'Cabrini' Review

Alejandro Monteverde presents a beautifully crafted drama of courage and conviction where Christ is shown, not told

I can be quite a harsh critic of explicitly Christian and especially Catholic films. I simultaneously believe that Christian art should be better than secular art and that most contemporary Christian media is of lesser artistic value than your average Netflix teen drama. We worship a God who is transcendental; He is Goodness, Truth, and Beauty, and our artistic endeavors should attempt to emulate that, to give our audience a small glimpse of that transcendence through our subcreation (to borrow a term from Tolkien). Which is why it pains me so much that the average contemporary Christian filmmaker seems to think that Full House is the height of cinematic achievement.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to report that Cabrini is a truly excellent film. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde (Bella, Sound of Freedom), Cabrini tells the story of St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, an Italian nun who established a missionary order in the United States in the 1890s. The film focuses on her charitable work among the Italian immigrant community and her struggle to ensure that they were treated with basic human dignity. Mother Cabrini goes toe-to-toe with the archbishop, the mayor, the Italian Senate, and even Pope Leo XIII. Cabrini shows incredible strength and courage in the face of opposition and outright hostility, fighting for the innocent and forgotten people of New York.

On a visual and technical level, Cabrini is excellent. Monteverde’s staging and cinematography are impeccable, with each shot feeling well-crafted and intentional. Many of the visuals are absolutely gorgeous, composed like paintings. Monteverde and cinematographer Gorka Gomez Andreu use classic techniques like chiaroscuro as well as innovative, dreamlike transitions (one involving a water transition from the ocean to a river is especially notable) to create a truly beautiful looking film.

This visual feast is complemented by excellent and subtle acting from the cast. Cristiana Dell’Anna gives a stellar performance as Mother Cabrini, shining as much with quiet, subtle facial expressions as she does in the big, emotional scenes. David Morse and veteran Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini both give excellent supporting roles, Giannini especially as Leo XIII, radiating wisdom and compassion as he redirects Cabrini’s passion to where it is needed most. John Lithgow, on the other hand, seems determined to chew as much scenery as he can in his short role as mayor of New York. Romana Maggiora Vergano is also quite good as the prostitute Vittoria, as much one of the orphaned children Mother Cabrini takes under her wing as any of the others.

There are a couple of minor things about the film which I did not care for. For one thing, I despise Angel Studio’s habit of asking us to pull out our phones during the credits, scan a QR code, and donate to them. Oh sorry, I mean “pay it forward” by buying another ticket. If your movie is good enough (and this one is), you don’t have to beg us for money. We will be sure to support you in the future anyway. Another annoyance was overly simplistic messaging about the capability of women in society. Some of this is understandable; Mother Cabrini was sometimes taken less seriously as a leader because of her femininity, even as she accomplished great things throughout her life. However, at some points the movie took it too far. I think the same effect could have been achieved by having her doubters replace the phrase “women can’t do these things” with “nuns can’t do these things”. The latter phrasing would seem less politically charged in our own time, still providing the obstacle needed in the story and giving a more subtle commentary on gender equality. However, these are really minor flaws in an overall great film.

The other thing I noticed could potentially have been a truly large flaw in a film about a Catholic saint. Jesus Christ Himself was conspicuously absent from the script of this film. Mother Cabrini rarely invoked His name or prayed for strength or gave Christ as a motivation for her charitable work. I have seen some Catholic reviewers disturbed by this, and I must admit that I also found this choice to be somewhat strange. Had Christ been cut from this movie to make it palatable to a secular audience? Had Mother Cabrini’s story been sterilized?

Upon further reflection, I would say that Christ was absolutely present throughout this film. Monteverde made the choice to show, not tell, in his presentation of the gospel. This is a classic law of filmmaking, and one which Christian films break time and time again: your film will be more effective if you show the audience what your message is, rather than have one of your characters simply tell them. Cabrini is absolutely saturated with Catholic imagery, from the crosses on the fronts of the nuns’ habits to crucifixes, statues, and paintings in their orphanage and hospital. It also proclaims the gospel through the nuns’ Christlike example. Mother Cabrini is compassionate, courageous, firm in the face of evil but tender towards those whom she serves. She sees Christ in the downtrodden, the immigrant, the prostitute, the orphan, and shows Christ to them in return.

This approach keeps Cabrini from falling into cringiness like many other contemporary films with the admirable goal of spreading the gospel. Such films have conditioned me to prepare for cringe when certain situations or dialogue cues arise. One such situation happens in Cabrini: Mother Cabrini is having a conversation with Vittoria, who says that “all the water in the world could not get her clean”. It does not take too much imagination to continue the dialogue for this scene in a lesser Christian movie. “Here it comes,” I thought. “The cringy ‘Jesus can clean you’ line.” But Mother Cabrini does not go there. Instead, she affirms Vittoria’s human dignity, showing compassion and earning Vittoria’s trust and devotion. She shows Christ to Vittoria rather than telling her about Him. Although the name of Christ may not be invoked often in the script itself, this film is not hiding its Christianity. Quite the contrary, in fact. He who has ears, let him hear.

Overall, Cabrini is an encouraging step forward for 21st century Catholic filmmaking. Monteverde has crafted a truly admirable film, one full of wonderful performances, beautiful visuals, and a strong and compelling story. Catholics must retake the arts if we want the Church to survive in the West, and I for one am very excited to see what projects Monteverde has lined up in the future. Hopefully other Catholic filmmakers will take up the banner as well and craft films as beautiful and excellent as Cabrini.