The Third Miracle
2.5/4
Starring: Ed Harris, Anne Heche, Michael Rispoli, Charles Haid, Caterina Scorsone, Mark Huisman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Barbara Sukowa
Rated R for Some Language, Sex-Related and Violent Images, and Brief Drug Use
One could argue that this film would work better for Catholics than non-Catholics (such as myself), but I don't think so. Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland's film is only sporadically compelling because the mystery over whether a lay woman is a saint is well-developed. The rest of the film, not so much.
Frank Shore (Harris) is a priest who has lost his faith. His job was to investigate miracles, but being a skeptic, he was known as the "Miracle Killer," and after a previous case went sour, he lost it. Now, the local bishop (Cahill) needs him to investigate the story of a woman named Helena O'Regan (Sukowa), a woman who people pray to. She has reportedly already cured one girl (Scorsone), and there are rumors of another from when she was a child. But is it real, or just another false hope for Frank?
Like all the best films dealing with religion, Catholicism is dealt with in a natural manner. With one exception, there are no caricatures, and we really believe that these people are priests. They devote themselves to God, but they have other interests, doubts and flaws. The exception is Charles Haid, who plays the sleazy high-powered bishop. I have no doubt that there are bishops like this (and this was probably intentional on Holland's part), but Haid's portrayal is so nasty that he's not credible. He plays the part like it's a dime-store film-noir.
The acting is solid across the board. Ed Harris is his usual low-key self, playing a man who wishes he had more faith than he actually does. Anne Heche is also good as Roxane, Helena's atheist daughter who finds Frank attractive. Michael Rispoli is good as Frank's friend John, and Mark Huisman is quite good as Frank's assistant. The usually reliable Armin Mueller-Stahl is uneven. There are times when he's effective, but there are also times when he goes over-the-top.
Holland's film is really about Frank's return to his faith, but unfortunately the script is not good enough to make this a compelling focus. There's not enough depth to Frank for a whole film to be built around him, and that's what causes the film to drag at times. Similarly, the romantic subplot between Frank and Roxane doesn't work. Both are good actors but they have no chemistry.
The film really only takes off when Frank is investigating the possibility that Helena is a saint. It's interesting material and Holland generates quite a bit of energy with it. But on the whole the film is too uneven for me to say it's worth seeking out.
Starring: Ed Harris, Anne Heche, Michael Rispoli, Charles Haid, Caterina Scorsone, Mark Huisman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Barbara Sukowa
Rated R for Some Language, Sex-Related and Violent Images, and Brief Drug Use
One could argue that this film would work better for Catholics than non-Catholics (such as myself), but I don't think so. Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland's film is only sporadically compelling because the mystery over whether a lay woman is a saint is well-developed. The rest of the film, not so much.
Frank Shore (Harris) is a priest who has lost his faith. His job was to investigate miracles, but being a skeptic, he was known as the "Miracle Killer," and after a previous case went sour, he lost it. Now, the local bishop (Cahill) needs him to investigate the story of a woman named Helena O'Regan (Sukowa), a woman who people pray to. She has reportedly already cured one girl (Scorsone), and there are rumors of another from when she was a child. But is it real, or just another false hope for Frank?
Like all the best films dealing with religion, Catholicism is dealt with in a natural manner. With one exception, there are no caricatures, and we really believe that these people are priests. They devote themselves to God, but they have other interests, doubts and flaws. The exception is Charles Haid, who plays the sleazy high-powered bishop. I have no doubt that there are bishops like this (and this was probably intentional on Holland's part), but Haid's portrayal is so nasty that he's not credible. He plays the part like it's a dime-store film-noir.
The acting is solid across the board. Ed Harris is his usual low-key self, playing a man who wishes he had more faith than he actually does. Anne Heche is also good as Roxane, Helena's atheist daughter who finds Frank attractive. Michael Rispoli is good as Frank's friend John, and Mark Huisman is quite good as Frank's assistant. The usually reliable Armin Mueller-Stahl is uneven. There are times when he's effective, but there are also times when he goes over-the-top.
Holland's film is really about Frank's return to his faith, but unfortunately the script is not good enough to make this a compelling focus. There's not enough depth to Frank for a whole film to be built around him, and that's what causes the film to drag at times. Similarly, the romantic subplot between Frank and Roxane doesn't work. Both are good actors but they have no chemistry.
The film really only takes off when Frank is investigating the possibility that Helena is a saint. It's interesting material and Holland generates quite a bit of energy with it. But on the whole the film is too uneven for me to say it's worth seeking out.
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