First Reformed

Wow. If I could give this piece of crap 0/10 stars, I would. (SPOILER ALERT) I just got back from viewing what is possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. Don't waste your time with this, because believe me, it WILL waste your time. The shots in this movie are long and meaningless. They will focus on something insignificant for LONG periods of time to the point where it makes gouging your eyes out sound like a good idea. I have never fallen asleep during any movies. I have walked out, but the tickets for this were outrageous, and I didn't want to waste money. God, I wish I had. The movie went nowhere quickly, and I ended up falling asleep three times. The plot was barely focused on. It was thin and watery and all over the place. Viewpoints were contradictory. The message, unclear. Am I supposed to vote for suicide bombers? Oh wait, killing yourself is bad. But wait, according to Reverend Toller, it's a holy act? Wait, is life worth living for? Is this an anti-suicide movie? An environmental movie? A radical movie? An anti-radical movie? WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO VOTE FOR? And don't worry about missing a thing in these characters' lives! You get to see ALL of it. Pissing? Check. Standing there in silence? Check. An alarm clock that doesn't go off but will remain in the shot for 15 full seconds? CHECK (not kidding about this one). People laying on top of each other for a full 40 seconds in complete and utter silence? ...um...yep. And that's where the weirdest scene in the whole movie happened. Reverend Toller and some pregnant girl lay on each other and have an acid trip with some of the worst CGI possible. It looks ridiculous. Why did it happen? I dunno. What's happening? I really don't know. What I do know is that I want to cut my leg off with a spoon. This movie is full of unneeded shots, silence, a stupid plot, an unclear message, and boring conversations. For a (possible) anti-suicide movie, it makes one want to commit suicide. By the end, I WANTED Toller to kill himself. I wanted the stupid bombs to go off and have him die. I'm supposed to vote for this guy, but my brain is leaking out my ears from the sheer boredom, and I was dying for an explosion to take him out and end it already. I have never wanted the credits to roll so bad in my entire life.

I have to urge everyone I can to go see this movie while it's still in theaters. I have often wondered whether people who saw classics during their original releases recognized them in the moment; now I have to believe they do. Perhaps I'm mistaken - but I fully expect First Reformed to appear on many lists of greatest films in 30 years. Unfortunately it seems it will be tragically unappreciated until then. While viewers will no doubt recognize the references to other Schrader screenplays (Taxi Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ), and the strong thematic resemblance to the Ingmar Bergman film Winter Light, this extraordinary story of a minister in the grip of a divine darkness deserves to be appreciated before being compared. A tight script and gorgeously bleak cinematography allow Ethan Hawke to explode onto the screen in nearly every scene. While the entire film is a rare gift of near-perfect execution, Hawke in particular displays tremendous expressiveness in his portrayal of a mind's slow unraveling. Hawke's Toller establishes the key theme early in the film: we're told that we must hold onto both despair and hope simultaneously. Toller's efforts to live this paradox lead him down a path of madness. As Michael (played by Philip Ettinger) makes quite clear, once the idea that despair is realism has taken hold, attempting to continue to live with hope feels at best insincere, at worst hypocritical, and Toller begins to see both of these attitudes at work in his community. This realism structures much of the film (which is why the few moments it strays are so shocking), and necessitates Toller's downward spiral. At its worst, despair causes even genuine concern to appear to be insidious misdirection. What hope can one marry to this kind of despair? Only, Michael suggests, the hope of martyrdom. We discover that existential crises and sincere Christianity make quite the couple. Toller finds he must reject the cheerful face presented by contemporary Christianity, but as an alternative he can find only the Garden and the Cross. The careful logic of it draws us in; it's difficult to see where Toller goes wrong. Is there room for any real hope in this life? Can God forgive us, or must we find redemption ourselves? Toller, it seems, will be lucky to find the answers he seeks.

This is not an example of cinematic genius. Because of the director and references to other films, people seem to think this film falls into the "genius" category. Not so. The movie starts out well, even the exposition (the middle) is good. However, the ending makes no sense whatsoever. If one does not have the references of earlier films, what good is the ending?! Taken on its own merits, the movie, or at least its ending, is a huge question mark. Every movie should be able to be judged on its own, not on its references to earlier works. It's a good excuse for a lot of pseudo-intellectual exposition. The director has played a huge joke on everyone. The movie, in the end, has no meaning. Ethan Hawke is marvelous. If you are a fan of his, see it. Otherwise, don't waste your money . . unless you are into that pseudo-intellectual phoniness/joke that this movie represents.

Some objectively good movies also make you feel good while watching them. Others crush you with weighty material, penetrating emotions and powerhouse performances. 'First Reformed' falls into the second category. Legendary writer-director Paul Schrader returns to his past glorious form with this film. Some 40 years after writing 'Taxi Driver', he unleashes another portrait of a man experiencing a deep existential crisis as he sinks further into despair because of what he perceives to be a failing humanity. Our new Travis Bickle is Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke, in an Oscar-worthy performance). Toller runs a small church in New York state called First Reformed, which has a dwindling congregation of merely a dozen. Nearby, First Reformed's parent church, which has a following of thousands, is headed by Reverend Jeffers (Cedric the Entertainer). Toller and Jeffers clash over their ways to best perform the Lord's work. Toller rejects all physical possessions and scoffs at the financial success of the parent church, while Jeffers futilely attempts to convince Toller that wealth and religious commitment are not mutually exclusive. Toller is not a well man. He struggles to take joy in any aspect of life. His past haunts him, as do the present failures of humanity. His despair becomes increasingly clear with each passing day that he writes in his diary, which was intended to be a form of prayer and offer clarity but instead only serves as a vehicle for him to psychologically self-punish. As his mental health suffers, so does his physical state. He's sick, probably dying, but he guzzles hard liquor daily despite the stomach pain it causes. Perhaps this too is self-punishment. As Toller struggles to find a purpose for his remaining time on Earth, one appears before him when a pregnant parishioner, Mary (a career-best Amanda Seyfried), asks him to counsel her suicidal husband. Toller agrees, but the conversations don't lead to any relief for either party. Toller believes he finds a purpose, but anyone of sound mind would hardly consider it a Godly cause. This all builds to a climactic scene that will leave some viewers in breathless awe and others in maddening disbelief. I took the final moments as a welcome relief after a punishing first 105 minutes, but some may see the abrupt pivot in tone as off putting. In any case, it's certainly spiritual trip and one that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

