A priest who struggles to maintain faith in a world where it barely manifests, maybe only rarely surfaces, is a subject I always had a vested interest in. Writer-director Paul Schrader is the man who understands religion as faith and the difficulty of having beliefs teetering on a vulnerable clothesline. "First Reformed" is that faith healer type of story, though it segues into semi-familiar Schrader territory where potential violence is the solution.
Ethan Hawke is ideally cast as Reverend Toller, a priest who tends to a rather small Dutch Reformed church in Snowbridge, Albany, NY. The church itself is a tourist attraction where Toller explains to the few who enter about its history in the area, especially being a stop during the Underground Railroad days. He doesn't seem to get many followers at this church, other than the neighboring mega church known as Abundant Life. Toller is seemingly the classic Schrader loner, always writing in his journal about his daily activities and spiritual thoughts. He gets special attention from one parishioner, a Mary Mensana (a highly effective turn by Amanda Seyfried), who wants Toller to visit her troubled husband, a radical environmentalist who is deeply aware of the climate crisis we face. Toller counsels him, trying to spread some shred of optimism, ensuring him that doom and gloom is not all there is.
"First Reformed" is a most curious character study by Schrader, and it is never clear where Toller's mind goes. A priest who has reformed himself from his dark past has valid questions about the church and its place in the world of deep faith. The Dutch Reformed church has precious little attendance, yet the Abundant Life church has many donors and is it a fulfilling holy place or one that only preaches something it doesn't practice? Toller starts to question his faith only in terms of what good it really does for anyone. He becomes close to Mary and their intimacy, after her husband commits suicide, is strong. Does Toller start to believe in Mary's husband and his own belief system in the rotten climate deniers of the world? Can the world be a better place if we get rid of segments of the population who don't have our best interests at heart?
"First Reformed" asks deep philosophical questions yet I did not buy Toller's abrupt change towards the end - I did not sense enough buildup for such a holy man to partake in a drastic move. Still, despite an unsatisfying change of heart in Toller, Schrader's "First Reformed" should not be ignored. Often powerful and simply, lucidly told, recalling the religious works and tone of Carl Dreyer and Ingmar Bergman in their religious pictures, "First Reformed" is also further proof of the strong, vital Ethan Hawke who is one of the few actors of the last two decades making challenging works of cinema. I pray he and Schrader continue their well-chosen paths.
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