Thoughts on Calvary
John Michael McDonagh 's latest venture, Calvary, stars Brendan Gleeson and a whole cast of compelling actors, including Chris O'Dowd , Kelly Reilly , Aidan Gillen , Dylan Moran and Isaach de Bankolé . It is probably fair to say that the younger McDonagh stepped out definitively as something more than Martin's brother and creative collaborator with this one. I challenge the reviews that refer to this as a black comedy. It's not black, but rather demonic, humor. Until a point, after which it is not funny anymore. "Beautifully bleak?" Indeed. "Mordantly funny?" Yes. But the New Yorker reviewer who called it silly either didn't see the film or really doesn't get Ireland , Catholicism or, well, death. Full disclosure: I might have had a panic attack in the movie theater. Not at the scene, but at the bar scene , the one that suggests that the whole thing is on a rapid downhill slide. If you saw the movie, you know what