After an accidental extended hiatus, this column returns!
The Library is my attempt to watch at least 50% of the films in my DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD home library. This edition focuses on films that tackle religion, spirituality, and faith.
To be included in this column, I can't watch it streaming or catch it at a repertory screening - I have to watch the disc.
Current Count: 669 of 1,704 - 39%
Calvary (2014)
After being threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.
I worked at a movie theater when this film came out. I would stand behind the concession stand and just watch people weep as they left the theater. I didn't get the chance to see it then, but it's been on my watchlist ever since. I also remember a particularly high volume of refund requests - that isn't an everyday occurrence.
A few days ago, before I put the Blu-ray in, I asked a friend of mine, an Irish fella that I knew had seen it, what he thought. His response surprised me. "Oh yeah, that movie was dark. Really funny though." Funny! But people were slobbering messes at the movie theater!
Well, he's right. It is dark and it is funny - the Irish Catholic dark humor kind of funny. And that's not the only thing that makes it recognizably Irish - it does also reach its mandatory three identifiable Irish actors minimum: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, and Aiden Gillen.
But above all, it's a movie about loneliness. Other priest-centered films have addressed this: First Reformed, Diary of a Country Priest. It's a story rich with the theme because despite having a direct relationship with God, there's an inherent quiet in that. There's a weight and a responsibility that no one else feels or understands. There's also an unfortunate stigma attached - Gleeson's character doesn't need a reminder of that, but he gets one anyway. It's powerful stuff. I can see why those audiences had such a strong reaction.
Three Christs (2017)
Dr. Alan Stone breaks new ground for treatment of the mentally ill through an experiment on three paranoid schizophrenic patients who believe they are Jesus Christ.
I spent $21.33 on this Blu-ray.
That's a lot. I only buy Criterion discs when they get marked down to $20. I wait for Vinegar Syndrome sales. Aside from the occasional 4K disc, I never shell out that much.
I don't know why I did that.
Well, that's not true, I suppose I do know why. I thought this movie was a sure-fire diamond in the rough. Even today, eBay prices look similar. Only three thousand logs on Letterboxd (for comparison, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah has 101k logs in just over a month on Netflix) and no word of mouth is surely a good sign, right? That just means I'll be the person to spread the gospel, pun intended.
A hidden gem! How could it not be? Look at that cast! Three great actors (Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins, Bradley Whitford) play mental patients who all believe themselves to be Jesus Christ. It'll be an acting masterclass! Who cares about anything else, that'll be all I need.
Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Believe it or not, the trio doesn't really get much to do. Obviously, anything too over-the-top or playful would be dismissive or unsympathetic to the real-life story being told here. But you think it would at least be...compelling? Provocative? Memorable? But it just isn't really any of those things. A lot of their acting work is introspective. It's internally, not outwardly, spiritual. It's serious.
That does mean, unfortunately, that when paired with an uneven script, it's just kind of bland. Think again about that plot and again about that cast and then think about the fact that I called it bland. What are the odds?
$21.33!
Thunder on the Hill (1951)
Sister Mary presides over a convent where a convicted murderess, who is being escorted to Death Row, is stranded by bad weather. She is slowly becoming convinced that Valerie is innocent so Sister Mary sets about to clear the girl and bring the real killer to justice.
I didn't really know how to end this spiritual trilogy (despite being on a Scorsese binge, I didn't have all 161 minutes of Silence in me), so this last entry is a bit of a stretch.
Thunder on the Hill is one of the three films in Kino Lorber's second Film Noir: The Dark Side Of Cinema set and the second film from the set that I've seen. Just like The Price of Fear, it's fine! It's a dramatic melodrama, the mystery is mysterious, and the title Thunder on the Hill is the worst title when you have options like:
Nun for the Hills
All for Nun and Nun for All
Crime and Nunishment*
*I cannot take credit for these.
Credit: Each plot synopsis comes from Letterboxd via TMDb.