Cabrini: One Woman’s Epic Fight against Poverty and Bigotry in Old New York City

Cabrini: One Woman’s Epic Fight against Poverty and Bigotry in Old New York City

Cast: Cristiana Dell’Anna, John Lithgow, David Morse, Giancarlo Giannini, Patch Darragh, Romano Maggiora, Vergano, Federico Ielapi, Jeremy Bobb, Giampiero Judica, Federico Castelluccio, Sean Cullen, Rolando Villazon, Peter Lojacono, Peter Arpesella

Critic’s Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

Director: Alejandro Monteverde 

Duration: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Genre: Biography, Drama

Language: English, Italian

Release Date: March 8, 2024 

What’s it about?

An immigrant nun in 1889 New York City battles the Powers-that-Be to free orphaned Italian children from poverty and prejudice. 

Review:

At a time when the Roman Catholic Church is mired in controversy and cynicism, here comes a stunningly rich portrait of beatified Italian nun Frances Xavier Cabrini. Indeed, this is a biopic of incredible magnitude and vision - boasting bravura performances, trenchant dialogue, superlative production values and scintillating cinematography. The audience is in for epic story-telling of the highest order in this inspiring journey of a trailblazer clergywoman who aids poor Italian children amid the bigoted climate of late 19th Century New York City.

In 1889, Francesca Cabrini (Cristiana Dell’Anna) is dissatisfied with the limited scope of her work at a small institution in Italy and approaches the Pope (Giancarlo Giannini) to ratify her plans of shifting base to China. Sceptical about her abilities to pursue charitable projects in far-flung regions, he instead permits her to begin a mission in the Big Apple. With a handful of her habited subordinates and hardly any money in hand, Cabrini embarks on an odyssey fraught with peril and challenges.

Moving into the City’s squalid Five Points slum, she finds herself in the midst of orphans, pimps, prostitutes, and a disillusioned priest - Fr. Morelli (Giampiero Judica). But despite the reservations of NYC’s Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse), Cabrini and her Sisters revive an orphanage - providing food, clothing and basic education to the destitute “Dago” children. Meanwhile, she forges profound friendships with a former hooker Vittoria (Romana Maggiora Vergano) and the orphaned Paolo (Federico Ielapi) and Enzo (Peter Lojacono), standing by them through traumatic incidents. Cabrini also strikes up a close association with the charitable Dr. Murphy (Patch Darragh), who unlike his fellow-Irishmen and most of New York’s elite, is not prejudiced against Italians.

With funds fast depleting and a limited aid forthcoming from the Archdiocese, Cabrini solicits the help of local politicians. In so doing she draws the ire of the Mayor (John Gould) as well as the Archbishop, who believe she is harassing their patrons. With her back to the wall, Cabrini turns to Mr. Calloway (Jeremy Bobb), senior reporter at the New York Times and even ropes in a reluctant Italian opera singer Enrico Disalvo (Rolanda Villazon) to try and sing for the children’s supper.

Despite relentless opposition from the Rich and Powerful both in American and back in Rome, nothing can deter the Rev. Mother from her cause. She draws out actual blue-prints of her vision, doggedly pursuing men of influence to view them. This while having to ward off attacks by anti-immigrants and Italian-haters. What the audience is ultimately presented with is one heart-rending, but moving war, by one woman against almost every male-dominated institution in the West. Will Cabrini’s indomitable spirit prevail and will the power of persuasion trump that of force? That is the crux of this compelling true tale.

It seems the film’s director and co-writer Alejandro Monteverde has withheld no expense or effort in realising this celluloid tribute to a lady folk hero. In so doing, he may have drawn inspiration from such mission-themed classic movies like Boys Town (1938), the Song of Bernadette (1943) and the Audrey Hepburn-starrer a Nun’s Story (1959). But even so, Cabrini stands high in a place of its own. Almost every scene is one of creation, compassion, defiance or confrontation while avoiding over-sensationalism and clichéd dramatisation. The creation of NYC from a bygone era is mesmerising as is the sweeping photography that captures it. If CGI has been employed, it is undetectable.

Among the cast, the protagonist-playing Dell’Anna is easily the standout for displaying a range of human emotion while alternating seamlessly between Italian and English. Credit is also due to her main adversaries - played with aplomb by veterans Lithgow and Morse, while little Ielapi deserves a special pat on the back. One small flaw perhaps would be the film’s length, but still it is never boring. The authentic costumes, non-frenetic camera work and subtle but effective cinematic music all coalesce well by commendable editing. For those who have grown cynical about life, treat yourself here to an adventure of Principle, Perseverance, Devotion and dare-we-say-it Love: a true triumph of the human spirit.