"Woman is the Glory of Man": A (Critical) Film Review of 'Cabrini'

Once while visiting downtown Detroit to do some street evangelization I prayed to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini because I heard she was the patron saint for finding parking. In an unfamiliar city with a rough reputation, I figured it was a long shot to employ her for this little favor (which seemed big at the time). Low and behold, as soon as I got downtown near our set-up corners, a car pulled out from a spot right in front of me and I was able to slide in. Grazie, Madre! Truth be told, though, I didn't know much about St. Cabrini's life beyond that little tidbit of info, and that little mini-miracle she worked for me.

So I decided on a whim this afternoon to go to a matinee screening of Cabrini, because I like to give things a fair shake, not to mention think and make determinations for myself rather than second-hand. I say that because it seems people who have seen the film (or those who have not yet feel moved to comment on it anyway) seem to be of two minds about it. I have made it known in over fifteen reviews on this blog (see here) that I am a film snob, and try to go beyond the "I loved it!" or "I didn't care for it" reactions to get to the objective reasons why I either loved a film or didn't. I was also surprised to see the theater about three quarters full, which was kind of cool.

I'll say from the outset Cabrini did nothing for me, either as a Catholic or as a movie-goer in general and I found myself checking my watch during the duration of the movie on numerous occasions. The acting is acceptable, the lighting and cinematography check all the right boxes, but I was absolutely not invested in these characters. It's not that they were two-dimensional or anything--they just did not give me a reason to care about them; and that includes Mother Cabrini herself. 

I also couldn't help feeling a bit force-fed, as well. Those who were critical of the downplaying or absence of faith and prayer in a story about a Catholic saint, and the upsell of strong-willed empowerment messaging were, I think, right to be. It kind of felt like a modern Marvel movie in that sense masquerading as a religious film. The humanist innuendo didn't hit you over the head, but it was definitely there, glorifying the human dimensions of what should have been reserved for the Divine. What seemed like a massive disappointment was the missed opportunity to underscore that the massive wagers and scope of work that Mother Cabrini undertook simply would not have been possible were it not for Divine Providence. It's as if the currency of the spiritual held no value in this particular producer's economy. 

Now, I know Catholics are our own worst enemy, but honestly why do producers keep missing the mark, again and again, when trying to appeal to mass audiences on matters of faith? This seemed to be the case with the new Padre Pio movie as well. However, there have also been some very well done films (A Hidden Life, about the life of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, and Man of God about the life of the Orthodox Saint Nektarios of Aegina as two examples) in the past few years showing what is possible. 

Cabrini is neither a beautiful film nor a convincing one. I did not care about any of the characters, and it felt like a mild lecture one had to endure rather than something that draws you in of your own volition. All of Mother Cabrini's sisters seemed to be akin to NPCs (Non-Player Characters) in a video game, though the relationship Mother has with the former prostitute who has entered into their community seems to have some slight inter-personal development. 

The battles and obstacles in the film were all external, outside the person--this seemed like a huge lost opportunity to delve beneath the skin of a formidable character to the spiritual dimension. It almost seemed like a foreign script to the producers that they scrapped in favor of the tangible and easily explainable, as if the biblical scholars of the Jesus Seminar of the 1980's got together to try their hand at film and focused on the historical Jesus devoid of his miracles. Sorry, the feeding of the five thousand wasn't because "sharing is caring." Hard pass.

I don't quite know what the agenda of Cabrini was, if there was one. Was it to inspire? And if so, inspire to what? Curiosity? Piety? Humanitarianism? Deeper faith? Female empowerment? Was there a reason it was touted as premiering on "International Women's Day?" Or the emphasis on immigration during a border crisis and election year? I don't know, and I don't really care to speculate. Because nothing about Cabrini made me care at all, because...well, why should I care about something I wasn't invested in. And that is where it fails as a film. I don't owe Angel Studios anything. If anything, my $11.50 put to rest my suspicion of the critics of this film, because I can say they were right to hold the film itself in suspicion.

Phillip Campbell has a much more thorough (and favorable) review over at Unam Sanctam Catholicam. We both saw Cabrini on the same day and were texting back and forth about it and decided to publish our reviews simultaneously.