Sinner

Marc Benardout's intelligent drama focuses on Father Anthony Romano (Nick Chinlund), a small-town priest at a financially-strapped parish. When one of Romano's subordinates physically attacks a local prostitute named Lil (Georgina Cates), the priest intervenes with the police and offers to provide Lil sanctuary at his rectory. It turns out that Lil is not the stereotypical hooker with a heart of gold—she quickly discovers a secret that Father Anthony has been hiding from his diocese and threatens to destroy his life, but the priest proves to be more resilient than Lil expected, sparking an intellectual and emotional duel, a battle of wills that takes the film in surprising directions as the pair find their respective vulnerabilities exposed. In a curious plot device, Father Anthony also plays golf at night in scenes that benefit from a winning performance by Brad Dourif as the priest's caddie. A small, under-the-radar film fueled by the harsh dramatic chemistry between Chinlund and Cates, Sinner takes on the big issues of redemption and forgiveness with skill and maturity. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)