CALVARY | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"CALVARY"
(2014) (Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama/Black Comedy: A priest deals with the wide assortment of personalities in his small Irish town, all while contending with a threat of being killed in one week by one of them as an atonement for past Church misdeeds.

PLOT:

In a small Irish town, Father James Lavelle (BRENDAN GLEESON), takes confession from a man who claims he was sexually abused by another priest as a child. Since that man is now dead, the confessor states he's going to kill James, but is giving him seven days to get his affairs in order. That includes dealing with his adult, suicidal daughter, Fiona (KELLY REILY), who's arrived in town for a visit. At the same time, fellow priest Father Leary (DAVID WILMOT) is concerned that local butcher Jack Brennan (CHRIS O'DOWD) might be beating his wife, Veronica (ORLA O'ROURKE), especially since that man seems to know she's having an affair with Simon (ISAACH DE BANKOLE), the local mechanic. Then there's uber wealthy Michael Fitzgerald (DYLAN MORAN) who has anything and everything money can buy except for happiness, and he's wanting to make a sizeable donation to the church to absolve himself of his sins.

Then there's Dr. Franke Harte (AIDAN GILLEN) who doesn't believe in any of that religious stuff, including the beliefs of a woman, Teresa (MARIE-JOSEE CROZE), who's just lost her husband in a car accident. Meanwhile, an older author known as The Writer (M. EMMET WALSH) asks James to get him a gun so that he can off himself should his health or mental state deteriorate to the point of making life not worth living.

James ends up going to see the local cop, Inspector Stanton (GARY LYDON) -- who's having a visit from local gigolo Leo (OWEN SHARPE) -- about getting such a weapon, wondering if it might come in handy considering the ultimatum he's received. As the days count down, James ponders what he should do and whether the confessor will go through with his threat.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Older teens might if they're into art-house films, but it's highly unlikely younger kids will be interested.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For sexual references, language, brief strong violence and some drug use.

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