Did the makers of "The Proposition" set themselves the challenge of coming up with the record number of outrageous plot developments in a single movie? Because they just may have succeeded.
Opinion about this movie falls into one of three groups. First are those that think it is a compelling, stylish drama with a fantastic cast – they love it. Second are those who believe it is an overheated piece of rubbish, and a huge waste of talent – they hate it. The third group feels that although it has a great cast and is well acted, it has a deeply flawed story. I go with the third group to a point, although I must admit, despite the craziness of the story, it kept me going until the end.
The story is told in flashback by Kenneth Branagh's character Father Michael McKinnon. He tells how he arrived from England in the mid 1930's to a posting as a new priest in Boston's most affluent Catholic parish. He wants to concentrate on helping the poor, but also wants to avoid the Barrets, the richest and most influential family in the parish.
Eleanor Barret, played by Madeleine Stowe, and her husband, the powerful Arthur Barret, played by William Hurt, are unable to have children due to Arthur's infertility. Eleanor is desperate to have a child, so Arthur arranges for a surrogate to perform the necessary service for Eleanor.
Roger Martin a young law graduate played by Neil Patrick Harris is offered $25,000 to impregnate Eleanor. Although he is inexperienced, an added inducement is that Mrs. Barret is extremely hot. Eleanor falls pregnant, but young Roger finds that he enjoyed the work so much that he would like to continue working for free – he begins to make a pest of himself, and threatens to expose the deal, all of which leads to unexpected developments.
While this unfolds, Father McKinnon, no longer able to avoid the Barret's dinner invitations, announces that he is in fact Arthur Barret's nephew.
Many other revelations follow in a story that encompasses 16 years.
Without spoiling the ending too much, one of the least expected developments occurs when Father McKinnon compromises his priestly vows with an affair with Eleanor. The sight of Father McKinnon in full clerical garb pashing Aunt Eleanor is far removed from Hollywood's classic depictions of priests in films such as "Going My Way" and "The Miracle of the Bells".
Although not Catholic, I can't help feeling uncomfortable with the way filmmakers treat the church these days. Although many faiths have had to deal with big sexual abuse problems, I still feel an on screen affair between a priest and a married woman will offend a lot of people. Showing irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable by others is the essence of blasphemy, while picking targets that don't fight back is the essence of bullying.
Too be honest, this aspect of the plot almost totally eclipses what was already an intriguing plot development involving Neil Patrick Harris's character – it's all just too much.
At about the midpoint, you know you can't take this movie seriously. If at the end, it had claimed to be based on fact, I would have fallen out of my chair. But it doesn't, so it's safe enough to just lean back and take the ride, erratic and jarring as it is.
Opinion about this movie falls into one of three groups. First are those that think it is a compelling, stylish drama with a fantastic cast – they love it. Second are those who believe it is an overheated piece of rubbish, and a huge waste of talent – they hate it. The third group feels that although it has a great cast and is well acted, it has a deeply flawed story. I go with the third group to a point, although I must admit, despite the craziness of the story, it kept me going until the end.
The story is told in flashback by Kenneth Branagh's character Father Michael McKinnon. He tells how he arrived from England in the mid 1930's to a posting as a new priest in Boston's most affluent Catholic parish. He wants to concentrate on helping the poor, but also wants to avoid the Barrets, the richest and most influential family in the parish.
Eleanor Barret, played by Madeleine Stowe, and her husband, the powerful Arthur Barret, played by William Hurt, are unable to have children due to Arthur's infertility. Eleanor is desperate to have a child, so Arthur arranges for a surrogate to perform the necessary service for Eleanor.
Roger Martin a young law graduate played by Neil Patrick Harris is offered $25,000 to impregnate Eleanor. Although he is inexperienced, an added inducement is that Mrs. Barret is extremely hot. Eleanor falls pregnant, but young Roger finds that he enjoyed the work so much that he would like to continue working for free – he begins to make a pest of himself, and threatens to expose the deal, all of which leads to unexpected developments.
While this unfolds, Father McKinnon, no longer able to avoid the Barret's dinner invitations, announces that he is in fact Arthur Barret's nephew.
Many other revelations follow in a story that encompasses 16 years.
Without spoiling the ending too much, one of the least expected developments occurs when Father McKinnon compromises his priestly vows with an affair with Eleanor. The sight of Father McKinnon in full clerical garb pashing Aunt Eleanor is far removed from Hollywood's classic depictions of priests in films such as "Going My Way" and "The Miracle of the Bells".
Although not Catholic, I can't help feeling uncomfortable with the way filmmakers treat the church these days. Although many faiths have had to deal with big sexual abuse problems, I still feel an on screen affair between a priest and a married woman will offend a lot of people. Showing irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable by others is the essence of blasphemy, while picking targets that don't fight back is the essence of bullying.
Too be honest, this aspect of the plot almost totally eclipses what was already an intriguing plot development involving Neil Patrick Harris's character – it's all just too much.
At about the midpoint, you know you can't take this movie seriously. If at the end, it had claimed to be based on fact, I would have fallen out of my chair. But it doesn't, so it's safe enough to just lean back and take the ride, erratic and jarring as it is.