Taking place in a small, Chilean beach town, Pablo Larrain's The Club tells the story of a group of disgraced priests and nuns, who have been suspected of crimes ranging from homosexuality, to child abuse, to baby-snatching. These men and woman live a quiet life now, attempting to redeem themselves for their past transgressions. When a new exiled priest is sent to the house and subsequently commits suicide, a crisis counselor is sent by the Catholic Churce to investiage, threating the very existence of these individuals. Pablo Larrain's The Club tackles a touchy subject with an impressive amount of tact. I'd personally argue that The Club is one of his least interesting films, as it lacks the distinctive storytelling and artisitc merit as some of his earlier efforts. That isn't to say there isn't a lot ot enjoy with The Club, a film that is interested in documenting how the Catholic Churce deals with their worst offenders, putting them in a secluded home that is 100% funded by the church so these men can seek repentance. Each of these disgraced priests pass the time in different ways, some being healthy while others are essentially vices. The film certainly has something to say about the pesonal demons of all of us, as none of these individuals are ever vilified, as Larrain fully gives them the full dimensional characterizations they deserve. The problem I had with some of these characters is I never felt enough emotional weight in many of them, outside of the priest who became infaturated with his greyhound. Fortunately for the film, this is not nearly as important as the larger aspect of the film, which is certered around Larrain's intent on captures the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, an organization and business that will do whatever it takes to survive. The Club is not seething or a biting criticism, as its tone is rather light considering the subject matter, but through the story of these three priests and an old altar boy who arrives, damaged from his past transgressions, The Club captures the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. The crisis counselor drives these thematic intentions, a man who arrives hellbent on forcing these four men to commit more to penance. When this ex-altar boy arrives, deeply damanged by years of past abuse, the crisis counselor concocts a scheme to keep hims silent, doing in a way which in theory will help him find some semblance of peace, though it is only the second priority of the counselor, whose first priority stems from protecting the image of the Catholic Church. Surprisingly funny and featuring a ligher tone that one would expect, given the subject matter, Pablo Larrain's The Club is a tactful take down of the Catholic Church, exposing the hypocrisy and means it will go through in order to survive.
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June 2023
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