In 1967 three women from a small Irish town dream of winning a pilgrimage to Lourdes, a place of miracles. An old acquaintance surfaces just before they leave and, despite hard feelings from long ago, joins the pilgrimage. They are each seeking a miracle.
This movie got mixed reviews and we were going to skip it until a trusted friend said that she liked it and it had some good funny bits. So we went ahead and it was a pleasant surprise. It was solidly directed and expertly acted with an underlying look at what you are expecting when you go looking for a miracle.
I especially appreciated how understated the story was. There were many opportunities for an impassioned explanation of an old wrong but usually we were given small hints or implications from an actress's stillness or slight change in posture. This left the story feeling more real and drew us in.
The weakest link was the priest who didn't actually believe in anything except the need to believe. That was a typically weak, modern presentation of a priest. Luckily he wasn't in the movie very much. The story focuses solidly on the four women and it really is a women's movie.
Recommended even for those who, like me, don't want to see a "women's movie."
No comments:
Post a Comment