First Reformed Movie Review

First Reformed (2017)

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Written by: Paul Schrader
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer
Rated: R
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Plot
A minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns, and a tormented past.

Verdict
This movie has a small focus, but it's tackling big issues. Hawke does a great job as Toller, a man that barely holds it together while his life is in shambles. This looks at climate change, personal crises, and making a difference. It's well written and directed, a movie that will stick with you after the credits roll. This looks at personal responsibility from a number of different angles, and Toller is such an intriguing character. While we don't fully know his motives, that only makes him more authentic. Human beings don't always make sense, biased in a number of ways.
Watch it.

Review
This is straightforward, and in a movie like this, it really has to rely on the acting and dialog which is more than up to the task. Through small moments we build this character.

Hawke usually picks some neat roles, and this one really lets him act. Hawke plays Pastor Toller, leading a dwindling church while dealing with loss and various ailments. Toller is jaded, just going through the motions, hoping for some kind of inspiration.

 

Toller is asked to speak to Michael, a political activist with some radical views. We watch their conversation unfold awkwardly as Michael provides the typical answers to mundane questions, but Toller never presses him. Toller already knows Michael is suicidal. Toller keeps the conversation going just barely and once Michael opens up, the detached camera moves closer on Michael, becoming more intimate.

 When we see Toller's sister church, Abundant Life, we see a church that is thriving where Toller's church isn't. Toller isn't thriving either. There's a distinct parallel, but what seems like a good thing with Abundant Life has some complications later. The big question the movie asks is about responsibility. Personal responsibility, responsibility to the planet, and issues with taking donations from an entity that is self absorbed.

Toller is a broken man and this job seems to be the only reason he has to even get up. It's all he has to hold on to, but he wants more. I love that the movie doesn't address this directly, we're left to pick it up from watching Toller.

Toller and Michael illicit a comparison. Both are in despair, but they treat it differently. Michael has all but given up on the world, dismayed at how it's been treated and at how companies willingly blight the land with pollution. Michael has a big cause, a cause so big he can't even help it. Toller's focus is on his own inequities, his own failings. When Michael asks Toller if God can forgive them for what's happened to Earth, that question sticks with Toller.

This movie excels in these small moments. Together it creates a fabric of who the characters are. There's a lot of subtext we can ascribe to these characters. I wasn't sure why Toller took up the cause of climate change. Maybe it was just something he felt was righteous, something that gave him purpose. While he's adamant that we must take care of the Earth and be good stewards, he's neglecting his body. Though that could be self imposed punishment or increasing concern that it's too late.

There are just so many good scenes in this movie. As grounded as this movie is, there are a couple points that made me question what I was seeing.
We don't know why Toller takes up the crusade for the Earth. It could be his failing health and wanting to do something with his life, it could be his son's death, Michael's death, or most likely it's everything. All of these experience contribute to person hood. That's what this movie does, it creates a character even if we don't know all of Toller's motives.

The ending has a bit of a twist in that it can be interpreted a couple of different ways. For a movie that's pushed us to read into the context, I appreciate that the ending continues that theme.