It is very rare to run into a perfect movie…but it happens. That’s why it’s rare .

And, it goes without saying, what is and isn’t perfect, what is nearly perfect, or a far cry form it, is subjective. Case in point: McCabe & Mrs. Miller.

Everything…the screenplay. The cinematography. The acting. The soundtrack…yes, even the bits of conversation that can’t quite be heard…is perfect.

But some people are meh about McCabe & Mrs. Miller. And some people just don’t like it. And that’s okay. It’s not like E.T., or Jurassic Park. It’s not for everyone.

Anyway, as you might have guessed, this movie–not McCabe & Mrs. Miller–but this movie, may not be your cup of tea. Then again, if you like gritty police procedurals with strong thriller elements…if you speak fluent Spanish…or, even if you don’t and don’t mind subtitles…you’re gonna love May God Save Us. I’d bet money on it.

But you’ve gotta have a strong stomach. Keep that in mind.

That said, the movie begins with a gorgeous, broad camera shot of a busy intersection of Madrid. Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen takes us into the architecture and vibe of a second tier artery system–its markets, its cafes, its apartments–so that we can see with our own eyes, hear with our own ears, and feel with the nerve endings down our own spine, the pulsating, multidimensional rhythm of the city.

It’s quite prosperous. Beautiful. And religious…Catholic.

So Catholic, in fact, the Pope is scheduled for a visit and everybody’s pretty happy about it–except for the cops. And that’s understandable since everybody in Spain (shoot, people from all over the world) are going to be flooding into Madrid. Makes their job that much tougher.

True. But that’s not the reason they’re so upset.

The cops are upset because a serial killer is attacking their city. And he’s targeting old ladies. He rapes them. Beats them to death.

Very grim…just awful…I told you up front it might not be your cup of tea. And it’s graphic…not gratuitously, but still. Proceed with caution.

That said, May God Save Us is what you call a two-hander–that’s where there are two main characters in a film, a play or a television program. And since I already told you it’s a police procedural, you’ve probably already guessed that the two main characters are cops.

Two male cops…who don’t like each other.

One, Javier (Roberto Alamo) is an impulsive, tall and muscular, physically expressive man child. He’s got a little sumpin’, sumpin’ going on in the sex appeal department, but has problems with his wife and step-daughter. Oh, he loves them, alright…tries to be good to them, but he doesn’t speak their language. Plus he’s selfish.

The other cop may be a little younger, but he doesn’t look it. Bookish, awkward, smart, he’s not tall at all. He has a crush on a maid in his apartment building…doesn’t have clue what to do about it. That, and he stutters. His name is Luis (Antonio de la Torre.)

Meanwhile the Pope is going to be in Madrid soon. The police chief wants the serial killer caught before the Pope-jet touches down. We’re going strictly by the book here, until there’s a shift. It happens quite abruptly. We’re on the same streets as before, but now we’re seeing them through the killer’s eyes. We’ve seen him before, too. He’s not what we expect.

Well, he is and he isn’t…he’s very young. Mid twenties. And he’s handsome in an unsettling sort of way. It’s as if his whole being is fashioned into the tip of a long thin blade. His nose, his chin, his lips…he’s very fastidious about his clothes and appearance.

Though we are shocked when we first encounter him, we watch his ritual with a dreadful awe…the stride of his step, how quickly he sizes up his prey…we think we know what makes him tick. But his mask is still on. We have seen his crimes only through Luis’ psychological profiling. Now, within the films shift, we are voyeurs watching the killer’s process. It is, I suppose, like watching sausage being made. Not only do we see his mask slip, we watch him rip it off. Terrifying.

In his country of Spain, Sorogoyen is an acclaimed artist winning seven Goya awards for direction and original screenplay for The Realm, The Beasts, Stockholm, Mother and May God Save Us. In the latter film, Sorogoyen merges the genres of police procedural, psychological drama and full out thriller with a deft hand, splicing it into three acts, the first of which is the procedural where we are introduced to the methodology and victimology of the killer and the unfortunate women who star in his crimes.

The middle portion of the film takes the form of a psychological drama where the focus is on police officers Javier and Luis and their secret inner world. There we are like flies on a wall as they go about their day to day life, interacting with one another, their fellow officers and those in their private life.

The third act is all thriller, with Luis and Javier drawing ever closer to identifying the killer and reconciling their own demons. It’s as twisted and tortuous as an unregulated rollercoaster ride.

And then, there’s the epilogue.