The Forgiven – note on the film based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne – another note on the motion picture is here https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/2022/10/one-of-my-favorites-in-past-years.html - 10 out of 10

 

The Forgiven – note on the film based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne – another note on the motion picture is here https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/2022/10/one-of-my-favorites-in-past-years.html

10 out of 10

 

 

Spoiler alerts first – this note is Not about the novel, it is about the wondrous motion picture based on the work and normally there would not be a need to comment much about it, if at all, it is just that in the past, there have been a few scores of films that I loved, felt the need to express admiration and gratitude, without thinking that some, or anybody, might read and find it objectionable.

 

Only there have been maybe five, or ten comments in all, rejecting the notion that I could put my feelings down in connection with the novel, when all I know is about the movie and have not read the book, which is a pertinent condemnation, except I had mentioned the note is not about the opus, and when I find the script listed, I relate to that http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-banshees-of-inisherin.html

Only the other day, I had the chance to see what I rate as the best film of 2022, and by a long shot, and one of the best made this century and ever, and could find on goodreads the name and had the choice to rate and place a review either with the director or the script writer, there were two entries…as it is, the site limits the right to add a new book or film to librarians, or else I would have tried to do so myself for The Forgiven.

 

For that matter, maybe someone will introduce The Fabelmans, which has won the Golden Globes for Best Film in the Drama category (the Best Comedy or Musical trophy went to The Banshees of Inisherin), Best Director for Steven Spielberg, and I would have felt like writing a few words about this motion picture, which is very good, but pales when placed to The Banshees of Inisherin for this cinephile…

Then we arrive at The Forgiven, which impressed me more than The Fabelmans and I would put behind The Banshees, but on the same level with the other outstanding art works made in 2022, such as Argentina, 1985 http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/01/one-of-best-films-of-2022-argentina-1985.html wherein Ricardo Darin and all the cast shine and give audiences one of the best possible performances

 

In The Forgiven we have the privilege of watching the marvelous Ralph Fiennes navigate the stream of the plot, in a very complex, challenging role, that of David Henniger, one who is repellant, perhaps for most of the time, but whose fate somehow does not feel like needing to bring him in front of the executioner.

 

There is an extravagant party organized in Morocco, at a remote, lavish palatial home, which is now available for very wealthy visitors, where the guests indulge in excessive consumption of various drugs, they horrify the conservative locals – the latter are fortunately not within miles of the residence, but we can see the contempt that the employees show for these degenerate, sinful foreigners…

On the way to the party David Henniger is driving, though he should not, for he has drunk quite enough to impair his abilities and senses, and suddenly, there is a young man in front of the SUV and the impact is fatal…we have to say that the victim was waiting with his friend and accomplice to rob them

 

In other words, we have a rewarding narrative, in which we do not have to look at characters that are painted in black or white, we have shades in between and even the most abject of the personages, David, has to pay for his awful behavior, the terrible man he has been, and maybe he will suffer some transformation.

Besides, he may have to pay and we are waiting to see what happens, how will he die – this time, this is not spoiler alert, for this is not about what happens, it is just the certainty we (at least I had) have when we see the developments, how the father of the dead boy arrives at the fiesta of the infidel and in what mood he is in…

 

The father will ask the man who killed his son to come along with him and the other two men that accompany him, and though David rejects the very idea in the first place, he may have to accept the notion that he needs to be present at the funeral, to participate in the rituals so that he may be The Forgiven

Meanwhile, his wife, Jo aka the always miraculous Jessica Chastain, will involve in her own perhaps not so condemnable activity, she will have sex with another man present at this extravanza, while her husband may or may not survive his trip in the desert, to meet the family of the deceased and take their punishment, or may be escape it…

 

As always, I was mesmerized by the fantastic Ralph Fiennes and the minimalist, spectacular manner in which he took on the role, without excess, avoiding any false note, rendering a monster, but who happens to be a human being, perhaps taken out to die, without being judged, and in the end, guilty of the death of the young man, but not to the extent that he has to be executed, he had drunk, yes, and while driving, he was guilty of aggravated manslaughter, which is not premeditated murder and deserving of a trial…

Furthermore, if he was initially unrepentant and worse, showing all the disgusting aspects of his character, he seems to begin to understand, atone, he could go through a change, if not due to an epiphany, at least some reckoning and understanding of what he has done, he is not stupid, just psychopathic…

Two interesting things to add, I took part in the 1989 Revolution, as written in this Newsweek article

http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/realini-in-newsweek-participant-in.html  and I can do this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/unique-in-world.html?q=unique+in+the+world