Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver; American Gigolo; Affliction) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.
Let me be the first to make a comment on this thread about this film, because the rest of the folks are busy talking Marvel, DC, Star Wars and Ready Player One. This is a great poster. The trailer, released yesterday, is also great. Looking forward to it.
Yeah, stopped watching midway, this is a day one purchase on blu-ray (if my distributor decides to skip it in cinema). Fearless shot symmetry and I love Hawke in form.
Didn't like it. Some intriguing moments (the one inspired by Tarkovsky is a highlight), but feels like 3-4 movies put together. Too much telling over showing, and
