12/31/18 - First Reformed (2018) - 6+/10

Huh. That was dark and introspective and sadly destructive. I knew it would be melancholic but I don't know if I was expecting such solemnity and hopelessness. It is fitting, at least until the bizarre o.b.e. or the “what?” barbwire kiss film cutoff, which left my mouth agape and a bit at sea with my overall initial opinion. With some reflection and absorption, it is a film that will sit and linger with you; a powerful work that doesn’t always peak but is undeniable in its potency.

Ethan Hawke was intensely present and depressingly genuine. One of his best roles. His aching pain and tortured piety were spectacular rich and worthy. Though I have heard comparisons with Travis Bickle from the Schrader scribed Taxi Driver, I didn’t see the sociopathy but more an over a deeply personal empathy for those around him and the world. Perhaps it is more the push to ultimate limits and boundaries of action which joins them together; warriors for their personal “right”. No matter the comparisons, in the dark solitude or impassioned push to make sense of the senseless, Hawke brought me so deep inside him and the character. Marvelous.

I appreciated it’s measured and slightly unexpected direction, though the loops it threw me for kind of gouged the love I was expecting. The blocking and camera positioning kept me on my toes, always presenting something interesting within a quiet and measured film.

This is not exactly the film I would recommend to most non-cinephiles. Slow, quiet, deeply dark, and even a bit odd. But if you are in the state of mind to absorb it or truly appreciate the craft on display, you will certainly find it a worthy watch.