- Also Known As:
- Unknown
- Version:
- Language:
- Length:
- 97 minutes
- Review Format:
- DVD
- Year:
- 2013
- Countries:
- Predominant Genre:
- Comedy
- Director:
- Outstanding Performance:
- Premiss:
- After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.
- Themes:
- Alienation | Atheism | Christianity | Corporate Power | Courage | Curative | Destiny | Emotional repression | Erotophobia | God | Grieving | Guilt | Gynophobia | Identity | Individualism | Justice | Loneliness | Loyalty | Materialism | Narcissism | Nostalgia | Original Sin | Personal | Political | Political Correctness | Republicanism | Sadomasochism | Schizophrenia | Sexism | Sexual Repression | Social class | Snobbery | Solipsism | The State | Stereotyping | White culture | White guilt | White Privilege | White supremacy
- Similar to:
Summary: The effects of
Christianity-in-decline upon those who have been manipulated by
Christians.
Brilliant black satire on the decline of Christianity in the Republic of Ireland and, by extension, the entire Christian world; that is, those countries where Church & State share political power over their citizens.
One of the few truly good characters here is on his way to his own personal calvary, especially as no-one particularly likes him since he represents the failure, moral-corruption & hypocrisy of Roman Catholics. Indeed, by trying to be as politically mediocre as possible, so as not to come to any definite conclusions about anything, in particular, most of the characters avoid confronting any real life-or-death issues. The question of whether or not god exists has become more important to Christians - as Christianity declines - than moral questions of right and wrong. Such distractions are implicit proof that the decline is actually taking place and not merely assumed.
Refusing to protect children from sexually-predatory priests is the usual White indifference to human suffering, their psychopathic lack of empathy, their uncritical worship of authority figures - just because they have been made authority figures. The latter then arrogantly- and egocentrically-abuse (since they can then more easily get away with it) the implied trust of the gullible who chose not to see that by allying itself to the power of the State, the Catholic church gained political power it could not have gained in any other way - spiritual power being far more ephemeral than worldly power. So much so that the priestly cassock has now become something of the uniform of the pedophile - with a large, invisible P
embroidered on its rear.
Christianity has achieved little of value (save a worldwide social club) and frequently embodies evil (collaborating with the Slave Trade, the Nazis, pedophile priests, etc). Yet, there is nothing on the horizon to effectively replace Christianity - except the moral vacuum on display here. Morality has become something to be rote-learned and talked-about, but never truly lived-out. (A sequel would, perhaps, suggest what could replace Christianity as a valid spiritual worldview.)
The cast are exemplary, first-class performers; playing often small roles with complete commitment. They make the best of what they are given to fully-reveal what motivates their characters. This is testament to the world-class quality of the director’s writing and his ability to attract some of the greatest acting talent, anywhere, in a film that offers truly important insights into Caucasian anomie while never, itself, becoming self-important. This is that very rare work: A frequently hilarious movie with solid intellectual content made by someone who loves his culture but fears for its very future.
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