Change Your Image
jodwyer56
Reviews
Calvary (2014)
Ridiculous
The whole premise is quite unreal from the start- SPOILER ALERT!-
1 A priest is hearing someone's confession in the church when the confessee tells him he is going to kill him next Sunday down on the beach. Now, if you were the priest, do you think you might stick your head out of the confessional box to see who the person is who has just given you a week to live as it might give you more options to consider in the coming week? For example, maybe tell the gardai that you've been threatened by such and such? No, this priest doesn't do that. It would be too obvious and it would ruin the script. The film just goes downhill from there and that was already quite downhill already.
2 Why, if "nobody has got a bad word to say about Fr. Lavelle", do most of the town treat him as if all the evil in life were his fault?
3 If he had a good idea about who threatened him, why didn't he try and maybe talk about it over a cup of tea with him and try to reach some kind of agreement?
One final question: Has Dublin got so bad that Fr. Lavelle chose to go back to an almost certain death instead of continuing his journey there?
Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)
Surprisingly Riveting
I knew quite little about Ginger Baker so the doc was both informing and entertaining. A very interesting character and life indeed. An impressive array of musicians are interviewed about him and all profess genuine admiration for his drumming abilities.
It doesn't go over the top with long solos which was a good call by the director. People can just listen to his records for that. It whets the appetite nicely to go and listen to his work.
Ginger's family come across very well, especially his son, whose love for his father was severely tested on occasion. Like the man himself they are refreshingly unpretentious and down to earth.
It's quite an honest film which makes it all the better and suits the subject matter to a t. Baker is quite enigmatic which makes for all the more interest trying to figure him out.
It took a brave man to make this documentary and Jay Bulger was the right man to do it. I would not have been thick-skinned enough to take Mr. Baker. A great watch. Thank you sir!