Without hyperbole I have never been so moved and shocked by a film before. This film sticks in your DNA and you can't get it out of your head no matter how hard you try. (I for one still haven't.) When I first (...) went to go see First Reformed I had heard it was an undisputed masterpiece. I had heard it was from director Paul Schrader, the writer of Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980) so I assumed a bleak film. And in many ways it is bleak. But regardless I wasn't prepared for what I saw. But before we go any further, let's explore the plot.
Ethan Hawke (in a career-best performance) plays Reverend Ernst Tolliver. He is a priest at the Protestant Dutch Reformationist Church "First Reformed" in Upstate New York. Following the death of his son in the Iraq War, he has fallen into a severe alcoholism, often going through a fifth of Whiskey each night. His church, close to celebrating the 250th anniversary, has mostly been absorbed by the megachurch of the city headed by Father Jeffries (Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles, another career defining performance). Soon one event after another seems to lead to Reverend Tolliver's life and spirituality falling apart. Due to his alcoholism he soon finds out he has advanced stomach cancer. He meets a radical environmentalist who believes Humans are destroying the planet and that his unborn son will inherit a dead Earth. The young man soon commits a (gruesome) suicide, leaving his wife Mary (Amanda Seyfried) alone and extremely pregnant.
I don't feel the Oscars solidify an actor's worth, but Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, and Cedric Kyles all deserved Academy awards for their performances. (None were awarded). Hawke especially shows a sadness, bitterness and pain in his face that makes him a truly tragic figure, and Schrader's direction of close-ups articulates this well. By the end of the film, one of white knuckle, hallucinatory intensity that goes from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, your heart is on the verge of breaking and you are close to losing your faith much as Reverend Tolliver has. Cedric Kyles, you may only know from terrible sitcoms and stand up, plays a straight man so well you may not recognize him. And Amanda Seyfried brings a warmth and kindness to a otherwise bleak, heart-rending film. And the film is dripping with gorgeous imagery and symbolism. An unforgettable film (if you dare)
Rating **** out of 4
Comments