After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
59K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writer
- Stars
- Awards
- 9 wins & 32 nominations
Videos5
- Director
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- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Father James is a small-town priest in Ireland whose Sunday confessionals suddenly include a threat to kill him in a week's time as a matter of principle. Deeply troubled and conflicted about how to respond, Father James tries to go on with his calling through that week. However, that proves impossible as he is confronted with a troubling variety of spiritual challenges from both his estranged daughter and his own parishioners. In those dispiriting struggles, Father James' life begins to fall apart as time runs out towards a confrontation that seems to crystallize his values and what he wants his life to be. —Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
- Taglines
- Killing a priest on a Sunday. That'll be a good one.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for sexual references, language, brief strong violence and some drug use
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe role of Freddie Joyce is played by Brendan Gleeson's real-life son Domhnall Gleeson. The two actors share only one scene together.
- GoofsAs Father James drives to the airport, we see that his mirror is reflecting an entirely different image than the environment surrounding him.
- Quotes
Jack Brennan: I think she's bipolar, or lactose intolerant, one of the two.
- Crazy creditsThe closing credits are inter-cut with empty shots of every main location that Father James Lavelle and his daughter Fiona had a significant conversation in.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Film '72: Episode dated 5 March 2014 (2014)
- SoundtracksThe Dolphins
Written and Performed by Fred Neil
Published by BMG Rights Management Ltd
Licensed Courtesy of EMI Records LTD
Top review
Surprisingly Far-Reaching
At the end of the film I reflected that this was a far bigger film that I had been expecting. The issues explored in the film really do come together at the end. The credits roll silently and I noticed that the full cinema was very quiet and remained so for a much longer time than usual.
The problems in the Catholic church have had repercussions and this parish in Sligo is losing its faith. This loss of faith is portrayed very vividly, it is expressed more strongly than in reality I think.
The film revolves around the character of Father James Lavelle played powerfully by Brendan Gleeson. As Father James visits his parishioners there is much humour, often quite dark. The script has many choice lines. A man arrives to give a lift to a female parishioner who has been sexually promiscuous and she says "here is my ride".
Father James Lavelle is a likable priest, grappling with applying the church's teachings in the modern world. It is a thankless task and always his objective is undermined by the failures of the church itself. Father James's character is contrasted with that of a younger priest he shares the parish with (David Wilmot). The younger priest is very much part of the institution of the church and his loyal naïvety is humorous and infuriating.
Father James' life is threatened at the beginning, but this film is not a detective story, it is not Father Brown. Father James knows who threatened him but we the audience are not let in on the secret. The logic behind the threat is described ingeniously as events in the film come to a head at the end.
The problems in the Catholic church have had repercussions and this parish in Sligo is losing its faith. This loss of faith is portrayed very vividly, it is expressed more strongly than in reality I think.
The film revolves around the character of Father James Lavelle played powerfully by Brendan Gleeson. As Father James visits his parishioners there is much humour, often quite dark. The script has many choice lines. A man arrives to give a lift to a female parishioner who has been sexually promiscuous and she says "here is my ride".
Father James Lavelle is a likable priest, grappling with applying the church's teachings in the modern world. It is a thankless task and always his objective is undermined by the failures of the church itself. Father James's character is contrasted with that of a younger priest he shares the parish with (David Wilmot). The younger priest is very much part of the institution of the church and his loyal naïvety is humorous and infuriating.
Father James' life is threatened at the beginning, but this film is not a detective story, it is not Father Brown. Father James knows who threatened him but we the audience are not let in on the secret. The logic behind the threat is described ingeniously as events in the film come to a head at the end.
helpful•7117
- pj-bus
- Apr 13, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Niềm Đau
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,600,006
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $74,149
- Aug 3, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $16,887,741
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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