THE FORGIVEN
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes, Matt Smith, Christopher Abbott, and Caleb Landry Jones
Director: John Michael McDonagh
JOSEPH
The Forgiven tries to illustrate numerous points but is at its best when holding a mirror to the mindless self-indulgence of wealthy Western culture. It’s an absolutely scathing critique of the indifference of the rich, but thanks to the great cast, we are still able to empathize with each character to some degree as we learn who they are. I don’t feel things are as fleshed out as they could be, but it does what it sets out to do. I only wish the runtime was longer so the nuance of the more minor characters could be explored further.
QUENTIN
The beautiful cinematography, simmering tension, and great performance from Ralph Fiennes (not to mention his character’s well-developed arc) will keep you mostly engaged in The Forgiven despite its insistence to keep returning to the Jessica Chastain side of things, which, through no fault of her own, is wholly uninteresting. While director John Michael McDonagh’s direction, full of static camera shots and minimalist characteristics, makes everything come across as distant and cold, maybe that is by design - to show that the wealthy are a soulless lot (in which case, fair enough). Either way, The Forgiven is a good-but-not-great movie that I feel somewhat dispassionate about.
