A Review of Mother Teresa & Me by Nick Olszyk
Distribution: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG-13
USCCB Rating, nrated at the
time of this review
Reel Rating, Four Reels
Even among the grand hagiography of canonized men
and women, , there are some who stand out above others as “supersaints.” In the
same way the 6th century is known for Benedict and the 12th
for Francis of the Assisi, Pope St. John Paul the Great and St. Teresa of
Calcutta will be the jewels of the 20th century many millennia from now.
While there have been many productions made about the little Albanian nun, none
have been especially good at capturing her spirit. Perhaps this is because she
was never concerned about her legacy, only bringing the love of God to the most
desperate. Which is why a film that doesn’t have her as the protagonist is the
best to capture her essence.
Kativa (Banti Sandu) is
a young Indian-Briton violinist with bright future when she becomes pregnant unexpectedly
by her deadbeat boyfriend. Her family, who have been trying to marry her off to
a Brahman level family for years, insist she get an abortion. Frustrated by
everyone in her life, she retreats to her aunt’s house in India who volunteers
with the Missionaries of Charity. Kativa’s journey towards spiritual and social
conversion is intertwined with the story of Mother Teresa as she gradually goes
from an immigrant teacher to a one-woman hospital to a reluctant worldwide
celebrity. The story culminates in a startling revelation that exposes an unexpected
connection with the saint and gives Kativa a new and better path forward.
Mother Teresa &
Me is not a biography in the strict sense but rather a biographical
reflection through the eyes of a future person, like the fantastic Julie &
Julia. It hits all the major points of her life, and Jacqueline Fritschi-Cornaz’s
performance is the best I’ve seen. Publicly, she is brave, courageous, and
compassionate, always smiling even on her darkest days. Yet privately, often in
prayer, she faces spiritual challenges, dryness of the heart, and pleas for
divine comfort. Ever since the publication of Come Be My Light in 2006,
the world has known about her fifty year “dark night of the soul” where she
felt God’s absence yet continued heroically with her vocation to the poorest of
the poor. The film faulters a bit in its portrayal which somewhat understandable
due to its abstract nature. Fritschi-Cornaz does an excellent job portraying
spiritual pain but also puts words in Teresa’s mouth that ring false. She certainly
expressed challenges and anguish with her spiritual director, but she never
lost her faith or went against God’s plan as could interpreted from some scenes.
Central to Kativa’s
decision and Teresa’s ministry is the infinite value of every human life, no
matter what his or her state. On the back burner of the whole film is Kativa’s impending
decision about her child. At first, she doesn’t choose abortion purely to stick
it to her family. As she volunteers with her aunt, she learns to love even the
most difficult people. At first, she could barely look at the disfigured faces
and emaciated bodies of the sick and dying. By the end, she is tenderly bathing
them and relishing every smile they give her. Mother Teresa stands as the most
prominent antidote to the narrative that pro-life advocates don’t care about
people outside the womb. She would embrace the poor one day then chastise the
abortion industry the next.
Another reason Mother
Teresa & Me is so effective is the attention paid to naturalistic
settings. It was filmed in India, including real street people ministered by
the Missionaries of Charity. There are no visual or makeup effects here, just
raw humanity. It’s so easy to criticize Mother Teresa behind a computer screen
but when you see and smell her everyday existence, it is much harder to deny
her heroism. It reminded me of the great Italian neo-realists who filmed in the
ruins of WWII with non-professional actors.
There’s a famous parable
where a man encounters a young boy on a beach throwing starfish back into the
sea. He laughs at the naivety of the lad and says, “there are so many. You can’t
possibly save them all. It doesn’t matter.” The boy then picks up a single,
desperate echinoderm and tosses it to safety. “To that one,” he replies. “It
mattered.” Mother Teresa and her order have saved millions of these starfish, including
both Kativa and her child, and this is the best film I’ve seen that documents this
beautiful gift God gave the world.
Comments
Post a Comment