I was reading online that people consider Ethan Hawke not getting a nomination for Best Actor to be a snub from the Academy. I'm not sure where I stand on that yet. I can agree that he did a good job with his role but I don't know if it deserved to replace any of the other actors. Father Toller (Ethan Hawke) is the leader of First Reformed, the oldest church in Albany county, New York. He struggles with issues of relevance, on a macro scale as his church is managed and cared for by the local megachurch, and on a micro as his health is failing, his drinking is getting worse, and depression threatens to drown him. He alleviates some of his dread by helping a young married couple. The husband (Philip Ettinger), an environmental activist, is about two steps from being fully radicalized over the state of the world and the utter indifference of most people and the wife (Amanda Seyfried) is pregnant and worried that her husband will harm himself. Things get worse when she shows Toller the suicide vest she found in her husband's garage. As events spiral further and further out of control, Toller desperately searches for a lifeline.
This has a total whiplash of an ending. It's one of those films where I seriously considered looking up what happens just so I wouldn't have a nasty surprise. There's a pervasive sense of dread on top of the suspense that makes it almost unbearable to watch because whatever happens, you know it's not going to be pleasant.
I was really surprised at how many themes Paul Schrader managed to stuff into this movie that never feel like they're stepping on each other. The secular environmentalism, anti-corporatism, and radicalism marry beautifully with the religious. I think it's an incredibly well-written movie but I just think the ending is out of place.
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