What an annoying and infuriatingly bad film. A new low bar. People in the theater laughed and groaned at the end. What a waste of talent. Heavy handed and clumsy writing. I don't understand how this train wreck of a film is being seen as anything more than the mess that it is.

Having seen the film last evening after reading many positive reviews, I am dumbfounded by the praise being heaped upon this very imperfect effort. As a Presbyterian ("Reformed") minister myself, I am accustomed to being disappointed at the unrealistic way clergy are portrayed in films. Sadly, this film did no better. Trust me, no 42-year-old seminary-educated clergyperson would speak the way Ethan Hawke speaks in this film. His character sounds like something out of the 19th century, with no awareness of contemporary bible translations, gender inclusive language, or healthy boundaries training. The writer seems to have been totally unaware of the polity (form of government) of reformed churches, and the connectional support systems that are in place to care for troubled clergy. Schrader's depiction of church life abounds in stereotypes and cliches. The hymns used throughout the film are dusty old relics of generations past. The theological dialogue is superficial at best (clearly those who think it's "deep" and "intellectual" have never read a theology book or heard a real theologian speak). The film's message of environmental destruction is delivered with a sledgehammer, as if the audience were too stupid to understand subtlety or nuance. The extremes to which the main character descends are shocking, because they do not seem warranted by his circumstances, nor consistent with his character.The film is so bleak and depressing, one hopes at least for some kind of redemption at the end. What it finally delivers is so contrived and ridiculous, my friend and I literally burst out laughing. My only thought as I left the theatre was, "You have got to be kidding me!" Sadly, it's not a film I can recommend.

Apparently, I am the oldest person commenting on this extraordinary film to recognize that the plot, characters, and pacing can all be traced back to Ingmar Bergman's Winterlight, Yes, Paul Schrader has created a great new original film but we must recognize its sources and failure to do so leaves us withering. You will not have to see Ingmar Bergman's original to appreciate this film, but the fact that so much comes from that film makes it weird to me that no one has recognized it so far. Beautifully executed, gorgeously shot and accomplished acting all contribute to the effectiveness of this film. It may seem a little shallow to some, but it is very worthwhile.

One not to miss. The priest personifies the world's intense conflicts between the unstoppable forces of destruction (our planet, our relationships, the consequences of the Iraq war, the brutality of corporate polluters, slavery, churches more attuned to materialism than spirituality) and the receding forces of gentleness, compassion, prayers. This isn't a religious movie, though profoundly spiritual. It reminded me of Dostoyevsky, Camus and the anguish of existing in a universe so corrupted that even the thought of bringing a child seems like a sin to his father. Both Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried are amazing to watch. And my admiration to Paul Schrader..

I don't normally write reviews with spoilers. This story comes completely undone with in the last five minutes. And does so in such a fashion I managed to practically dismiss everything good from the beginning. The quiet but steadfast Pastor Toller is a token Pastor in a tiny token church financed by a much larger religious organization known as Abundant Life. Toller already has faced a fair amount of pain and loss, his son killed in the Iraqi war only six months into his first deployment, which lead to his divorce. Toller is quietly plagued by alcoholism and guilt as a result. He also has the added anxiety of now facing terminal cancer. A young married couple, Michael and Mary, come to the Pastor for counseling as Michael wants his wife to abort their coming baby. Michael is completely obsessed with the idea of total global environmental meltdown by the year 2050, and can not bear the thought of his child being handed an unlivable world. The good Pastor Toller very much enjoys engaging Michael for the sake of avoiding the abortion, and feels he is gaining ground to give the soon to be father some badly needed hope. The cinematography greatly captures the mood with most scenes so darkly lit and in late fall, just before the advent of a long and cold New York winter. There is a near complete lack of a soundtrack as well to deepen the severity of the conversations and the Pastor's own private musings. Michael then abruptly commits suicide, dooming Toller to find his body minus half his head. Toller now takes on Michael's grave environmental concerns, and it doesn't help when he discovers the main benefactor of his parent church is none other than a man who runs one of the biggest corporate polluters on the list. Toller is already in the possession of a suicide bomb-vest, homemade by the late Michael. The suspense at this point is thick enough to be cut with a knife. But the incredibly weak, silly and scattered ending destroys everything one might be on the edge of their seat expecting. Does he blow up the church with all the evil, rich polluters? No. Does he commit suicide by drinking Drano? No. He instead wraps himself up in barbed-wire and makes out with his girlfriend. I, like everybody else in the theater left shaking their heads in disbelieve, leaving the entire story which was about to receive a solid 8/10 rating, shoots itself down to a 3. Absolutely disappointing.