“The Club” Makes “Spotlight” Look Gentle
By Skip Sheffield
If you thought “Spotlight” shone a harsh light on the
Catholic Church, “The Club” will shock and creep you out.
This is a Chilean film by Pablo Larrain set in a forlorn
beach town called La Boca. Four disgraced priests and one nun live together in
reflection and penance. They all have been removed from their priestly duties
for offenses ranging from child abuse to baby-snatching.
It seems the sun never shines on “The Club.” Even in the
middle of the day it is dark and dingy. The only excitement the group has is
racing a rescued Greyhound dog called Rayo, trained by Padre Vidal (Alfredo
Castro). The group is forbidden from mingling with townspeople and is only
allowed to go into town from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and 8-9 p.m.
The predictable routine is disrupted with the arrival of a
new ex-priest, Father Lazcano (Jose Soza). Lazcano does not have much to say,
but a young fisherman named Sandokan (Roberto Farias) sure does. Sandokan
plants himself outside the priests’ house and begins loudly and graphically
reciting a litany of Father Lazcano’s abuse of him as an altar boy. This so
rattles the elderly padre he shoots himself in the head with a pistol.
This crisis brings in from the Vatican a crisis counselor
named Father Garcia (Marcelo Alonso). The priests fear Garcia will shut down
the house for good.
Meanwhile we see a strange interlude with young Sandokan and
the nun Sister Monica (Antonia Zegers, wife of the director).
The story is brought to a shocking and horrific conclusion
and a resolution of sorts.
“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,” the
priests recite. I am not totally convinced.
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