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.

"Frances" deals with a lot of hot issues, like abortion, acceptance no matter gender, orientation,and past mistakes and it tackles them all with immense heart, exploring other personal themes, such as depression and life's crisis, all with such a human touch that it's hard not to connect to these characters. Kelly O Sullivan is so natural in this role that it's almost feels like a biography. Her writing is just as impressive as her acting, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for her in the world of cinema, because I think she's gonna turn some heads. The moms are both immensely talented as well as the daughter. At the end of this movie I couldn't help but smile and nod along with the music, relishing the time I got to spend with these characters. My only real quip is that it does longer a bit towards the end, and there is one scene that is a bit too on the nose, but the rest of the film is just too good and done with too good of intentions to really knock it too much. Overall Saint Frances is a stunningly delightful film, one that I recommend to anyone and everyone no matter personal beliefs. You may come out changed, you may come out even stronger in your beliefs, you may come out not changed at, all which is fine. One thing is for sure, you'll have a great time with these characters. There's plenty of laughs, tears and morals, and by the end you'll be sure to be rooting for Bridgette and her future.

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?

"Saint Frances" brings the story of Bridget. As the movie opens, Bridget, a 34 yr. old waitress, is at a party and gets to know a 26 yr.old guy who also works as a server. They hit it off and next we know, they are living together. Bridget desperately wants to do something with her life, and she applies for a full-time nanny position to take care of a 6 yr. old girl named Frances (but everyone calls her Franny). Franny is more than a handful. Then one day, Bridget discovers that she is pregnant, and wonders what to do... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of director Alex Thompson, in a movie written by and starring Kelly O'Sullivan, also making her feature length debut (as a writer). This team aims to bring us a comedy with a lot of deep and deeply personal issues (and I mean a whole lot more than nannying a 6 yr. old). Because the movie is so plot-heavy, I really don't want to go into further details as to these deep and deeply personal issues, although I do wonder whether O'Sullivan has lived through some of these issues herself. "I'm not an impressive person", laments Bridget at one point (after another screw-up on her part). This surely is not a reflection of O'Sullivan, who is quite impressive in what amounts to a coming-out party. I'm quite certain that Hollywood has taken notice and that we have not seen the last of her, not by a long shot. that said, the movie is not without flaws. There were a couple of narratives that were built up and then... went nowhere (literally disappeared from the film). Kudos to Quinn Tsan, who composed the soundtrack with a bunch of delightful indie tunes.

"Saint Frances" premiered at last year's SXSW festival to immediately acclaim, and is currently rated 98% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The film finally was released in theaters in late February. It opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (7 people but keep in mind that the coronavirus was declared a national emergency this weekend). If you are in the mood for a very indie (and frank) movie about personal relationship issues, or simply want to discover the up-and-coming talent that is Kelly O'Sullivan, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (if you can), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

I found this film enjoyable - a real slice of life type of film and very well fimed in a very casual but real way. Bridget was very real and likeable (although the wife didn't like her!). Real world issues treated in s real world way. Great Sunday afternoon film...