Calvary (2014)

After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.

Director:

John Michael McDonagh

Writer:

John Michael McDonagh

Stars:

Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly

9 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brendan Gleeson	...	Father James
Chris O'Dowd	...	Jack Brennan
Kelly Reilly	...	Fiona Lavelle
Aidan Gillen	...	Dr. Frank Harte
Dylan Moran	...	Michael Fitzgerald
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Simon
M. Emmet Walsh	...	The Writer
Marie-Josée Croze	...	Teresa
Domhnall Gleeson	...	Freddie Joyce
David Wilmot	...	Father Leary
Pat Shortt	...	Brendan Lynch
Gary Lydon	...	Inspector Stanton
Killian Scott	...	Milo Herlihy
Orla O'Rourke	...	Veronica Brennan
Owen Sharpe	...	Leo

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.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | death threat | confessional | catholic church | priest's daughter | 

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Taglines:

Killing a priest on a Sunday. That'll be a good one.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual references, language, brief strong violence and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

FOX Searchlight [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2014 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Calvario

Filming Locations:

Rush, County Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$956,273 (United Kingdom), 11 April 2014, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,149, 3 August 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,593,460, 10 October 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Bord Scannan na hEireann / Irish Film Board, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the movie Calvary is a reference to the place outside of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified and is described as being on a hill/mountain shaped like a skull. The word Calvary comes from the Latin word Calvariæ which means skull.

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Quotes

Father James Lavelle: Do you use pornography at home?
Milo Herlihy: I feel I've exhausted all the possibilities of pornography.
Father James Lavelle: All of them?
Milo Herlihy: Well, nearly all of them. I'm on to transexual pornography at the moment. Chicks with dicks, you know.

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Crazy Credits

The 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.

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Connections

References Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

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Soundtracks

Run Rabbit Run
Written by Noel Gay and Ralph T. Butler (as Ralph Butler)
Performed by Flanagan and Allen
Published by Chester Music Ltd
Courtesy of Pavilion Records Limited

User Reviews

Nice surprise

I didn't know anything about this film beforehand. When I saw Brenden Gleeson was in it I was pretty sure it would be at least decent. I was not disappointed. In general I found the story enjoyable, interesting and thought provoking.

I guess what I appreciated the most was that it felt original. It included topics that I've personally thought about but not really investigated in any depth. I can't remember seeing another film about these ideas, presented in this way. It's one of those films that entertained me and I felt a little bit more informed for having watched it.

I wouldn't say it is perfect and don't be surprised if you object to some dialog or scenes. In spots the ideas or points being made didn't flow exactly the way I would have liked. A few times I did get the feeling the film was trying just a tiny bit too hard to make a point. But.. few instances.

One caution, this is probably for adults only. I can't imagine this holding the interest of children and young adults.