Cabrini Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Cabrini Blu-ray Movie Review

"The world is too small for what I intend to do."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 9, 2025

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Monteverde and Angel Studios courted controversy in 2023 with the Jim Caviezel moral vehicle, Sound of Freedom, a well-intentioned though manipulative faith-based biopic that fudged facts, made a hero of a real-world vigilante, and wound heartstrings as tight as they're able to wind to the tune of (a questionable) $250 million at the box office. It was quite the story; two very different stories, actually, depending on which side of the aisle you sit politically. Thankfully, Monteverde's Cabrini isn't hitched to such distractions. It isn't controversial in the least. Well, unless you consider that it's aimed directly at a conservative Christian audience yet tells the period story of "one woman's fight for the equality, healthcare and housing for hundreds of immigrant orphans in 19th century New York." Awkward pause. While Cabrini may leave its target audience in the throes of cognitive dissonance in the era of Trump, Miller and Musk, it's a fine film, made with care and shot with an eye eager to root out the beauty in places and situations most people would avert their gaze and scurry past.

Francesca Cabrini was born near Milan, Italy in 1850. Despite being told at a young age she would never live to reach adulthood (tuberculosis being the culprit), she would go on to defy the odds, continuing her mission to serve others by co-founding the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1880. Cabrini, though, begins nearly ten years later, in 1889, as Francesca (Cristiana Dell'Anna) and her sisterhood travel to inner city New York with the permission of Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse) and Pope Leo XIII (Giancarlo Giannini) with the goal of helping fellow Italian immigrants settle and thrive in a challenging new world. Amidst the chaos and poverty she encounters in America, Francesca and her companions start to establish schools, orphanages and hospitals, including the Sacred Heart Orphan Asylum for Italian immigrant children in West Park, New York (which would later be renamed the Saint Cabrini Home). She does so by facing tremendous odds, not least among them the opposition of a corrupt mayor (John Lithgow). Directed by Alejandro Monteverde and written by Rod Barr, the film also stars Romana M. Vergano, Eugenia Forteza, Federico Castelluccio, Jeremy Bobb, Patch Darragh, Rolando Villazón, Federico Ielapi and Virginia Bocelli.

Cabrini is the sort of heartfelt, Oscar-bait period epic that used to dot theaters every fall and winter; sweeping dramas primed for audiences fleeing the cold, hungry for award-season contenders. Such movies almost seem quaint today, when the film on the Academy docket featuring Catholicism is Edward Berger's Conclave. (Hoo boy, what a different slice of Catholic struggle from Cabrini that one is.) A powerful Dell'Anna leads the charge with a quietly inspirational performance that makes her Sister Francesca a force to be reckoned with, striking a near-perfect balance between bold and humble. A tight rope to be sure. Resolute and unshakeable one minute, uneasy and vulnerable the next, she brings a gentle ferocity to her portrayal of the future saint, granting her an accessibility that never values sainthood over humanity. Lithgow's highbrow villainy is almost cartoonish by comparison, although that's the fault of the script more than anything. Fortunately, he's a mere bit player in the story of Sister Francesca and one of the only things in the film that doesn't cling to history. (At best his is a composite character, but there's no record of any singular political enemy standing in the way of Cabrini's cause.)

The film is full of heartache and sorrow, with the lives of immigrants dangling between the poverty and disease of the streets and ghettos and the corruption and greed of the wealthy who sit high above the muck, living off the pain and suffering of those beneath them. Francesca's faith and duty to her Savior are front and center, though you'd be hard-pressed to call Cabrini preachy as religiosity is merely an extension of character rather than efforts in conversion. Francesca is a student of James and the acts of the Apostles more than the letters of Paul, forging a life of action over prayerful consideration. You might even say Monteverde fancies her an early feminist icon if her story, at least as presented, weren't so dependent upon the swaying of men and the use of their power to affect change. It helps that her gaming the system makes for a far more accurate period piece than other films which might have attempted to transform her into a woman ahead of her time, which the real Sister Francesca would likely abhor as her work was so centered around the rejection of self. Regardless, Monteverde offers a film that's far more poignant and moving than Sound of Freedom, even if it's more paint-by-numbers biopic-ing grows a bit heavy-handed by the time the credits roll.

Cabrini Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

With a budget of $50 million, Cabrini is no mere shoestring indie production, showcasing every dollar in its coffers via Gorka Gómez Andreu's beautiful cinematography. Angel Studios' 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer follows suit, offering a perfectly striking image that captures both the beauty and squalor of the film's recreation of late 19th century New York. The palette often has a dingy yellow overtone but it works. Despite rendering fleshtones sickly and unnatural at times, it thematically bridges Sister Francesca's work with the plight of the poor and orphaned in a manner suiting its period. Otherwise, primaries that do pierce through are vivid (as is the case with the cardinals' robes), black levels are deep and satisfying without quashing shadow delineation, and contrast is pleasing throughout. Detail is also excellent, with crisp edges, exacting fine textures (particularly in close-ups of faces) and plenty of subtle background touches. CG city extensions and composited elements are a bit more obvious at times with such a crystal-clear picture but it hardly matters. Most of the fx is seamless and the illusion holds strong. There also isn't any significant blocking or banding to point to, making this as proficient an encode as it is impressive an image.

Cabrini Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While Cabrini offers a Dolby Atmos track, it isn't a lossless mix. Odd? Yep. With a 7.1.4 Dolby Digital Plus core (remember those?), the 11.1 Atmos experience is actually a lossy -- and lesser -- track sure to irritate the audio elite. But let's be honest, that's all of 2% of you. How does it actually fare? Quite well, truth be told. The film isn't a sonic powerhouse to begin with, nor do I imagine the vast majority of people would've ever realized they weren't listening to anything less than a full Atmos experience if they weren't familiar with such things, much less the readings on their receiver. Dialogue is clear and intelligible at all times, prioritization is flawless, and the film's music crescendos magnificently across the soundfield. Rear speaker activity is assertive and effective, with plenty of cityscape ambience creating an immersive trek through the streets of a very convincing 19th century New York. LFE output is subdued and used sparingly but does kick in nicely when called upon. Directionality is also precise and pans silky smooth, without much to complain about. Except... it isn't all it could be. I struggled with a score. How much should the subjective experience (essentially a 4.5 or above here) weigh against the technical disappointment of an objectively lesser track? I settled on a 4.0. Your take on the matter can raise or lower it from there.

Cabrini Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Who Is Cabrini? (HD, 20 minutes) - A lengthy look at the filmmakers' desire to bring the real Francesca Cabrini to the screen in as accurate a way as possible. Cast and crew discuss the project and the performances, as well as their commitment to honoring her legacy.

• Trailers (HD)

Cabrini Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cabrini is an old fashioned film but no less for it. With striking cinematography and a powerful central performance, it's a period tear-jerker of the highest order and one that tells a stirring story with an inspirational message at its core. Angel Studios' Blu-ray release does well by the film too, with a stunning video presentation, a strong (albeit technically disappointing) Atmos experience, and a decent behind-the-scenes featurette. More extras would've been welcome but so it goes.