Post by StevePulaski on Dec 11, 2018 11:41:21 GMT -5
First Reformed (2018)
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Ethan Hawke.
Rating: ★★★½
Former-film-critic-turned-filmmaker Paul Schrader has discussed his introduction and initial love-affair with cinema quite candidly in the past. A man who was brought up under a very religious upbringing, his convergence with both his passion for cinema and his core values converged upon seeing Robert Bresson's film Pickpocket, which instilled something in him to go on and write films like American Gigolo, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Taxi Driver, to name a select few. Moreover, the opening shot of his latest film, First Reformed, is a terrific tracking shot that immaculately frames an 18th century New York church, encasing its elegance, architecture, and stature over the nearby land as if it serves as an ambiguous recollection of America's bygone emphasis on the church and the proper family structure. All of this is done and inferred with stylistic prowess, the likes of which arguably unmatched at least this year in film. It sets the tone very appropriately to boot. First Reformed is meditative yet stern; not romantically nostalgic but rather confrontational in its approach.
The film revolves around Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke), the head-priest of a historical church that, despite its rich heritage, has a rapidly dwindling pulpit. The church was once a stop on the Underground Railroad; now, it's hardly a blurb-worthy tourist attraction overseen by a commercial televangelist/mega-church entrepreneur run by Joel Jeffers (Cedric Kyles, better known as Cedric the Entertainer). One of Toller's few loyal parishioners is a young woman named Mary (Amanda Seyfried), who is carrying her husband's trial while her husband (Philip Ettinger), an environmental activist, harbors the belief that it's immoral and irresponsible to bring a child into the world as it exists today.
Toller, on the other hand, isn't doing so well himself. An alcoholic with a waning grip on his own health, he begins logging a journal, in which he transcribes every thought that enters his mind during his moments of introspection. This leads to an uncommonly wordy, verbose reflection of his sins and misgivings, which leads to the question of whether or not this helping or hurting the devout man of God in the long run. But in his current state and upon spending time with Mary's husband, Toller buys into his long-winded, man-to-man sermons regarding God's disgust with man's destruction of Earth and his creations. Later, this puts Toller in a toe-to-toe verbal clash with industrialist Edward Balq (Michael Gaston), who also gives money to Toller's church, over climate change and man's hand in a rapidly heating planet.
On top of Toller's demons brought on by drinking and self-induced isolation, he's racked up a track-record of a failed marriage brought on by seeing his child die, an affair with his assistant (Victoria Hill), and the rapid fog that's been encroaching on his own beliefs in an increasingly complex world. Long stretches of silence and impressionistic scenes of Toller wandering through industrial forests and Schrader's tightly framed post-cards of modern American landscapes help put a visual on the land in question (though it stretches far beyond borders).
First Reformed is essentially an homage to the likes of Ingmar Bergman and the aforementioned Bresson. It could reasonably be considered a remake of Bergman's beloved Winter Light, another film about a troubled priest nervously observing what he perceives to be a changing world, one victim to man's greed and maybe even God's smite. A more modern equivalent might be Calvary, the impressive film by John Michael McDonagh which followed Brendan Gleeson as a pastor looking to arrange his life after seeing it threatened by a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of the church. Another healthy comparison would be Night Moves, a seldom-seen picture involving rogue eco-terrorists looking to put humans in their place for their actions on Mother Earth. But even with all these dizzying comparisons, First Reformed rises above in the sense that it's a disturbingly modern time-capsule
Schrader's film grapples with a series of complex, lofty issues in a manner some would accuse of being too cluttered, maybe even too ambitious. The fact is that these problems are intertwined. Climate change could easily lead to a discussion about gluttony and American greed, which then segways into a dialog about income inequality and the shrinking middle class, which in turn bloats into a critique of capitalism and the motor of American society. Schrader isn't here to unpack every problem, nor is he here to commit himself to addressing one central issue when there are many at hand. Like a political debate between ardent, qualified individuals, the wheels are spun at a frantic pace insofar that ostensibly every issue gets brought to light in a matter of a few minutes, and we're left with more questions than answers. Schrader's focal points of one man's crisis of faith, climate change, the looming pressure he feels to do something to revert course on a personal and grander scale don't feel tangential but intertwined well in what is ultimately an unsettling, doomy mood-piece.
Ethan Hawke has never been better. In a tour-de-force performance from a man who has had like four by now, he's a very compelling presence who doesn't overplay his hand. The scenes of him writing and drinking, often doing one of those things more than the other, are intoxicating in their own way, and Hawke's internal monologue strikes a conversational lyricism that Schrader has achieved time and time again in his films. Also noteworthy is Cedric Kyles, who might be the real dark horse surprise here. Like other great comic actors who take on dramatic roles, such as Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, Kyles shows poise in a challenging, dramatic role; one that allows him to be more serious but also exude that affable presence integral for a televangelist. Long story short, he needs to keep going down this road.
The more I think about First Reformed, the more I like it. Quickly re-reading the Wikipedia plot synopsis, I find details and subtle cues I missed. I have several interpretations of the ending — something Schrader vocalized as his intention upon polishing both the screenplay and the final cut. This is one of the year's most troubling motion pictures and in some ways, it's one of the most necessary.
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Philip Ettinger, Michael Gaston, Victoria Hill, and Bill Hoag. Directed by: Paul Schrader.