayoub @ Cinema Viewfinder
- Excerpt: …quite powerful in all respects, setting out to delineate the beleaguered priest and his not so loyal flock through a passion story of a sort, propelled by an arresting opening scene.
- Mark Dujsik @ Mark Reviews Movies
- Excerpt: Writer/director John Michael McDonagh’s exceptional and exceptionally thoughtful film concerns itself greatly with matters of sin.
- Susan Granger @ www.susangranger.com
- Excerpt: Intense and compassionate, it revolves around the complicated concept of forgiveness.
- Roderick Heath @ Ferdy on Films
- Excerpt: Calvary’s seriousness of intent reveals itself steadily, a palpable anger and mournfulness about the State of Things, but this is also a vitally funny film, with verbal comedy lethally sharp throughout.
- Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: Calvary is the hill in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. And that’s a pretty good description of how I felt after this film was over.
- Travis Hopson @ Examiner
- Excerpt: Part existential comedy, film noir, and commentary on the scandalous Catholic Church, McDonagh’s ability to balance three competing tones is a thing of pure beauty.
- Kristin Dreyer Kramer @ NightsAndWeekends.com
- Daniel Lackey @ The Nightmare Gallery
- Alan Mattli @ Facing the Bitter Truth [German]
- Excerpt: Following in the footsteps of Buñuel, Bresson, and Bergman, McDonagh delivers a darkly funny yet wonderfully thoughtful, philosophical, even existential film about the good Samaritan facing the cynicism and indifference of his fellow men.
- Matthew McKernan @ FilmWhinge
- Excerpt: Calvary is an interesting mood piece and a fascinating examination of the state of the Church and of faith in Ireland today, but it really needs some of its own ideas.
- Brent McKnight @ Paste Magazine
- Excerpt: When Brendan Gleeson and John Michael McDonagh get together, magical things happen.
- Ross Miller @ Thoughts On Film
- Excerpt: It gets you laughing and leaves you thinking, grabbing you from minute one and not letting go until its haunting final shot. Brilliant.
- Simon Miraudo @ Quickflix
- Darren Mooney @ the m0vie blog
- Excerpt: It won’t have mass appeal…
- Jamie S. Rich @ DVD Talk
- Excerpt: One you are in, you can’t jettison yourself, you can’t detach, no matter how touchy the events you are watching. To do so would be to betray the humanity on display.
- Jonathan Richards @ www.jonrichardsplace.com
- Excerpt: Forgiveness is the value Father James places above all others on his progress toward his Calvary on Sunday. It’s a concept with many facets, a ground strewn with mines, and it makes a terrific movie.
- Andrew Wyatt @ St. Louis Magazine
- Excerpt: Father James’ seven days of good works, reflection, and suffering evoke the Passion of Christ, although the priest is no saintly figure, just a flawed man with a stubborn sort of integrity.
