The Forgiven, a brutal clash of cultures

When an English doctor runs over an Arab youth in Morocco, his response is to put the body in the car and continue the journey.

Ralph Fiennes’s character does something unthinkable in The Forgiven, in which his wife is played by Jessica Chastain

The Forgiven (MA15+)
In cinemas from Thursday
★★★★

John Michael McDonagh, born 1967, and his younger brother Martin (born 1970) are both moralists; in their screenplays they have explored themes of guilt and innocence with a profundity rare in today’s cinema. This was exemplified in John’s adaptation of Robert Drewe’s Our Sunshine for the 2003 film Ned Kelly with Heath Ledger, and also in the first three feature films he has directed: The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014) and War on Everyone (2016).

His latest film, The Forgiven, is an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s novel, published in 2012, and it’s set in Morocco where visitors from the affluent West still treat the Indigenous people with a mixture of disdain and disapproval.

David Henninger (a superb Ralph Fiennes) is an English doctor specialising in skin cancers; a functioning alcoholic, he recently has been sued by a patient (“I didn’t spot the tumours for what they were”). He has come to North Africa with his American wife, Jo (Jessica Chastain, also in top form), who seems resigned to her husband’s waspish, boorish behaviour.

They have rented a car at the airport and are driving along almost deserted, unsealed roads into the desert to attend a party being held at a lavish, isolated palace by their gay friend, Richard (Matt Smith) and his partner, Dally (Caleb Landry Jones, the fine actor last seen portraying Martin Bryant in Nitram).

On the way the couple stops in a small town where David downs almost an entire bottle of wine. His driving becomes erratic as they near their destination – and he’s unable to stop when an Arab youth, attempting to sell local souvenirs, steps in front of the car and is killed.

David’s response is to put the body in the car and continue the journey, unaware that the dead youth’s friend has witnessed what happened. At the palace, beautiful people drink, do drugs and frolic in a swimming pool – eat, drink and be merry is Richard’s motto (he believes that “the point of life is death”).

The police are called and the Bedouin family of the dead man is informed. The father, Abdellah (Ismael Kanater), insists that David return with him to his village, which is more than a day’s drive away, to attend the funeral as tradition demands. With great reluctance, David agrees, fearful that Abdellah might seek some kind of revenge or that Islamic State, known to be active in the area, might intervene.

In his absence, the suddenly liberated Jo spends time with Tom (Christopher Abbott), a charming bisexual.

This brutal clash of cultures forms the core of the drama. In a key scene, a lavish fireworks display explodes in brilliant colours over the palace just as the dead youth’s body is being transported into his father’s car. The almost total lack of compassion or understanding on the part of Richard and his friends is chilling.

A pointed contrast is made between the desperately poor Bedouins, of whom Abdellah is a leader, and the polite, watchful character of Hamid (Mourad Zaoui), the Arab who runs the household for Richard and Dally with an air of distinct disapproval and severe competence.

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Official Competition (Competencia official) (M)

In cinemas
★★★★

The craft of the actor is dissected with astringent wit in Official Competition, an impressive co-production between Spain and Argentina, directed by Argentinian filmmakers Gaston Duprat and Mariano Cohn, who also wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Andres Duprat, Gaston’s brother.

The film revolves around two actors who come from very different backgrounds, one a popular star of films made in Spain and Hollywood, and the other involved in serious, sometimes experimental, theatre. These two diametrically opposed thespians come together when both are cast in a film version of a highly regarded novel.

The project is the brainchild of pharmaceutical millionaire Humberto Suarez (Jose Luis Gomez). On his 80th birthday, in the aftermath of a celebratory party, the old man ponders on his legacy. He would like to be remembered for something significant – perhaps he can establish a foundation, or maybe build a bridge and donate it to the city.

In the end he decides – perhaps not very convincingly – to pay for the production of a great movie. This entails acquiring the screen rights to Rivalry, an esteemed tome he hasn’t read and doesn’t intend to. His loyal assistant, Matias (Manolo Solo), is tasked with making all the arrangements which include the hiring of a top director, Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz, delectable under a head of curly hair).

Lola has a formidable reputation but is inclined to be experimental; she warns Suarez that she will make a very loose version of the book, which deals with the long-time bitter rivalry between two brothers. She also hires legendary heart-throb Felix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and Ivan Torres (Argentinian actor Oscar Martinez) to play the rivals.

The core of the film consists of the bitterly amusing scenes in which Lola rehearses her actors, insisting that they repeat their lines over and over again and forcing them to find a variety of ways in which to play their roles.

She sets out deliberately to antagonise them, to pit them against one another, to humiliate them – all in the name of getting to the essence of their characters. There’s a lot of meat on the bone here, and while the insights into the art of directing and acting are somewhat exaggerated, there’s a core of truth and, above all, a rich vein of humour.

Inevitably the film winds up in official competition at a (fictitious) international film festival, but before then there have been any number of twists and turns in this consummately acted and darkly amusing dramatic comedy.

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The Magical Craftsmanship of Suzhou (G)

In cinemas
★★★½

It has been almost 30 years since I travelled to China and my fondest memories of that trip are of the beautiful city of Suzhou, which is located near Shanghai and is known as China’s Venice because of its network of canals. As Zengtian Sun’s beautiful documentary reveals, Suzhou is also a centre of traditional Chinese art.

A 10-year apprenticeship is required before a craftsperson is ready to design and create a work of art, which could be carved from wood or jade, and could also be a tapestry of unique design. The creation of lanterns is also a local speciality.

The film looks at the work of several of Suzhou’s craftspeople, young and old, and is imbued with admiration for the work of these artists.

It is “respectfully dedicated to all craftsmen”.