Rating of
3.5/4
First Reformed - Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 09/03/18
"There goes my head"
whoa....
It's strange, two years ago Paul Schrader made the most convoluted movie of his career with 'Dog Eat Dog', then make something so masterful like this. Anywhere...
'First Reformed' is easily one of my favorite movies of 2018. Absolutely captivating from start till finish. A strong character study on faith and pain. An Excellent performances from Ethan Hawke, who's facial expressions and his tried voice says so much about the character. You're just waiting for his frustration to explode. Also, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer, and Philip Ettinger were all superb.
My only issues with the film is it's main message about the environment, which got a little heavy handed after awhile, to the point where you're just thinking "OK, I get it". I mean, when you get a scene involving stock footage of nature and power stations while Hawke and Seyfried are on top with each other. But that's really it for complaints. Enough of that, back to the positives.
The writing is fantastic, of course not surprising coming from Paul Schrader. The cinematography is stunning. You get a lot of wide shots, close ups, and plenty of emptiness and space around our priest. There's literally a shot in this movie that's taken straight from 'Taxi Driver'.
Disclaimer: You are not prepared for the ending. Trust me.
Overall rating: My hands shake as I write this.
