This is "Glaube" or "Faith", the second chapter from Ulrich Seidl's "Paradise" trilogy. The movie runs for slightly under 110 minutes and features Maria Hofstätter as Anna Maria in basically every scene from start to finish. It is nice to see she won an Austrian Film award for her performance. Ver deserving. This movie runs for almost 110 minutes and it is a steady progress. It actually starts as a really light film. It had a nice comedic touch when we see the protagonist bring Virgin Mary to all these households. The reactions from the people and the way Anna Maria reacts to them felt truly authentic. Well-written film. There is that long scene at the hoarder's apartment, which is really hilarious, but it is also the ending of the film in terms of comedy. Everything afterward is drama and some will shake you to the bones, especially the last 10 minutes.
I am always a bit careful with the term "masterpiece", but I think in terms of films centered around the difficult topic of religion, this one here gets everything right. It does not try to be monumental in the grand scheme of things, but tells us the story of one particular person, for whom religion is the most important aspect in life. There is certainly a lot to discuss about this one here. Was Anna Maria fulfilled with her life? Was she maybe even happy? It seems like she had no real human relationships with anybody else other than her church group. However, does she really need other relationships if she has found God?
This was the second time already that I watched this film, saw it the first time when it hit theaters, and I must say it has even gotten better on rewatch. It was smart from Seidl to include these sequences in which she goes out with Radio Maria and get the little statue out to the people. A much needed form of comic relief that still does not take away anything from this films seriousness, especially with the last couple scenes. Gonna check out "Hope", the last chapter soon, check out my review for that one as well if you want. I liked that one as well the first time I saw it, so I hope I will enjoy it as much again. But more importantly, if you like films about religion, do not miss out on that excellent effort here. Highly recommended. The only minor criticism I have is the poster from this film here. It looks a bit like forbidden fruit and that is totally not what this film is about. Other than that, a sublime watch.
I am always a bit careful with the term "masterpiece", but I think in terms of films centered around the difficult topic of religion, this one here gets everything right. It does not try to be monumental in the grand scheme of things, but tells us the story of one particular person, for whom religion is the most important aspect in life. There is certainly a lot to discuss about this one here. Was Anna Maria fulfilled with her life? Was she maybe even happy? It seems like she had no real human relationships with anybody else other than her church group. However, does she really need other relationships if she has found God?
This was the second time already that I watched this film, saw it the first time when it hit theaters, and I must say it has even gotten better on rewatch. It was smart from Seidl to include these sequences in which she goes out with Radio Maria and get the little statue out to the people. A much needed form of comic relief that still does not take away anything from this films seriousness, especially with the last couple scenes. Gonna check out "Hope", the last chapter soon, check out my review for that one as well if you want. I liked that one as well the first time I saw it, so I hope I will enjoy it as much again. But more importantly, if you like films about religion, do not miss out on that excellent effort here. Highly recommended. The only minor criticism I have is the poster from this film here. It looks a bit like forbidden fruit and that is totally not what this film is about. Other than that, a sublime watch.