Corpus Christi

A young man released on parole from a detention centre wants to be a priest, but his record forbids it. In a small town he introduces himself as one, and the parish is handed to him. The film does not become a comedy of imposture. The town is still in mourning after a road accident, and he does what no trained priest managed: he gets people to speak. From there the narrative raises a genuinely uncomfortable question, whether what works is the institution's authority or the person. Jan Komasa directed, with Bartosz Bielenia in the lead. It draws on real cases and was nominated for the foreign film Academy Award. Who it's for: those who like hard drama about faith and institutions. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a hopeful close; the film forgives nothing.