A Couple of Movies on My Radar: Calvary and Exodus

CALVARY

CALVARY’s Father James (Brendan Gleeson from In Bruges) is a good priest who is faced with sinister and troubling circumstances brought about by a mysterious member of his parish. Although he continues to comfort his own fragile daughter (Kelly Reilly ) and reach out to help members of his church with their various scurrilous moral - and often comic - problems, he feels sinister and troubling forces closing in, and begins to wonder if he will have the courage to face his own personal Calvary. CALVARY opens in select theaters on FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 (Rated: R; Running Time: 104)

I have a few questions going into Calvary. The priest has a daughter? That can be a legit thing, but my antennae are up.

On the other hand, I'm a sucker for Brendan Gleeson ever since seeing him in In Bruges, hence my agreeing to go to the movie screening where he will be doing the Q&A. Yep, I'm excited!

I also became interested in seeing this after reading that the director said, "There are probably films in development about priests which involve abuse. My remit is to do the opposite of what other people do, and I wanted to make a film about a good priest." I've gotta love that!

More after the screening in a couple of weeks. The trailer is here though I don't think it is that great. I feel as if the description above works just fine.

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS

It's been a long time since the Ten Commandments, which was made in 1956. I myself really loved The Prince of Egypt from Dreamworks but that was animated.

And then came Ridley Scott with Exodus: Gods and Kings.

Ooo, and Christian Bale as Moses! Now I'm really interested!

Jeffrey Overstreet has some excellent observations and links if you are interested in this upcoming movie. I was vaguely interested. And then I saw the trailer. Wow.

I'm having a hard time dealing with a Pharaoh who isn't Yul Brynner, but other than that it really looks good.

Also, word is that Ridley Scott is interested in doing a movie about King David. About time. Talk about a story that's got everything in it: faith, devotion, insanity, war, love, betrayal, a no-nonsense prophet and more. Real Old Testament stuff, if you know what I mean.

I think I'll get to see a screening of this also when it is closer to release, which should be around Christmas.