The Cathedral Review
The Cathedral (2021) Film Review from the 45th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Ricky D’Ambrose, starring Brian D’Arcy James, Monica Barbaro, Mark Zeisler, Geraldine Singer, and William Bednar-Carter.
It takes a while to feel invested in this elegant, picture-book style scrutiny of fictional filmmaker Jesse Damrosch’s life from birth to college.
Though first time director Ricky D’Ambrose shares that the basis of this film is biographical, it’s presented like a dossier, interspersed with impassive expository voiceovers. This is not to say the film doesn’t have emotional depth. It’s a concise, polished series of vignettes, each representing what can be argued as crucial events in Jesse’s life.
What isn’t clear, however, is the connection his artistic leanings have to various family scenes. These could be intended as random, but the thread they have in common is too strong and seem cherry-picked. Depictions among family members and in-laws of back-biting, disapproval, distrust, neglect, cruelty, and even fisticuffs speaks against this. Scenes of an unwanted grandmother being exiled from one indifferent son or daughter to the next are as poignant as they are tragic.
The singular exception is Jesse himself. He is carefully excluded from the generalized antagonism, as if he weren’t present at all, except on one occasion when his stepfather, Peter, blames him for marital screw-ups. Otherwise, everyone treats him with marked consideration and deference, quick with apologies and reassurances, as though he were a visiting guest they don’t know very well. His divorced parents, however, as so many do, tend to put Jesse in the middle, fishing for scandals or each outright lambasting the other.
In direct contrast to the dynamic footage of relatives is that which focuses on the technical: static and lingering still shots of furniture, paintings, ceiling lamps, and especially light and shadow that Jesse later refers to in a student presentation. The effect is a photo album style offering, doled out alternating with well-known disaster news reports as a frame of reference.
Another interesting aspect of this film, and quite an effective one, is the use of sounds and conversations in the background, more often than not used as emphasis or contrast. Possibly the most startling example is the static shot of a shattered glass on a tile floor while in the background one hears Jesse’s father and grandfather duking it out savagely, profanities flying.
The acting all around is so fine, it’s easy to forget that this isn’t an actual documentary. Delivery seems spontaneous, and D’Ambrose allows scenes to linger just long enough. Insular scenes of everyday activities, like Jesse’s stepmother running a sweeper over a hardwood floor contribute to the feeling of realism. One memorable passage shows his father, briefcase in hand, shoulders slumped, trudging through the living room into the bathroom, sitting and covering his face with his hands, weeping as though his heart is breaking, without explanation. In fact, explaining would likely strip the scene of its emotional power.
The bitterness among the relatives rings especially true. The rift between Jesse’s aunts which can’t be breached even by their mother’s death–the very same unfortunate old lady they themselves turned away at every opportunity. Conversely, kindness and affection seem just as authentic; these seem to be most especially the province of women in Jesse’s life. His mother and stepmother both try to make the best peace among feuding relatives. In short, there isn’t a single ersatz exchange anywhere. Still, the overall elegance of the film leaves one more pensive than moved.
Rating: 8/10
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