Cabrini

Cabrini
Starring Cristiana Dell'Anna, David Morse, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Federico Ielapi
Directed by Alejandro Monteverde

Whereas I'm not traditionally a huge fan of musical biopics because they mostly gloss over every aspect of the singer's life and gives a Wikipedia-infused story, general biopics of ordinary people who've done the extraordinary are a guilty pleasure of mine. Seeing ordinary people who endured hardship after hardship to make a lasting change in the word - many of whom have names lost to history - are some of the strongest people in the world. They didn't change the world to become famous, they did it because it was the right thing to do. It gives us a challenge ourselves: would we do the same thing, or would we cave under the insurmountable odds stacked against us? For Francesca Cabrini, she not only endured the hardships - she embraced them, and her work led to lasting change not just in America but throughout the world, making her the patron saint of immigrants.

In the 19th-century, Italians are looked down upon and scorned by Americans, especially in New York. The children specifically are homeless and left to fend for themselves, with many of them dying on a daily basis. In the Vatican, Mother Frances Cabrini (Cristiana Dell'Anna) appeals to the Pope to allow her to start an orphanage in China - something unheard of for a woman. The Pope denies her request, but instead instructs her to go to New York and start there. She takes a group of Sisters with her and travel to New York to start her orphanage, but left and right she comes across obstacles: from racist lawmakers to sexist Archbishops and everyone in between - but each time she gets knocked down, she gets back up and thanks to her fortitude she not only got her orphanage started in New York, but she ultimately achieved her dream of seeing her order spread all over the world, including China.

The story of Francis Cabrini is one of fortitude and courage, a woman before her time who stood head and shoulders above the matriarchy that wanted to keep her under their oppressive thumb. She never took no for an answer, and time after time she came back from adversity to be even stronger. She never lost sight of the mission - to bring hope to the Italian children who were forgotten in America, as well as the forgotten children all around the world. She let her light shine before men, and they saw what she could do: and feared her. Cabrini's determination led to lasting change in not just the children she ministered and cared for, but for their children, their children's children, and so on throughout generations. Without her strength of will, the world would look a whole lot different, and a whole lot darker.

Some might think this is an overtly Christian movie, as it was produced by Angel Studios and directed by the controversial director of last year's surprise hit "Sound of Freedom," but this isn't a preachy, Bible-thumping tale. In fact, it could be seen as the opposite on many levels: it didn't shy away from the overtly sexist tendencies that high authoritative people in the church held during the time, and apart from the fact that Cabrini and her Sisters were nuns, there's not a lot of mention of the Bible or Christian themes. Instead, it's a female empowerment movie that is natural and organic, because it's based on the true story of one fierce female that often gets forgotten (apart from her name being used in films like "Candyman" as it takes place in Cabrini Green).

Cristiana Dell'Anna gives a commanding, tour-de-force performance as Cabrini, a woman with steely resolve and a tender heart, a woman who in one moment will tend to the hurting children, while the next she's berating men around her for trying to hold her back. There's a moment near the end of the movie that fully encapsulates not just Cabrini, but Dell'Anna's performance as well. When talking with the major of New York (an understated performance by the great John Lithgow), he mentions that it was too bad she wasn't born a man, because she would've been an excellent man. She doesn't even look at him but coldly replies, "no, men can never do what we do." Cristiana's performance is what holds this film together, but it's not just her pitch-perfect performance that's the highlight of this tale.

Cinematographer Gorka Gónez Andreu bathes the film in wonderful light, mostly natural, but all encompassing. It gives a continual sense of hope in hopeless situations, as every time Cabrini gets something going it's knocked down. The set designs showcase the destitute nature that the Italian immigrants faced, and it's all shot with a classic lens that hearkens back to the classic films of yore. For a smaller film company, it's surprisingly decent work.

The only real downside to the film is its length. At two hours and thirty-six minutes, the film is no breezy walk. It could've been cut down to two hours, and its one of those films you have to be in the mood to see. But if you're in the mood, be prepared to witness greatness from a woman who defied the odds and became the patron saint of immigrants. In a world that is still hostile towards immigrants (especially in America), this is a story that needs told now more than ever.

Led by an awards-worthy performance by Cristiana Dell'Anna, "Cabrini" is the true story of a woman of faith who never wavered in her desire to see destitute immigrant children fed and cared for all around the world - and having the dexterity to see it happen despite impossible odds.

The Score: A