Saint Frances

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?

My favourite film genre is 'social realism'. I have a bit of an (albeit fair) reputation for only liking bleak human dramas. But human dramas don't have to be bleak, and people don't have to be nasty to make a good film. And Saint Frances is a beautiful film. Not a hint of saccharine, but a lovely study of how, despite their not inconsiderable troubles, people can be, and ultimately are, nice. Done well like this, heart warming dramas are every bit as emotionally compelling as their oft bleak counterparts. A lovely film for New Years Eve....

"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.

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...

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