It seems there are quite a few actors rolling around, now ready to take on serious roles - not just Ethan Hawke - and small films such as this are the benefactors.
First Reformed is a film much described by the Calvinist church exterior of the first shot, stolid but with a roiling interior. The familiar path of the American independent film is taken, as quite lives are rolled out until they break.
As strong as this piece is, and Mr Hawke is absolutely excellent, the elements of the film don't all land together perfectly so by the end we are not 100% convinced. The back story, the health issues, the environmentalism, the radicalism, the depression; the Calvinism; it needed a better touch to keep a balance than Paul Schrader managed. Two people walked out in the final act in my showing, not I think because of the context but because of the misalignment.
This is still a great film, best served by the scenes with Hawke drinking himself into despond. But less might have been more.
First Reformed is a film much described by the Calvinist church exterior of the first shot, stolid but with a roiling interior. The familiar path of the American independent film is taken, as quite lives are rolled out until they break.
As strong as this piece is, and Mr Hawke is absolutely excellent, the elements of the film don't all land together perfectly so by the end we are not 100% convinced. The back story, the health issues, the environmentalism, the radicalism, the depression; the Calvinism; it needed a better touch to keep a balance than Paul Schrader managed. Two people walked out in the final act in my showing, not I think because of the context but because of the misalignment.
This is still a great film, best served by the scenes with Hawke drinking himself into despond. But less might have been more.