And just like that ... fall film festival season begins. A couple weeks ago, I saw First Reformed, the new movie from writer-director Paul Schrader. It's a demanding character drama about a minister who is wrestling with his faith. The minister is played by Ethan Hawke, who gives one of his finest performances. In First Reformed's opening reels, I thought I might be watching something magnificent. The film runs out of gas a bit, unfortunately, but I still liked it enough to recommend it in my Screen International review.
