First Reformed review: Paul Schrader steps behind the camera for a film which may or may not be his last. If it is, this is a remarkable way to end his legendary Hollywood career.
First Reformed review by Paul Heath.
First Reformed review
Paul Schrader is the man behind the words of Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Raging Bull. In more recent times he’s teamed with Nicolas Cage to write and also direct the likes of Dying of the Light and the ‘way out there’ Dog Eat Dog, a film we lapped up here on the site a couple of years back, though not everyone necessarily agreed with us on that one. His latest, which sees him return to religion, is also a return to form, complete with a career-defining performance from Ethan Hawke.
Hawke plays the role of Father Toller, a priest of a small ‘tourist church’, the titular First Reformed Church in upstate New York, at a time when is about to celebrate its 250th anniversary. It belongs to a larger, sister church across town – one which has corporate sponsorship from large businesses in the area – a fact which has a lot of influence on the narrative as it progresses. Amanda Seyfried is Mary, a young, pregnant woman who turns to Toller to aid her and her husband as they go through a difficult time. Mary’s other half, Michael (Philp Ettinger), is having issues coming to terms with their pregnancy, and more to the point, bringing a child into the world. Michael is an extreme environmentalist and confides in Toller his concerns about the state of the planet and the responsibility that he feels he has to consider before parenthood.
Toller also has his own issues, He has an issue with his physical health, just one factor in his overall gloom. In an attempt to help him overcome this, his boss (a brilliant Cedric The Entertainer, playing under his real name Cedric Kyles), suggests that he take charge of the First Reformed’s 250th-anniversary events, something he agrees to.
The narrative spirals from there, a turning point coming when a suicide vest is discovered in Michael’s closet. There’s also another major event that occurs in the first reel, one that has a knock-on effect throughout.
First Reformed review
Schrader is also known for another work with Scorsese – The Last Temptation of Christ – but First Reformed has much more to do with their 1976 classic Taxi Driver, particularly in the second act. The reasons for this become obvious towards the end, but it’s Hawke’s overall, committed performance as the physically and mentally tortured Toller that also reflects the comparison to Travis Bickle.
The film looks stunning, Schrader opting for the Academy screen ratio – a nearly square 4:3 image was inspired by Pawe? Pawlikowski’s Ida (the director also uses it in his latest film Cold War, which wowed Cannes earlier this month). Every frame is perfectly framed image, the camera movies masterfully executed with beautiful precision.
Schrader has alluded to the fact that this may be his swan song, and if it is, it’s a great movie to end a remarkable career. First Reformed is up there with the best of his work with Scorsese. It’s certainly his best feature for years and one that has brought his remarkable filmmaking full circle over an extraordinary four-decade-plus career.
First Reformed review by Paul Heath, June 2018.
First Reformed was reviewed at the 2018 Sundance London film festival.
