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"You know what we're good at? Giving up on people. Pointing the finger at them. 'Forgive' doesn't mean 'forget.' It doesn't mean 'pretend nothing happened.' 'Forgive' means 'love.' Love someone despite their guilt. No matter what the guilt is."

Engaging from beginning to end, with a deeply soulful performance from Bartosz Bielenia, the young man who stumbles into impersonating a priest after getting out of juvenile detention. His character brings pragmatic, meaningful spirituality to the town, and tries to help it heal from a tragedy that not only left seven dead, but a woman ostracized. I loved the theme of forgiveness and how hard it is to truly reach this state emotionally, and how it applied to both this poor woman and the imitation priest, who were both in desperate need of it.

The film toes the line between showing religion as a positive influence - making people better individuals and a source of great comfort - and getting a few criticisms in, such as mentioning that it was just a pope along the way who thought celibacy would be a good idea, and "now it's a problem." Mostly though, it shows the power of spirituality to lift people above their baser instincts, and the best moments are those when the young priest wields this power. The scene where he leads a funeral procession down the road and we see the rich mayor washing his car is one of many of this type, and it's stirring.

As much as I liked Eliza Rycembel's performance as a young woman searching for answers in the wake of her brother's death, I wish there hadn't been a growing love between her and the young priest. The film is not without flaws but none of them are too glaring, and director Jan Komasa tells the story well, keeping it engaging from beginning to end. It's solid and one that I'd recommend.

This film could easily slide into an anecdote about a disguise that causes real change. However, it is a perfectly told film that asks important questions about the place of spirituality in a person's life, and about the chance to make amends. Contrary to being embedded in the reality of the Catholic Church in Poland, it is a universal challenge for viewers who are not afraid to check whether a bad person can do good things and what is the value of spiritual transformation committed for low motives. Greatly played by a couple of young, yet experienced actors Eliza Rycembel and Bartosz Bielenia, while the rest of the cast creates a perfect background for the small-town world, which, although on the outskirts, is not a province.

This is the kind of movie that captivated me from start to finish. The story itself unbelievable as it may seem is actually based on a real story of young man from the Masovian voivodeship. I will not spoil any of it and will just say that 'Corpus Christi' touches on important matters and values and it's main message translates to 'love thy neighbor'. Amazing performance by the main actor and I loved the camera work. Highly recommended by a non-practitioning catholic.

I finally got the chance to see Corpus Christi, the Oscar nominated movie from Poland for best international feature film, and it did come up to my expectations, so beautiful and very well made. First, the story (which is a true story) is so interesting and captivating, keeps you fully involved the whole time and tackles many values like spirituality and sins. It triggers your thinking on so many levels mainly about the good that could come from a bad person and vice versa. In addition to the story, the movie is so decently made. The cinematography is amazing with many stunning frames and so is the directing. The screenplay is brilliantly beautiful. And the main actor's performance is so solid and superb and so is everyone else. Also, the cast, the locations, the town all are great for the theme and mood of the movie. Corpus Christi is easily one of the best foreign language films and one of the best movies ever. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to the Oscar nom that made me see this film and fall in love with it, much love to the European cinema in general from Lebanon- Middle East.

The story in 'Corpus Christi' (2020), the film by Polish director Jan Komasa, takes place in contemporary Poland. It belongs to a category of films coming from the former communist states in Eastern Europe, which portray in various forms the religious renaissance and the growing role that national churches play in people's lives and in the social and spiritual structure of post-communist societies in these countries. At the same time, the film discusses universal issues about people's ability to forgive, about the social reintegration and spiritual recovery of those who have served their sentences for past crimes, and about those who are or may be the spiritual leaders of communities. It is a film about faith and atonement, but at the same time a brutal and quite pessimistic film. In any case, the cinematic experience is powerful.

