Corpus Christi

Meh. A high-quality premise drowned in the traditionally flat style of the Polish art school. The best part are the opening and final scenes, they are staged in an original way and pulse with the life denied by the rest of the cold story. The ideas are nice and pretty strong at times, but it all looks as if only mindless individuals without any spark were moving in front of the camera. A very standard festival flick that unfortunately leans too much on the safe side and with a thematic simplicity that can never get close to Haneke’s The White Ribbon. 65% (12/29/2020)

A classic western scheme about a stranger in a forgotten town, but this time with a truly full-bodied script that puts one challenge after another in front of the hero, and we know that he's going to snap at any moment, so we'd rather enjoy every moment of his theatrics that we're afforded along with him. The improbable plot could otherwise quite easily have been brought to heel, notwithstanding the excellent cinematography and direction (the brutal Noer-esque ending proves what an eclectic director Komasa is), but for the fact that it has such an unqualified and interesting cast. The protagonist in particular, a surreal mutant hybrid of Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Cillian Murphy, has one of the most interesting faces I've seen in a long time, and he leaves a lot unspoken and mysterious right up to the end, even though we watch the entire film through his lens. He's going to be a great Bond villain. (12/23/2020)

I’m giving five stars to another Polish film with a religious theme. While Clergy was on a much more serious subject, this film complements it perfectly and exposes not just the priests but also their flock who follow Christian teachings to the letter when it comes to Old Testament punishments, but not exactly when it comes to the beam in their own eye and loving their neighbor. I'd say it was an educative film, except that those who know don’t need teaching and those for whom it was primarily intended are virtually unteachable. (05/03/2021)

"I am a murderer. Yes, you heard right. I killed. I killed with a thought. I killed by inaction. I killed by deed. You know what we're good at? Condemnation. Finger-pointing. To forgive is not to forget. That doesn't mean pretending nothing happened. To forgive is to love. To love someone regardless of their guilt. Whatever it may be." - The mesmerizing Bartosz Bielenia as a self-proclaimed fake priest sends a timeless message with his unique acting style that there is good and evil in every human being. It is then up to you what you prefer at the time. It also kind of depends on what society or the community you live in allows you to do. The fascinating drama Corpus Christi contains some powerful ideas and remarkable reflections. You will also find some impressively filmed scenes that make your blood run cold. It is a very good film with an original story that is definitely worth watching. (95%) (01/11/2022)