Review of First Reformed (2018) by Emod L — 23 Dec 2018
As an Ethan Hawke completist, seeing 'First Reformed' was a no brainer, but the effort writer and director Paul Schrader puts into this film brings out the best in all his actors.
Hawke portrays a priest in charge of the First Reformed Church in a fictional upstate New York town. He encounters a troubled parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) whose husband brings to light issues that will stick with the priest for the remainder of the movie. This is framed so magically. While it may be Hawke's best work of his career, Schrader is deserving of some accolades. He takes from a lot of films as an homage, but the finished product is unique. The way this is shot is captivating. The camera never moves.
We'd be remiss if we didn't talk about Cedric Kyles who you may know as Cedric the Entertainer. I can't picture anyone else in the roles of Kyles and Hawke. When this movie works it does so like gangbusters, but a few head-scratching third act decisions just didn't fit into the puzzle. The tangents kept this from being elite and great, however it's still pretty darn good. It's worth seeing and definitely a feature that will stick with you well after the credits. The ending works. It's different no doubt, but in no way predictable or ordinary. First reformed takes some pot shots at corporate power that aren't so subtle, but they 100% fit. Husband: 8.2/Wife: 8.4 Average Score: 8.3/10.
This review of First Reformed (2018) was written by Emod L on 23 December 2018.
First Reformed has generally received positive reviews.
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