What separates a forgettable bad movie from a “so bad you have to see it” movie? A certain sense of profound sincerity is the dividing line. Everyone involved in the film must give off an attitude that they’re making the most important movie ever made in the history of cinema. The passion and commitment must ooze from each frame with the misunderstanding that they’re going to sweep the Oscars. Yet all the major players have to be completely tone deaf. Think about the delusional wannabes on American Idol who destroy a song yet think they’re superstars. Monsignor is that girl screaming that the judges are just jealous. Monsignor was condemned by the Catholic Church which was better than Roger Ebert’s thumb for students wanting to get on the bad side of Sister Mary Butch at Our Lady of Eternal Mimeographs.
Monsignor dares to expose the link between the Vatican and the Mafia through an ambitious U.S. Army priest. Christopher Reeve (Superman) gets shipped over to Italy to be a military chaplain to an army unit. During a battle, Reeve forgets that his role is to merely comfort the injured and give last rites. He picks up a gun and becomes a war hero. The Army isn’t happy to know that a priest has become a killing machine. Instead of sending him back to America, Reeve gets called to the Vatican. Turns out his old padre back home is well connected. Reeve gets to work on restoring the church’s money issues which is still a bit problematic since World War II isn’t over yet. They can’t quite get their cut of the offertory plates in Berlin. Reeve finds himself shopping in the black market to get items for the church. This eventually leads him to making deals with an American mobster (The Exorcist‘s Jason Miller ). Is that a sin?
Things get extremely sinful when a romance blossoms between Reeve and a nun (Dead Ringers‘ Genevieve Bujold). She doesn’t think he’s a priest since he’s into wearing his army uniform that’s missing the priest crosses. She doesn’t dress like a nun when she’s off the clock. He tries to confess his sinful actions, but a dozen Hail Marys can’t restrain his carnal urges. How long can Reeves continue to God’s work while operating in such dark areas? Will he confess all his sins? Is this real?
Director Frank Perry had started out as a great director with Burt Lancaster’s The Swimmer and Diary of a Mad Housewife. These are two enthralling films that showed Perry had a feel for material. Then he completely lost it when he made Mommy Dearest. His ability to get under the skin of characters in mental breakdowns was overwhelmed with a hatred of wire hangers. Monsignor would be his follow up to prove he wasn’t a joke. Perry doesn’t allow Reeves to get hysterical like Faye Dunaway’s Joan Crawford, but the director can’t coax a proper performance. Reeve doesn’t want to overplay anything for fear he’ll lose his Oscar glory. Restraint doesn’t make this the new Godfather. Although The Godfather Part III would equally fail with the plot about the Catholic Church and the Mafia. Sadly Perry would never get to witness the stardom of his niece Katy Perry. She would have been better in the nun role.
Monsignor has grown in its religious trainwreck legacy after 30 years. Reeve is perfectly miscast as the priest. What he lacks in charm, he deflates with a lack of emotion. The scene where he wants to confess to his nun lover that he’s just not an ordinary G.I. Joe is hilarity in restraint. At least she blows up when she catches him in his work clothes. It’s no wonder that Sister Mary Butch feared for our souls if we saw this film. We just might have succumbed to the sin of bad taste.
The video is 1.78 anamorphic. The transfer brings out the ancient quality of Vatican City. The audio is a 2.0 Stereo track. The mix is fine for something that doesn’t feature much over the top acting to push things in the red.
No Bonus Features.
Monsignor is the kind of badness you’d expect from a director just coming off Mommy Dearest. The restrained quality allows you to focus on how Christopher Reeve shanks the role. He really does play it like Superman in a collar when he allowed himself to become human. This is a fine night of viewing for survivors of Catholic High School needing a good laugh.
Shout! Factory presents Monsignor. Directed by: Frank Perry. Screenplay by: Abraham Polonsky & Wendell Mayes. Starring: Christopher Reeves, Genevieve Bujold, Fernando Rey and Jason Miller. Rated: R. Running time: 121 minutes. Released on DVD: January 31, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