The hero of the film is a character descended as if from Dostoevsky's novels. In him are gathered simultaneously good and evil, God and the Devil, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the juvenile delinquent Daniel and Father Thomas. Being released from the toxic environment of the prison where he still had time to study theology and to watch if not to officiate religious services, the young Daniel (the extraordinary Bartosz Bielenia) is assigned to a remote village in Poland but instead of working in the factory of timber he was sent to, he ends up, more or less by chance, being confused with a young priest, a recent graduate of the theological seminary. He had dreamed of becoming a priest, he had the vocation and the charisma, but he had not been able to achieve his goal due to his criminal record. He does not refuse the opportunity to assume the role of the priest at the pulpit when the local priest asks him to take his place while he treats his illness. Soon the young and unconventional 'priest' becomes the spiritual leader of a small rural community facing the specific problems of the transition period in Eastern Europe (lack of interest and especially lack of faith from the parishioners, disoriented and futureless youth seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs) but also confronted with the trauma of a car accident in which seven inhabitants of the village perished in an instant, an accident that traumatised the families and segmented the community that ostracises the widow of the alleged culprit. Gradually gaining the trust of the villagers, 'Father Thomas' enters in conflict with the local baron, the holder of the political power (he is also mayor of the village) and of the economic power (as owner of the sawmill). The threat is twofold. Thomas is bitten by his own doubts, and knows that sooner or later what in the eyes of the authorities (church, legal) is an imposture will be discovered. Will the call and good done in the name of the Lord be enough to save him?

Not being a religious person or a good connoisseur of Catholic rites, it is difficult for me to appreciate how credible the details of this story are, although I am reading that it has its origin in various real facts. Beyond the so-called technical aspects, the film asks some valid questions in any other beliefs or moral systems. Can a sinner, a murderer become a source of good, a leader or mentor of a community? Can good deeds absolve those who committed grave mistakes (sins) in the past? Does the cassock make the priest or his deeds and the way he inspires his parishioners? If there is one message to resume this film that at times manages to be sublime and emotional, and at other times pessimistic and brutal, it would be that the answers given to these questions by the legal system according to the scale of social values and even by the institution of the church are different than those that inspire faith in the hearts of those who believe. The film is very well written and produced, the story has rhythm and fluency, the cinematography is expressive. The success of 'Corpus Christi' in places where it has been seen so far is largely due to the exceptional performance of Bartosz Bielenia, an actor of great talent and intensity, who manages to render the whole complexity of the character, with his contradictions and internal fires. The merit of director Jan Komasa is that he manages to ask important questions and lets us judge and answer ourselves, the spectators. 'Corpus Christi' is full of details about church life but you don't have to be a Catholic or a believer to resonate with the dilemmas and feelings of its hero. Same as Father Thomas's sermons and words which are addressed to all the villagers, believers or not, Jan Komasa's film is addressed to all audiences.

I saw this movie as part of the PSIFF. There were 2 movie houses packed for this performance. The story is detailed in the preview. I felt that the writing, and the performances made it one of the best films in the festival. At the end of the screening the audience were clearly awestruck. The message about the real reason for believe, not in a religion, but the power of people was uplifting. I know that some might find the story anti-Catholic, but if I met someone that was a committed to being a good person as Daniel I would be at his services.

In another strong year for the international film category, Corpus Christi deserves its spot as a nominee. It's a slow burn film with religion and moral ambiguity at its heart, and even if the climax wasn't quite everything I was hoping for, the relentless tension up to that point was more than enough to make it a good movie. Daniel, the protagonist, is the engine for all the moral searching central to the movie. He wants to be a priest, but can't be one as an ex-convict, so he pretends to be someone else making it up as he goes along. He quickly realizes that he has a talent for it and that he has the ability to really affect people's lives. The whole time, there's the uneasy tension that this can't last, which ratchets up to full throttle when an old juvie friend comes by blackmailing him. While Daniel knows his days in the happy and impactful life he's been living are numbered, he still throws himself fully into the challenges of the town, particularly blame for a tragedy that left 7 people dead. The ending was harder for me to interpret - maybe the goal was to show that you can't run away from things forever, and no matter how much good you're doing those old ghosts will come back and you'll end up back where you started? The circularity of the plot, despite the spiritual experience Daniel has, is clear. Regardless, it's very well shot and developed as a story, and Bielenia is great as the lead.

