Calvary

A humble and reputable Catholic pastor (Brendan Gleeson) hears confession from a troubled young man who claims he was abused by a priest as a child and vows to kill the good reverend in exactly a weeks time. With the threat of mortal violence hanging over his head, the cleric must tend to his distressed daughter (a product of his layman days), his dying dog, and the troubled flock of his rural Irish diocese. Reteaming with John Michael McDonagh following The Guard, Gleeson is absolutely tremendous in a powerful and nuance performance.  The film boasts outstanding direction and gorgeous photography even though much of the dialogue is irksome and tends towards self-righteousness.

*** out of ****

The Guard

An police sergeant in a small Irish village sits in his cruiser by the side of the road as a car goes blazing by. Up the road he rolls up on the accident and approaches the driver who lies dead having been flung from the vehicle. He goes in his pockets and takes a hit of acid as he shakes his head at the poor lad. Soon the unorthodox sergeant will be involved in a bizarre murder case tied to an international drug ring and be forced to work with a straight-laced African-American FBI agent working the drug case. "The Guard" is a highly original and very Irish movie by writer/director John Michael McDonagh. It has a very distinct feel which resembles a film from the 1970s, and McDonagh beautifully captures the Irish countryside. Brendan Gleeson has gotten so good at playing these types of roles and he is at his very best here. Don Cheadle is great as well as the no nonsense agent who gradually takes to Gleeson's ways as an officer of the law. This is technically a buddy movie but I did not get that feeling from it, as the characters seemed natural. The movie is very funny and very hard to understand at times, which is part of its charm. For those who are fed up with police procedurals and buddy flicks, "The Guard" should serve as a delightful alternative.