O Clube dos Milagres

Unusually positive movie of happy endings without becoming syrupy or preachy. Starts a bit slow and contrived, but becomes engaging after the bus to Lourdes departs and a web of hidden relationships and past sins are gradually are explained. Unusual film in that it displays almost an overdose of vivid Catholic imagery. Includes a priest who's a likeable, normal guy. Its portrayal of 1960's Ireland was a fascinating historical throwback. Irish accents were pretty thick. I wish I could have watched with subtitles on because I could not understand some key moments of dialogue. Based on others reactions in the theater, I don't think I was alone in this.

Beautifully acted film about faith and the ties that bind ... despite the secrets and lies.

An Irish parish is holding a talent contest and the winner gets a trip to Lourdes. Three friends are hoping to win but one dies before the contest. Her estranged daughter (Laura Linney) returns to the village after 40 years for the funeral.

She's met with resentment from her old friend (Kathy Bates) and her first love's mother (Maggie Smith). The women don't win the trip but end up going anyway and each one faces the limits of faith and love when they expect miracles to happen at Lourdes.

The star actresses are all terrific and make this film worth watching. Co-stars include Stephen Rea, Niall Buggy, Agnes O'Casey, and Mark O'Halloran.

Watching this after the passing of Maggie Smith adds an extra level of emotion to the film. I have loved Laura Linney ever since Love Actually and I'm glad she was in this film with the incomparable Maggie Smith. Kathy Bates is another powerhouse actress that I adore. These three actresses carried the film. I also haven't seen such an adorable actor with Eric D. Smith since Roman Griffin Davis in Jojo Rabbit. It was a touching film and had that element of hope. I wouldn't say it was a comfort movie that I could watch over and over again but it did make me smile and tear up. The film seemed up my alley and I enjoyed it.

Four ladies from Balllygar, Ireland join a travel group going to Lourdes hoping for personal miracles to happen. That's it in a nutshell, but on the other hand it says almost nothing about the substance of this warm and mostly gentle film. An exceptional cast (Maggie Smith, Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Agnes O'Casey and many fine supporting players) leads the way. These four have a complicated mutual history the threads of which intertwine and finally resolve in unlooked-for mutual forgiveness which, if there is one, is the actual miracle. They heal each other, and that's the message.

Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith do their best with strong Irish accents -- though I was left wondering why native Irish actors weren't picked (maybe the producers just wanted the star power). You might expect that Maggie Smith would steal the show, as she can do with almost anything, but she turns out to have the restraint necessary to make this a true ensemble piece. And it's actually Chrissie (Laura Linney's part) who turns out to be the crucial role in the story. Enjoy.

Given some of the subject matter, "nice" is possibly an odd word but the movie ultimately has an uplifting ending. Plot wise you kind of see it all coming but Maggie Smith, Laura Linney and Kathy Bates and one of the lead actresses from series Say Nothing make it an enjoyable watch.

It is a little odd that Linney doesn't try to even effect a hint of an Irish accent but they're all good actresses. The rest of the cast is slightly less known In scale, the story is pretty small/simple but it works and tells a story about miracles in that occur in ways and places people don't expect.

Forgiveness is a huge part of the story here as well. All the actresses play their parts well and it's comforting to watch them do it.

In the end it's a warm tale. It won't change your life in any significant way but it makes for a "comforting" watch From a technical perspective the visuals, cinematography and direction are ok but not amazing.