7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan MoranDark humor | 100% |
Drama | 31% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The iconic 1950 noir D.O.A. (not to be confused with its lackluster 1988 remake) posited a fascinating scenario where the film’s hero knows he’s been poisoned and will die soon, and so sets out to discover who his “murderer” is. The frequently grim 2014 drama Calvary posits a somewhat similar setup, though the protagonist’s response to his impending demise is completely unlike the heroic efforts shown in D.O.A. Calvary’s main character is Father James (Brendan Gleeson), a parish priest who hears a shocking confession by someone traumatized over the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandals. This unseen confessor then announces he’s going to kill the Father precisely because James was never involved in the scandal, as if to inflict a greater wound of responsibility. The confessor tells Father James that he'll give the Father a week before killing him, so that Father James can make his peace with God and get his affairs in order. That sets Calvary out on its own peculiar kind of religious quest, where James’ apparent resignation to his fate doesn’t hide the fact (and perhaps even increases it) that James is one tough cookie who takes life (and/or death) as it comes at him. With such an overtly provocative opening scene, Calvary might seem to be setting up an unusual but compelling whodunit, a la D.O.A. Perhaps strangely, then, the mystery angle turns out to be relatively unimportant to what ends up delivering the bulk of the undeniably hefty emotional import of Calvary, and that is the film’s relentless pursuit of the spectrum of faith, especially as filtered through Catholicism, and with a certain undeniable Irish spirit in at least most of the characters. A lot of industry pundits have been touting Michael Keaton’s performance in Birdman as one of the few “givens” in the upcoming Oscar race, but the Best Actor category might be surprisingly competitive based on the strength of Brendan Gleeson’s towering performance in a difficult, at times incredibly quiet but intense, role.
Calvary is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. McDonagh and his cinematographer Larry Smith make the most of the gorgeous but still gritty Irish countryside, offering a number of stunning outdoor tableaux where characters are almost insignificant against the lush green hills and looming gray skies. The entire palette of the film is fairly subdued, with little pop in the traditional sense. Detail and fine detail are still excellent throughout the presentation (check out the pill on Fiona's green sweater, as well as the weave of her bandages, in the second screenshot). Indoor scenes typically offer above average shadow detail, and contrast is consistent throughout the film. There are no signs of problematic digital intrusion on the image, and no overt compression artifacts, either.
Calvary's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is rather subtle, offering gentle immersion courtesy of sometimes rather quiet ambient environmental effects, but providing a nice surround bed for Patrick Cassidy's evocative score (my hunch is this score will also receive an Academy Award nomination next year). Dialogue—and this film is chock full of talky bits—is presented very cleanly and clearly. There are no issues with dropouts, distortion or other problems. Fidelity is fine, but dynamic range is rather restrained.
- A Matter of Faith (1080p; 4:28) is short but interesting, featuring a compelling look at the issues facing Father James after he's told he'll be murdered in a week's time.
- The Role of a Good Priest (1080p; 3:27) plays on the meaning of its title, looking at both functions Father James plays in the film as well as the character Gleeson performs.
- A Father and His Daughter (1080p; 3:47) examines the relationship between the Gleesen and Reilly characters.
Gentle, scabrous, humorous, tragic—Calvary delivers the gamut of human emotions and experience in an often devastating film that is both thought provoking and incredibly moving. Brendan Gleeson is absolutely towering in this role and creates one of the most unforgettable characters of this cinematic year. Michael Keaton had better not be dusting off his "Oscar shelf" just yet. Technical merits are first rate, and Calvary comes Highly recommended.
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