Movie Review – The Confirmation

Many of the choices we make during our lives are shaped by the perspective and experiences we gain during our childhood. As young kids, we are impressionable and can quickly adapt to different situations. The Confirmation follows a young boy as he balances his understanding of how the church expects him to act, with what he learns is required to survive in the real world.
Walt (Clive Owen) is a down on his luck, alcoholic, sporadically employed carpenter and single father, who is asked to spend time with his son Anthony (Jaeden Lieberher) when his mother Bonnie (Maria Bello) and her new husband leave town to attend a church retreat. It is clear from the start that the lifestyle that Anthony experiences at home with his mom and step-father, full of religion and completely absent of sin, is very different from the life that Walt leads. The awkward interactions between father and son are masterfully portrayed by the actors. Slowly, the father and son grow closer through a serious of misadventures that are a product of this mismatched duo.
At times the plot progresses slowly and predictably, but all the actors tackle their roles masterfully making it a pleasure to watch. This movie confirms that in a world of imbalance, imperfection and danger, we must sometimes take a detour from the righteous path in order to do the right thing. The Confirmation is currently playing exclusively at the AMC Star Southfield 20.