Over the course of three films, not unlike his acclaimed and beloved brother who came before him, John Michael McDonagh has made three vastly different films all sharing elements of dark comedy and drama, largely told with a vulgarity and proficiency in the dialogue that has made them a pair (albeit they’ve never worked together) that I always keep my eye out for new releases. McDonagh returns to the screens this year, not unlike his brother, with another film, this time an adaptation of a novel which I have not read, which has too received much acclaim; that of Lawrence Osborne’s The Forgiven.
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My biggest advice with this film; watch it with a middle aged packed British audience. It must be the Ralph Fiennes element that leads to him still being able to bring in a crowd, but my screening was packed and the terribly abrupt ending of the film (whether it does actually work or not) led to multiple comments on the walk out. It was as if everybody felt it was their need to make a joke of some kind to abstain from the awkwardness of the shocking conclusion, in a very British manner of course. “I do love a feel-good film!” or “Well that was abrupt”, or “one wonders if there was a better way to spend your two hours”, replied by someone else “well you never know until you see them, do you?”. Now in the case of this film, unfortunately unlike others, I somewhat felt a few of the same feelings. Did I think I’d wasted two hours? No, not at all (twenty minutes, certainly). Did I feel like the ending was abrupt? Yes, by design (did that design pay off anything? Not exactly). Overall The Forgiven feels like the sort of film that won’t stay with you, or grow in the mind, and will work instead as a short sharp shock. The problem is it’s not short, especially sharp, or shocking bar its very final frames. McDonagh’s direction is solid and adds flare and a scope to a story that could be told in quite a singular and isolated way, McDonagh instead chooses to make an epicness about certain aspects and this helps the film a lot. With his direction and his writing, McDonagh has certainly made a compelling and enthralling film, however in the end it feels like we’ve been enthralled into nothing.
However the film does boast some really great performances. It’s no surprise of course that some of these actors are great, however they do time after time elevate the material when it’s at its ebbs and deliver the materials best moments with elegance and great quality. Ralph Fiennes chief amongst them of course. As the film continues it develops two sub-plots sending Fiennes away from the entitled super-rich that the other sub-plot concerns. This is an epic journey of tension, discovery and drama and this is where the film is at its best. Of course it’s more entertaining with the hedonistic heights of the rich at Matt Smith and Caleb Landry Jone’s Moroccan hide-away with drug parties and sex and darkly hilarious conversations about race with a bunch of entitled white people, but it is with Fiennes in the middle of the desert that the film hits upon something quite affecting. Jessica Chastain is Feinne’s wife and having somewhat of a crisis at this party mansion whilst her husband is away, this sub-lot is tired however and there’s nothing original here to spice it up. Chastain’s great, obviously, but the script does not serve her character and the whole sub-plot feels tropey and not as compelling as what’s going on in the desert.
A compelling if overdone 7/10 satire of the upper classes that is populated with some of our best actors, all doing wonderful work, however ultimately to service a story that isn’t overly enthralling nor overly entertaining. The dialogue throughout can be dark, funny, dramatic and as aforementioned, compelling, however overall one can’t feel like the film is simultaneously overcooked and undercooked. An uneven film with many great performances and some great dialogue that just ultimately leaves you a little underwhelmed.
P.S. After some very exciting early turns, don’t we think it’s time to give Abbey Lee a few roles where she’s playing more than just a vapid social media party girl. She’s excellent in the role, but let’s head back to those early days if we could and give the woman something more solid to work with.
- - Thomas Carruthers
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