Directed by John Michael McDonagh
Written by John Michael McDonagh and Lawrence Osborne (novel)
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith
Rated R
Runtime: 117 minutes
In theaters July 1st

by Matt McCafferty, Staff Writer

The Forgiven, the latest from writer-director John Michael McDonagh, is maybe one of the most bizarre films I’ve seen so far this year. It’s tough to generalize it as a crime thriller or a dark comedy. There’s an unevenness to its tone that makes it a challenge to get through at times. If you can stick with it, you will definitely find some compelling themes and questions that will make it worth your time. It would have been nice to get a more focused effort, but what we get is still a film that may spark some conversations that are worth having.

Based on the 2012 novel of the same name, The Forgiven takes place over a weekend in Morocco with David (Ralph Fiennes) and Jo (Jessica Chastain), a wealthy married couple who find themselves in the middle of a crisis. Speeding through the Moroccan desert on their way to a weekend party at an old friend’s house, David hits and kills a local teenage boy. The couple initially tries to conspire with the police to cover up the incident. However, when the boy’s father shows up, David and Jo are forced to face the situation head-on. For the first time in their lives, this is not a problem they can buy their way out of.

David and Jo split up for pretty much the rest of the movie. David goes with the father back to his home to talk about what happened and figure out what his punishment might be. Jo stays back at the house where she drinks the weekend away. Fiennes and Chastain are fun to watch when we get them on screen together. Their marriage is undoubtedly on the rocks as we witness an argument between them on the car ride out to the party. David is an alcoholic who says terrible things on the regular. Jo is a children’s author who seems intent on fighting with her husband as just another regular everyday occurrence. You come to realize pretty early on that these are two pretty awful people.

The film is mostly about David finding his moral compass. He represents the wealthy white man with zero respect for any other culture outside of his own. His words are generally fueled by cruelty, aimed toward those who are not like him. Jo has her issues as well. However, she mostly spends her weekend getting free from David by partying. It’s interesting to see just how different their two separate journeys end up being. David’s journey towards coming to terms with the kind of person he became is much more meaningful to witness. Jo finds acceptance in the life she lives by simply letting loose. Her arc is more entertaining to watch than it is meaningful.

You might interpret this movie to be a comedy of sorts more than anything else because of how easy it is to laugh at the absurdity of these characters. It’s no secret that McDonagh intentionally leans into satirical territories at times. I haven’t read the novel, but I’m wondering if there’s more sincerity in the way it delivers the story. The main fault I have with this film is the amount of scattered ideas it tries to touch on throughout the story. It's not focused enough to hit us hard with at least one big takeaway. It’s not as impactful as McDonagh’s 2014 film, Calvary. My favorite of his so far. However, The Forgiven is a good sign that he’s back on track toward potentially making something that great again.