Cabrini Reviews

Director Alejandro Monteverde (Little Boy) shares writing duties with Rod Barr (Sound of Freedom) for Cabrini, the true story of the founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her quest to bring dignity to the oppressed immigrants and orphans of New York City. In doing so, they weave a rich tale of a turning point in the city's existence without being overbearing about her Catholic goals.In 1887, Frances Cabrini (Christiana Dell'Anna), founder of a Catholic sisterhood dedicated to the elderly, sick, and orphans, approaches Pope Leo XIII (Giancarlo Giannini) because she wants to embark on a mission to the Far East. He instead tells her, "Not to the East, but to the West," and sends her to New York City. There, she discovers that Italian immigrants live in such poor conditions that the rats have a better life. She sets out to change this, approaching Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse), who is initially adversarial to her cause. But Cabrini perseveres, eventually turning him into an ally. Ultimately, though, she will have to overcome the roadblocks intentionally put in place by Mayor Gould (John Lithgow), as well as the Italian Senate, if she is ever going to succeed in her mission to build a hospital that caters not only to Italian immigrants but all the people of New York.Monteverde and Barr have created an excellent period piece for a story that some might find boring. They do this by focusing less on the religious aspects of the tale and more on the people and the machinations that Cabrini must go through to succeed at her often-lofty goals. With the support of an earnest cast led by a convincingly stern and stubborn Dell'Anna, they keep the tale engaging from beginning to end. Lithgow commands the screen whenever he is on it, almost but not quite overpowering Dell'Anna.The set designers did very well presenting the majesty of Vatican City and a growing upward New York City at the end of the 19th Century. But they outdid themselves in showing the filth and squalor in which the immigrants of Five Points were forced to live. Dim lighting and careful use of camera angles add to the impression of cramped conditions and poverty. Monteverde makes excellent use of light and shadow, combined with a subtle but ever-present soundtrack, to keep the viewer engaged with the story. The only technical issue is some unfortunate lens flaring that was not eliminated during editing. They only occur in a few scenes but draw the focus away from the characters.Cabrini is a sometimes hard-to-watch film about a difficult time in New York City's history when immigrants were often looked at as less than human. Conversely, it is also an excellent example of how faith, determination, and a streak of stubbornness can lead to hope where there was previously only despair. As such, it rises to heavenly proportions.