Cabrini

I love true stories of people accomplishing great things, especially when they must overcome the odds against them. This was the case in the movie "Cabrini," an inspiring, motivating, suspenseful movie about a real woman and the good she accomplished through determination, persistence, and faith. It made me feel like I should be doing more with my life, but in a good way, not a way that made me feel small. We need to focus more on people who have overcome much in order to improve the lives of others and find happiness and satisfaction doing so. We need more movies like this, and fewer movies like the ones often produced.

This movie is SO good!! It follows the life of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, an immigrant from Italy who came to America to do missions work. It's such a compelling story, you watch as she gets horrible racist and sexist remarks made against her, and she still overcomes. She is a strong woman who people should look up to. She opened an orphanage and faced so much adversity all along the way. We need young woman to have someone like this woman to look up to, she was able to take all the ridicule and hate she got and become greater than she ever had the right to become. That's amazing! But what's even more amazing to me is that it's a true story.

Unaware of the story of Mother Cabrini until watching in the theatre last night. Greatly enjoyed the story and production merits as well as solid acting from the cast. Angel Studios seem to thus far invest in worthwhile features that appeal to mass crowds, while avoiding being too preachy or overly sentimental regarding faith. The theatre was only a little full but the front section clapped at the end and folks stuck around to the end, including me, as I greatly enjoyed the end title song featured as well. I watched this as part of my AMC A-List membership but felt compelled to do at least one ticket on the pay it forward solicitation. Great film, well worth the 2.5 hours spent watching.

Although I avoid religious films that have a holy message to relay, I have become a cheerleader for Angel Studios because of the two films I have seen, the box-office-wonder Sound of Freedom and now the beautiful and engaging biopic, Cabrini. They have a production richness not only exemplified in the realistic and lush cinematography (shout out to Cabrini lenser Gorka Gomez Andreu), but also believable heroes such as the human trafficker hounds in the former and the canonized Mother Cabrini (Cristiana Dell'Anna) in the latter. Both films have the same director, Alejandro Monteverde.

The realism and the goodness of the characters helps make the two films memorable for putting us directly in the action (in Cabrini 1899 New York City) and only subtly sanctifying the heroes. The elements of first-rate filming are in Cabrini: original music by Gene Back that captures spirituality while exalting humanity, Alisha Silverstein's spot-on period costumes, and an equally-impressive Carlos-Lagunas production design. Over them all is a lean and effective story by Monteverde and Rod Barr aided immensely by the creative editing of Brian Scofield.

As always, the acting makes the difference: Besides Dell'Anna's award-worthy interpretation of the diminutive "entrepreneur," David Morse's archbishop is imperious and difficult, matched growl for growl by John Lithgow's intractable mayor. Senior to them is the impressive Giancarlo Giannini as Pope Leo XIII, who assigns the NYC slums to Cabrini's future as the eventual patron saint of immigrants.

Mother Cabrini, despite her failing health and being a woman in a paternalistic society, is a superlative example of the feminist Gloria Steinem could imagine: kind and ambitious, tough and savvy, in love with children who need her love. It would be next to impossible not to shed a tear watching her build an orphanage and then hospitals in the spirit of her selfless mission to help the disadvantaged.

But then that is what this film does as it portrays the uncomfortable world of early 20th-century poverty while encouraging us to clap for the heroism of Cabrini and her soldiers, including a Mary-Magdalene-type prostitute, Vittoria ( Romana Maggiora Vergano). The comparison to Christ's journey is never emphasized, all the better to realize the everyday heroism of our fellow humans.

I am impressed once again by the ability of director Monteverde and the Angel Studios to craft a biopic that reeks of reality while it spiritually transports to the worlds of authentic heroes. Cabrini is, like the current Oppenheimer, a true, albeit "inspired by," biopic with heart and grit.

I'm not religious in any way shape or form, but I really liked this movie.

The sets and the acting were all top notch...watching this made me wonder how Hollywood movies are so expensive, because this looked better than alot of 100 million dollar + movies that I have seen.

It's a great story about someone who simply wants to help other by any means. She's a bulldog and does what she needs to in order to get the job done.

The entire story has religious undertones but it is very much not in your face. She doesn't perform any miracles or anything like that, she just works hard for those she cares about.

Excellent movie from people of all backgrounds.