Corpus Christi

"Polish production unexpectedly nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2020 Oscars. And it was well deserved. Directed by Jan Komasa (‘Hate’) and taking strong inspiration from the powerful ‘Corrupted Faith’, the feature film hits the mark in portraying the portrait of a young priest who, after leaving a detention center, becomes a priest for a while in a small town. The highlight here is twofold: the powerful screenplay by Mateusz Pacewicz (also from ‘Hate’), which knows how to mix pains, longings and joys of this controversial character; and the striking performance of Bartosz Bielenia (‘I'm Lying Now’), who knows how to represent all the protagonist's anguish with just looks, gestures and brief dialogues. It's not as good a movie as ‘Parasite’ or ‘Honeyland’, competitors in the foreign productions category. But, without a doubt, it's worth the almost two hours of travel in this strong, real and pulsating story."