A simple plot summary (Juvenile delinquent poses as priest, transforms village) does not begin to describe the nuanced and complex moral dilemma explored in "Corpus Christi," Poland's 2019 entry into the Oscar race. Violence, nudity, sexuality, and vulgarity--that in another film might seem gratuitous--here remind us that the world is full of angry people whose religiosity is more rooted in revenge than redemption. The central question: Is the road to love, forgiveness, and salvation more navigable when mapped by a man who wills himself into the priesthood and defies blind obedience than it is when directed by soulless compliance? Prepare yourself for a shocking and perplexing answer. Extraordinary performances, direction, and cinematography.

It is a film for feel it. Scene by scene. The implausible story becomes more than adaptation of a slice of reality, but embroidery of familiar details, ordinary facts, remorses and gestures , reflection of a life perspective,after loss, after guilty and hard build of apparences. The axis - the impressive performance of young Bartosz Bielenia. . A special, in profound sense , film because it can be discovered as precise definition of the essence of Christianity, authentic vocation, envy, hate and sides of evil . A great film more about life and about near reality , reminding Dostoievsky universe . Short - an admirable trip across essences of life, faith, justice, devotation and profound truth.

Interesting enough drama involving religion and doing the right thing

The ending got you thinking though

Always disturbing but also worrying and even intermittently amusing, this drama unfurls a religious parabola that is distinctly Polish but open to everyone. Bartosz Bielenia, an actor with blazing blue eyes and the ability to be so still, it's as if he can freeze the frame on his own, stars like Daniel, a young ne'er from Warsaw who is in juvenile detention for crimes only later revealed. He was first seen watching the gate as some teenagers in a metalwork class brutalize a boy while the guard is out, but sheer luck opens another door for him. Drawn to religion but not allowed to join a seminary due to his criminal record, he travels to a rural town once he has been paroled in a sawmill to take up work. A little gray lie allows him to take the identity of the young new priest, Tomasz, that the city expects, and soon Daniel will perform mass and hear confessions, while the old resident curate will drip out in rehabilitation for a while. Around this midpoint, the movie risks sounding like an episode of Father Ted as directed by Robert Bresson, as Daniel / Tomasz gets used to being looked after by bossy matron Lidia (Aleksandra Konieczna) in luxurious new digs and gets to know the city folk. The plot takes an interesting turn when Daniel learns that the family has been traumatized by a horrific road accident and discovers an uncommon pastoral ability when he tries to help restore the battered psyches of the bereaved-many of them barely younger than himself, including the pretty teenage daughter of Lidia, Eliza (Eliza Rycembel). All the above may lead you to expect some sort of soppy redemptive course, but that's not where this film ends up, landing on a much darker, reflective note instead. The blue-tone cinematography of Piotr Sobocinski enhances the rapturous atmosphere and enhances suspense in a smartly written, disturbing job.

"Corpus Christi" sounds on paper like it could be a screwball comedy: a young man recently paroled from juvenile detention becomes the substitute priest in a small town through a case of mistaken identity. The punchline is that he's really good at being a priest and the parishioners like him -- that is until his younger, more liberal attitudes and his experience as a troubled youth begin to rub them the wrong way when he wants them to heal the festering wounds that resulted from a town tragedy from the recent past.

This is not a comedy though, not even close. First of all, it's Polish. So that should tell you something right there. Secondly, there's not a laugh to be found in this somber story. I admired everything about this movie, but there was just some intangible ingredient missing that would otherwise allow me to recommend it enthusiastically. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing great about it either.

The ending is shocking and bleak, and will probably leave people thinking. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.

Grade: B+

Well-directed and well-acted, but ultimately melodramatic, unconvincing, and morally repugnant, "Boze Cialo" is the story of a criminal, charlatan, and hypocrite who seemingly finds redemption in a small town that is also redeemed by him.

Daniel, a convicted criminal, leaves juvie and through a series of small (and largely selfish) but significant decisions ends up impersonating a priest in a small, grief-stricken Polish town as the town's vicar goes away on sick leave. The movie goes to great pains to show us how Daniel sweeps the townsfolk off their feet with his vim, verve, and youthful energy, his improvised and unorthodox sermons and spiritual reflections. Broken by a tragedy, he guides the residents through physical grief processing, which involves vibrant arm movements and shouting to process the pain and offers them words of wisdom and soothing. The movie has moments of dramatic power, but also of cliche and falseness, its central premise ultimately tending to the melodramatic and unbelievable.

