August 21, 2024
FILM: CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT
DIRECTED BY: TOMAS GOMEZ BUSTILLO
STARRING: MONICA VILLA, HORACIO MARASSI, IAIR SAID
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, Rita Lopez lives in a small Argentinian village with her husband Norberto. She works as a cleaner in a church and tends to keep to herself. One could say she’s a bit self-absorbed and wants some kind of recognition. While cleaning a storeroom one day, Rita discovers a statue of the Virgin Mary that she believes is the same one that has been missing from the town for quite some time. The pastor convinces her that finding it must be a miracle. But then Rita discovers something that suggests it’s a fake. Yet she still wants people to think a miracle has occurred. With the help of Norberto, she cleans it up and drags it through town. It seems as if Rita may get the attention she wants. Then a tragic situation occurs which changes the course of her life.
I won’t give away what that is but it is so significant that the film itself seems to end AND there’s a closing credit sequence. Yet, there’s about half a film left… Suffice to say the narrative twist leads to what could be considered a completely separate movie. Yet, both parts are needed to truly tell this very original and often very funny story from writer/director Tomas Gomez Bustillo.
Rita, as a character, is far from a saint. She ignores her husband who has his own ideas for fun that Rita has no time for. She also can’t be bothered to stop while traveling down a road with motorists calling out for help. A dog that keeps turning up in inconvenient locations also constantly annoys her. She shows little warmth for the wandering hound. Rita makes choices such as these that may require her to look at her life from a new perspective to truly get the change and attention she so desires.
What makes the film so endearing is the light comic touches that fill so many of the shots Bustillo captures here. At one moment Rita and Norberto sit at their kitchen table wearing silly looking raincoats as Norberto attempts to recapture a vacation they went on many years earlier. The situation feels appropriately ridiculous. Also, watching the two of them carry the statue across the rural landscape looks a bit like something out of a silent comedy. Bustillo knows how to establish a shot and then fill it with small details that emphasize the story’s light tone and magical elements.
This is a narrative that also features some key moments that connect this world to what might come next. As such, there are conversations between characters that take shape in and around the form of lights, bugs, and glowing effects. There is something mystical and humorous surrounding these images and the associated dialogue yet Bustillo keeps the story rooted within this odd rural setting.
Monica Villa portrays Rita with complete dedication to the character’s perspective with a very modest, sullen outward appearance. She’s sort of a sad clown, not realizing how amusing she really is.
Ultimately, the film itself says something about society’s attachment to religious ideas and iconography. It is through our own perspectives that we give statues and places of worship their power and magic. The people in this village are all parts of that yet remain devoutly committed to their beliefs.
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards earlier this year. It is currently available to rent On Demand via Fandango. It’s well worth a watch.
FILM: CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT
DIRECTED BY: TOMAS GOMEZ BUSTILLO
STARRING: MONICA VILLA, HORACIO MARASSI, IAIR SAID
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, Rita Lopez lives in a small Argentinian village with her husband Norberto. She works as a cleaner in a church and tends to keep to herself. One could say she’s a bit self-absorbed and wants some kind of recognition. While cleaning a storeroom one day, Rita discovers a statue of the Virgin Mary that she believes is the same one that has been missing from the town for quite some time. The pastor convinces her that finding it must be a miracle. But then Rita discovers something that suggests it’s a fake. Yet she still wants people to think a miracle has occurred. With the help of Norberto, she cleans it up and drags it through town. It seems as if Rita may get the attention she wants. Then a tragic situation occurs which changes the course of her life.
I won’t give away what that is but it is so significant that the film itself seems to end AND there’s a closing credit sequence. Yet, there’s about half a film left… Suffice to say the narrative twist leads to what could be considered a completely separate movie. Yet, both parts are needed to truly tell this very original and often very funny story from writer/director Tomas Gomez Bustillo.
Rita, as a character, is far from a saint. She ignores her husband who has his own ideas for fun that Rita has no time for. She also can’t be bothered to stop while traveling down a road with motorists calling out for help. A dog that keeps turning up in inconvenient locations also constantly annoys her. She shows little warmth for the wandering hound. Rita makes choices such as these that may require her to look at her life from a new perspective to truly get the change and attention she so desires.
What makes the film so endearing is the light comic touches that fill so many of the shots Bustillo captures here. At one moment Rita and Norberto sit at their kitchen table wearing silly looking raincoats as Norberto attempts to recapture a vacation they went on many years earlier. The situation feels appropriately ridiculous. Also, watching the two of them carry the statue across the rural landscape looks a bit like something out of a silent comedy. Bustillo knows how to establish a shot and then fill it with small details that emphasize the story’s light tone and magical elements.
This is a narrative that also features some key moments that connect this world to what might come next. As such, there are conversations between characters that take shape in and around the form of lights, bugs, and glowing effects. There is something mystical and humorous surrounding these images and the associated dialogue yet Bustillo keeps the story rooted within this odd rural setting.
Monica Villa portrays Rita with complete dedication to the character’s perspective with a very modest, sullen outward appearance. She’s sort of a sad clown, not realizing how amusing she really is.
Ultimately, the film itself says something about society’s attachment to religious ideas and iconography. It is through our own perspectives that we give statues and places of worship their power and magic. The people in this village are all parts of that yet remain devoutly committed to their beliefs.
Chronicles of a Wandering Saint was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards earlier this year. It is currently available to rent On Demand via Fandango. It’s well worth a watch.