Filmmaker John Michael McDonagh has quickly made a name for himself, with his latest release Calvary the best film work yet in his career.
Taking on the controversial issue of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and infusing it within a murder mystery (where the murder hasn't taken place yet), McDonagh wins bravery points for refusing to join the beat-em-up parade & have his lead character be as a good priest (played exceptionally by Brendan Gleeson). He then scores creativity points by writing a darkly funny, intellectually stimulating, and profoundly tragic story about faith, sin, forgiveness, scandal & cultural identity.
Unique in approach, witty in dialogue & masterfully delivered by his cast, McDonagh's screenplay for Calvary is not only the best of the year, but one of the best seen in some time.
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