"W imie..." or "In the Name of..." is the newest collaboration between director/writer Malgorzata Szumowska and actor Andrzej Chyra. They worked together three years ago on "Elles" and ten years ago on "Ono". I felt that this project started off slowly, but quickly gained steam. It deal with the life and work of a priest, who is a homosexual, but suppresses his sexuality because of his profession. When he meets a boy who obviously has similar tendencies things start to heat up.All in all, I liked the movie. It's often thrilling and won't leave you unattached probably, even if you have no gay tendencies yourself or don't know anybody who does. There were a few scenes which felt random, like the woman trying to seduce the main character the way she did it with her husband years ago or suddenly another gay couple out of nowhere or the over-the-top reaction of the lead character's love interest when another boy accuses the lead character of being into boys. It just didn't fit his otherwise shy character.It's an ambitious project, which delivers most of the time and is certainly worth a watch despite its occasional weaknesses in writing. Chyra is very convincing and all the others give decent portrayals of characters where they really couldn't do much wrong. The acting is possibly the strongest component of the film. 100 exciting minutes and an ending which I liked a lot.With the huge quantity of gay-themed short films, it's always nice to see a full feature on the issue which reaches a certain level of quality. Well done to everybody involved.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***I am gay and have known a couple gay priests so can evaluate this movie fairly well. Adam a closeted priest (is there any other option?) has trouble with his libido around young men---he is decent and does good work so the church just moves him around when anything questionable happens. The movie implies he is not completely innocent but after all human. He meets his true love whom he convinces to become a priest? (In final scene).I found some of the things distracting there are far too many group scenes in the first hour or so with scene after scene with a dozen boys talking at the same time....I really dislike this method of plot story development as it is frankly irritating. It is supposed to show the hectic atmosphere of this half way house from reform school. One or two such scenes would have been plenty--besides being annoying to take in; it makes the story line harder to follow.The movie is very pro-church perhaps only in Poland would such a movie be made... The couple priests I knew had no trouble being sexually active and frequenting gay bars playing pool with donation quarters etc...The "happy" ending is kind of corny...Indicating I suppose the Adam is a first and eventually gay priests will be married including to each other. Symbolism was literally spelled out in this movie with the T-shirt logos...and the Niagra supermarket being burned down by Adams lover---can't stop the force of so much water/love etc I suppose...The scenery has a touch of the digital to it but not in a bad way it actually enhances things the most perfect Polish countryside you'll never see....the light touch is key here. When ever trees have all their leaves moving is a give away.I like to see incidental gay characters not tragic problematic gay dramas no matter how real they are they....we are finally starting to see more of this thank God.Over all if you are pro religion this is a good thoughtful movie...it is too pro organized religion they are made out a bit too perfect also Adam is too perfect. I prefer thinking of them putting donation quarters in pool tables. That is the reality I witnessed.Recommend

Andrej Chyra (Father Adam), Mateusz Koskiukiewicz (the tongue-tied Lukasz) and Tomas Schuchard (the streetwise Blondie)are superb. But this is writer/director Malgorzata Szumowski's film and it is original, fresh. It proves once again the power of art to make sympathetic a character you wouldn't have believed was worthy of consideration based on the facts alone. I mean the conscience-tormented Father Adam who is enveloped in a haze of homoeroticism generated by the late-teenage youths at a Polish reformatory camp. Given the emotional and affectional undernourishment among both the adults and the youths it is unsurprising that desire emerges here and there. But Father Adam is no predator pedophile exploiting altar boys. He is a sincere man devoted to the well-being of his wards and his temptations come in the form of youths past the age of consent played by actors well-past that age.

To say the least. The movie will not leave you completely after watching it. Whatever reaction it does create, it will stay with you. It's not an easy or light theme it takes on. Therefor it had to be careful. But it is not too careful. You have scenes that are explicit in its sexual nature (even if not completely graphic).But it is the overall feeling this movie might leave you with and the moral choices the characters are taking. It is not easy to watch at all and you might understand the characters or you might start to hate some of them too. But I can't imagine anyone watching this, feeling nothing (even if its just disgust). The acting is really good and you get the feeling as if this is really happening (some might argue that it is close to some truth, which wouldn't be wrong I reckon). Tough but maybe still rewarding watch