The Forgiven

 The Forgiven is another quiet, sardonic study on personal responsibility from writer/director John Michael McDonagh. It's not as good as Calvary - nowhere near as rich thematically, nor as funny - but it's a decent follow-up.

 David (Ralph Fiennes) and Jo (Jessica Chastain) Henninger are heading to a party hosted by some friends (Matt Smith and Caleb Landry Jones). On the long drive there David, who's DUI, accidentally runs over a kid and kills him.

 And they would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that pesky other kid who was watching from behind some rocks (and was going to rob them when they stopped). The police, however, are uninterested  -the kid was from a nomad tribe- and quickly decide it was an accident. So all seems well... until the father of the kid (Ismael Kanater) pops up and says that honor demands that David accompany him back to his village to bury his son. David, understandably concerned for his personal security, ends up reluctantly going while Jo stays behind and indulges in some decadence.

 It's a pretty prickly movie. David is basically what you'd call a nasty piece of shit, but his character arc is interesting, especially when compared to the party back at the compound. All sorts of acts of casual (and not so casual) racism, flaunting of privilege, and delusion are presented with a wry sense of humor (I don't think I've seen as bleak a joke as the fireworks scene here in a long time). A little preachy, maybe - it's certainly not very subtle - but done with enough sophistication and depth that it doesn't grate too much.

 McDonagh's dialog is sharp and witty as ever, and there's a lot of humanity to David's growing rapport with the dead kid's father and their guide Anouar (Saïd Taghmaoui). The addition of thriller-ish elements to their jaunt are also welcome, adding some sorely needed risk to the proceeds; It's a slow movie where not a lot happens. The direction, besides pacing, is also excellent, with lovely, sweeping shots of the beautiful Moroccan countryside courtesy of cinematographer Larry Smith.

 It's not an easy watch - despite the dramatic premise, it doesn't build up to any grand thesis or revelation, just a lot of messy moments and maybe a little growth - but sometimes that's the best you can hope for.