First Reformed Movie Review - The Loss Of Faith
First Reformed features some broken characters that make up for a good study on the human mind under the catalyst of religion. It takes you on a slow but thrilling ride and shows the shatter of beliefs of an individual and the trust he has on something.
Cast - Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Philip Ettinger
Directed By - Paul Schrader
Genre - Drama, Thriller
Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a pastor working at First Reformed Church. His red colored urine indicates that he is facing some serious medical issues. His marriage failed when he sent his son to war, where he died, and thus his wife left him. Amidst dealing with all these complexities in his life, there comes Mary (Amanda Seyfried) who seeks counseling for her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger) who happens to be an environmentalist who is very concerned with the present state of our planet Earth. After his initial counseling session with Michael, Toller begins to lose control as he faces questions of faith and morality.
First Reformed was screened at 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2017, and was released theatrically on May 18, 2018. During its release, I was not able to watch this film as it had not been running at the theatres near me and I was quite disappointed because, since the time I had viewed its trailer on YouTube, I was very much looking forward to watching it. But now since the film has been digitally released, I got the opportunity to watch it, and I was thrilled and awestruck by it.
Coming from the A24 studios who had given one of my favorite horror films of all time The Witch, First Reformed takes a look at some weighty themes without losing focus from the plot or over-dramatizing it. Using the old-fashioned aspect ratio of 1.37:1, director Paul Schrader makes the characters feel inside a box of dated thoughts who refuse to update their beliefs with time. It also uses a cursive font for the opening credits which make it look kind of like those old films during the early years of cinema. With almost no music being played for most of the time in the background, the film feels more real-time and in the moment. First Reformed uses its slow pacing effectively to create suspense and also to make the audience feel uncomfortable with the disturbing visuals it throws in. This, however, should not be perceived as a fault because the film manages to make us uneasy and the feeling surrounds us even long after the credits roll on screen. Its depiction of modern day religion is commendable and may also force some people into introspection.
Paul Schrader wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver, and in this film, he not only writes but also directs a compelling and intriguing thriller. With it comes the excellent performance of Ethan Hawke who gives one of his best performance here. Every time Hawke stars in a film, he manages to deliver exceptional performance and in First Reformed too, he sways you away by getting under the skin of his character. Amanda Seyfried was also fantastic in the film, and I thought she too gave one of her best performance. Even Cedric Kyles who is known for his comedy manages to pull off this serious kind of role with ease.
The camera is mostly stable and rarely does it move from its position except in the final shot where it rotates to its full degree for quite some time and also during one or two sequences. It is a slow, methodical drama which is surely not for the masses who prefer high octane action blockbusters. But for those who take it, First Reformed greets them with a beautiful and mind-blowing experience which will surely linger in your thoughts for quite a few days. This film is also for those who like layered characters and love to analyze them deeper. Its abrupt ending will leave many baffled or even shocked.
Rating - 4.5/5
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Cast - Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Philip Ettinger
Directed By - Paul Schrader
Genre - Drama, Thriller
Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a pastor working at First Reformed Church. His red colored urine indicates that he is facing some serious medical issues. His marriage failed when he sent his son to war, where he died, and thus his wife left him. Amidst dealing with all these complexities in his life, there comes Mary (Amanda Seyfried) who seeks counseling for her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger) who happens to be an environmentalist who is very concerned with the present state of our planet Earth. After his initial counseling session with Michael, Toller begins to lose control as he faces questions of faith and morality.
First Reformed was screened at 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2017, and was released theatrically on May 18, 2018. During its release, I was not able to watch this film as it had not been running at the theatres near me and I was quite disappointed because, since the time I had viewed its trailer on YouTube, I was very much looking forward to watching it. But now since the film has been digitally released, I got the opportunity to watch it, and I was thrilled and awestruck by it.
Coming from the A24 studios who had given one of my favorite horror films of all time The Witch, First Reformed takes a look at some weighty themes without losing focus from the plot or over-dramatizing it. Using the old-fashioned aspect ratio of 1.37:1, director Paul Schrader makes the characters feel inside a box of dated thoughts who refuse to update their beliefs with time. It also uses a cursive font for the opening credits which make it look kind of like those old films during the early years of cinema. With almost no music being played for most of the time in the background, the film feels more real-time and in the moment. First Reformed uses its slow pacing effectively to create suspense and also to make the audience feel uncomfortable with the disturbing visuals it throws in. This, however, should not be perceived as a fault because the film manages to make us uneasy and the feeling surrounds us even long after the credits roll on screen. Its depiction of modern day religion is commendable and may also force some people into introspection.
Paul Schrader wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver, and in this film, he not only writes but also directs a compelling and intriguing thriller. With it comes the excellent performance of Ethan Hawke who gives one of his best performance here. Every time Hawke stars in a film, he manages to deliver exceptional performance and in First Reformed too, he sways you away by getting under the skin of his character. Amanda Seyfried was also fantastic in the film, and I thought she too gave one of her best performance. Even Cedric Kyles who is known for his comedy manages to pull off this serious kind of role with ease.
The camera is mostly stable and rarely does it move from its position except in the final shot where it rotates to its full degree for quite some time and also during one or two sequences. It is a slow, methodical drama which is surely not for the masses who prefer high octane action blockbusters. But for those who take it, First Reformed greets them with a beautiful and mind-blowing experience which will surely linger in your thoughts for quite a few days. This film is also for those who like layered characters and love to analyze them deeper. Its abrupt ending will leave many baffled or even shocked.
Rating - 4.5/5
Follow Me On:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/vikas_yadav98
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vikasy199/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vimovies123/
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