By the Grace of God
Directed by François Ozon
France, 2019
HOME, 31 October 2019
A raw, emotionally edgy, violent and tender film.
This film is about a number of men who were sexually abused as boys by a Catholic priest. The church covered up for him, his crimes went unpunished.
We look at the lives of these men as they try to get justice. Some men are Catholic, others are atheist; some are alone, while others seem (on the surface, at least) to be in stable relationships. Yet the damage done, the awful effect of the abuse on their lives, their toxic, dysfunctional selves – it is there for all to see.
It is a powerful film, full of haunting terror, raw emotion and resolute integrity, and it put me in mind of Spotlight, a similar film of a few years ago (my review of that one is here).
Jildy Sauce 