“Levity,” penned by and directed from Ed Solomon, appeared in 2003 and tells the story of a man—played by Billy Bob Thornton—who is freed after spending twenty-three years behind bars. He returns to an urban setting where he committed murder against a seventeen year-old cashier, and finds housing and employment at a community residence overseen by a priest with a distinctive personality (Morgan Freeman). Hoping for absolution, he attempts to form a connection with the victim’s sister (Holly Hunter) while also assisting a young woman without proper guidance who is squandering her potential (Kirsten Dunst). The film's name becomes clearer through a particular exchange: one character asks what the other is thinking, and the response is “Gravity.” To which it is replied, "It doesn't last long." Therefore, 'Levity’ represents the inverse of gravity and seriousness. The term originates from the Latin ‘levis,’ signifying "light in weight" or even "changeableness," encompassing a sense of "lightness” in all respects. Life involves tragedy and pain; we inflict senseless acts upon each other during periods of spiritual development and immaturity. We are continually pulled toward our inevitable conclusion ("Gravity kills"). However, at some point, we must release ourselves from this gravity and acknowledge that joy exists. Redemption signifies the restoration of that joy, that Levity. Some reviewers felt the movie would benefit from a touch more humor given its tendency towards solemnity and an obvious moral message. The film’s atmosphere is comparable to other movies exploring spiritual themes, such as “Grand Canyon” (1991) and “The Woodsman” (2004), although it doesn't quite reach their level of quality. A weakness lies in the excessive ambiguity present, and another stems from a poorly developed storyline about a young man’s delinquent son and his involvement with a violent group, which feels artificial. Despite these shortcomings, there is enough merit to suggest this film to those who enjoy similar types of movies—works that attempt to reconcile the reverence and beauty of existence with its darker, foolish, and unpleasant aspects. I particularly appreciated how Dunst portrayed her character among urban youth; in fact, all four primary actors deliver strong performances. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes and was filmed in Montreal. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB