Saint Frances

When I first started watching this movie I thought it was kind of directionless and that it had all these disparate parts that didn't really click but then at some point it all did for me. All of a sudden I just really appreciated this movie.

It is a slice of this woman's life and her relationships with others in it. There isn't a huge through line it is just a story about a woman.

I think it masterfully blends different themes together and I think it's biggest merit is showing how clashing ideals can blend with each other and people should just accept and get along with others.

It is a really well done movie and I think that more people should watch it.

Quiet, little movie that's quietly subversive. This is a comedy, written by and starring Kelly O'Sullivan, providing an unvarnished perspective on feminity, having a child and/ or choosing not to have a baby.

The three female protagonists each, is a prisoner to their own secrets. All three women are muted by shame. The only real conflict here is their inability to talk to each other. And O'Sullivan's script much like her performance, is sweet without ever going sickly. Great stuff.

Was shocked to see the ratings for this were so low and then realized that the anti-abortion brigade had been sent out to pepper any public review system with 1 stars.

Thoughtful and well done. Yes contains lesbian moms and an abortion but those felt secondary to the story of feeling aimless at 34. There are so many movies where we are asked to take men's emotions and lives and bodily functions as worthy of film and I didn't know that I was missing the same for women until I saw this film.

Laughed and cried. Two thumbs up, well worth the time.

Trust the rotten tomatoes score. This is a gem that has won countless festival awards and for good reason. It isn't action packed but it is real in a way few films are. The characters are so good that my wife who hates talking about movies was doing a deep dive into the main character and what she represents and how she was portrayed. Most of all this film has a lot of soul and it doesn't shy away from any of the taboos that so many big budget films avoid. Despite this it's a very healing movie, one that makes you question why our culture considers these things taboos at all. I think some of the press that it is getting has been that it is a political film but I dont think it is. And even though I have strong political views that some might prematurely conclude that the film bolsters I think the movie does the harder work of building a world that you never want to leave and letting the viewer interpret what it all means. Its the kind of film that seems to me to have layers, layers based off real experience and since it was one of my favorites in awhile I am excited to watch it again soon ( something I almost never do.) My wife gives it 8 stars out of ten. I give it 10

A great way to kick of 2021 was to watch one of Mark Kermode's top 10 of 2020 on Netflix.

This lovely American Indie movie, Saint Frances, written by and starring Kelly O'Sullivan. Nope, me neither.

It's the story of a 30 something 'girl' who's pretty much failed in life so far, who simultaneously gets a new boyfriend who gets her pregnant but is happy with her undertaking a quick abortion (and go halfers on the fee), and lands a summer job as a nanny for a six year old kid who has mixed race lesbian parents.

The kid's a brat and is running through nannies.

So you know how this all gonna pan out right?

Well, not really. What we embark on is a fairly, but not overly, emotional study in female empowerment (and actually entitlement because one of the moms is a pretty high achieving ball buster), loneliness, self-worth and social value.

The one guy in the movie isn't cast asunder as unimportant but he plays a side role. He's a good guy actually.

The four-way Mom, mom, nanny, kid (and a new baby which makes suppressed Mom, depressed Mom) dynamic is complicated and rarely sees the main protagonist played by O'Sullivan in a position of strength. Meanwhile her abortion has some fairly gross out complications although none that derail the narrative.

It's actually a bit of a comedy but it's a lot more than that. It's certainly bittersweet, but sweet enough.

Hugely thought provoking with several powerful central performances, a strong exploration of issues that face women today (one critic said it was too woke for its own good but I disagree) and a few really good laughs along the way.

What's not to love?