Toronto Film Festival Review: Corpus Christi

Kriss and Ro review the film Corpus Christi. This film has a very strong middle that is hindered by a weak opening that makes the ending feel like a bit of a cop out. That's not to say this isn't a very compelling and still good film. It suffers from the fact that the middle of the film really leaves you wondering what could have been if the opening was handled a bit better.
Corpus Christi is the story of 20-year-old Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia, a major talent on the rise), who, after serving a sentence in a youth detention centre for a violent crime, must face his inner demons while searching for redemption. Running from the troubles that haunt him and hiding from his past by posing as a priest in a small Polish town, Daniel is, clandestinely, given the chance for spiritual transformation. Meanwhile, the arrival of this charismatic young preacher provides an opportunity for his divided flock to begin healing after a polarizing tragedy. But not everyone is capable of forgiveness or deliverance, and following the road to salvation can also lead one astray.
As his past sins catch up to his already heavy and burdened conscience, Daniel's intentions are murky and the haven of religion may prove to be more than just a spiritual escape. Set in a country with increasingly blurred lines between church and state, Corpus Christi calls dogma and prostrating into question as Daniel's real test of faith ultimately presents itself at a moment when he's not at the altar.
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