First
Reformed is the new film by Paul Schrader (screenwriter of Taxi Driver),
about an increasingly disillusioned sickly reverend played by Ethan Hawke, who
is asked by a pregnant wife played by Amanda Seyfried, to talk her politically
minded husband she suspects is suicidal. As the reverend’s encounters with the
husband become more intense, the reverend’s ideologies begin to parallel the
husband’s own. All colliding with the 250th anniversary of the reverend’s
church.
First
Reformed is a genuinely haunting and dread ridden film that once again explores
the aspects of isolation coinciding with mental health problems under the gaze
of realistic political worry. And these themes intertwined with themes of the
male obsession towards conventionally beautiful women, white privilege and
revenge, all found in Schrader’s classic 1976 film Taxi Driver, but still so
relevant today. First Reformed also newly intently tackles the balancing of
religion and reality. What happens when you apply religion to the realistic
business affairs of a church and to the undoing of the planet within climate
change and societies place on the earth. As well as the injustices to one
another, in which how does one “keep it all together” when the problems seem to
be increasingly stacked - how could one not “lose their head” and want to exact
something extreme to make a strong point when their backs are mentally against
the wall within the world’s truly daunting, truly real problems we all face.
That our increasing fear of our planet would understandingly push us into the
comfort of obsessive love.
One
reviewing the flaws of First Reformed would say it’s themes are too "on the nose" but when realizing the intense reality, the film is portraying, it’s not on the
nose. It’s eerily exact.
Portraying
these poignantly important messages in First Reformed comes a very focused and
unrelenting performance by Ethan Hawke, who sells the dishevelling of the
reverend so logically yet instantly without ever subverting the character as a
whole. And a surprise performance by Cedric the Entertainer, as Ethan Hawke’s
fellow reverend, in a extremely natural and uncompromising role that plays to
Ethan Hawke’s crisis of character.
Paul
Schrader’s direction with the films subject matter instantly leads a
upsetting grime tone to the film and even ironically which adds to the films
unease. Stagnant straight forward shots conveying the story and a cold intent
accompanied with a chilling bare bones atmospheric score and the irony of
church hymns. And like Taxi Driver, Schrader allows the characters surroundings
to eerily tell the story.
First
Reformed is one of Paul Schrader’s best films, and my favourite so far of 2018,
and with the trend of social horror in the ether, First Reformed is definitely
a contender for the years best horror film.
- Maurice Jones