As he settles into the role of town guide, the movie cannot obscure the fact that he fully embraces and is congnizant of the power he wields in the town - power that stems partly from the role of the Catholic church in Poland and the deeply-rooted tradition of deference to it and partly from the profound grief the townsfolk want to escape so badly they'll listen to anyone who will provide solace.

"Boze Cialo" attempts to tell a complex tale of redemption, but ultimately betrays one of exploitation made easy by the hero's hubris, by tradition, and by inconsolable loss. The hero's interventions in the town's life, both to reconcile its residents and to hold certain powerful individuals to account (e.g. the mayor) ring false and hypocritical because it is not clear the hero himself ever fully comes to terms with his own guilt and his crimes. Given the political situation in Poland, with the church loudly supporting the anti-democratic regime in power, the town's embrace of a more modernist priest seems aspirational rather than true, particularly in a small rural town. Particularly problematic is his deliberate involvement in a conflict between the residents with roots so painful and deep that his attempts at resolution come off not only as egotistical (he's only a tourist in the town with no real sense of its trauma) but also morally perverse (he's a criminal himself with no right to a moral high-ground).

In the end, the movie reminds us that escaping one's past is not possible - and it deserves credit for its conclusion, which I won't spoil here. However, while there is no doubt that Daniel's encounters with the various parishioners transform him, their transformation by him is less palatable, as is the account of how both occur. This is a well-made movie about wishful thinking rather than an account of faith.

I know watching foreign stuff maybe difficult, but if you're able to, just watch it. I'm Polish but I don't feel any sort of connection to the movie's background and yet the story still amazed me on so many levels. Each and every performance is so honest and breathtaking and I personally love the technical side of this movie. It's a must watch of this year

Peter is a man with serious character defects who has been released from a juvenile facility. He finds himself at a small town Catholic church where he dons a priest's collar and becomes a beloved charismatic leading his adoring flock. The Polish Peyton Place slowly reveals its' secrets as the good "father" hears confessions from the flock and performs masses with inspiring homily's. As a lapsed Catholic, I found the film very realistic and sentimental. The lead actor is excellent and I would place it just behind "Parasite" as the best foreign language movie of 2019.

... that's for sure, but some are more forgiven for their immoralities than others, regardless of their affect and intent. Many stones thrown in this intense and emotional story of deceit from Poland that will exercise your own moral compass on the actions of the unrighteous.

"The healing process of purging the caldron of anger, grief and guilt out of a handful of small-town parishioners pans out with step-by-step lucidity and the ultimate embrace of forgiveness and agape is a hard-won reward but Komasa rarely overreaches himself into making a schmaltzy or homily fest out of it, the film's forte is in its clear-eyed, committed presentation of a none-too-credible story, and piling on the obvious and the understated (the tantalizing sexual consummation, a blackmailing juvie belong to the former and the solemn Last Rites, a tacit love interest the latter), CORPUS CHRISTI roundly puts Komasa's name on the map as a filmmaker very nearly edging his artistic maturity, not to mention it has obtained an Oscar nomination against fierce competition."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

This is one of the best films in Polish cinematography. Multidimensional, thought-provoking, revealing Polish vices and played at the highest level

For over an hour the film is an absolute gem. But no self-respecting Catholic girl would seduce a priest (or who she thinks is a priest). The violent ending which also was obviously thrown in for commercial appeal serves no purpose other than to create a crazed zombie. Plus some deus ex machina inserts could have been handled differently, i.e., the snitch is not fully believable as presented, neither is the vicar's exit and return, nor the ease with which the hero convinces everyone that he is truly a priest. The film is best when it sticks to its spiritual themes and the acting is superb.

This is a mixture of heartfelt faith and brokenness. There is repair, but, at the end, I was not sure what the film amounted to. Maybe what it amounts to most is the hypnotic, starved blues eyes of Bartosz Bielenia.