Just as Zuzu reminds us in It’s a Wonderful Life, “Look, Daddy! Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”
I can just picture ole’ George holding his precious daughter in his arms, surrounded by friends and family saying, “That’s right, honey. That’s right.” Well, hark the heralds if life were so simple. In Terrance Odette’s quiet Saint Monica, there’s little family to be seen surrounding young Monica (Genevieve Buechner), a Portuguese-Canadian girl living with her mother, Icelia (Brigitte Bako) and uncle (Maurizio Terrazzano) in a Toronto basement suite. Monica’s father isn’t around to hold her and trade all too cute lines with. There’s little in the way of friends either. But that’s all right with Monica, just as long as she gets to be an angel in her church’s procession. You see, Monica is obsessed with angels. Perhaps it’s because she wants to be hopeful despite living an insignificant and ignored life. Maybe Monica is calling out for help. Or maybe she just thinks that angels are beautiful with their big, fluffy wings and all.
There is something about Saint Monica that makes you want to believe. Perhaps it’s Monica’s constantly solemn face or her sweet gestures. Maybe it’s the sense of neighborhood Odette creates in Monica’s corner of town. It’s one that has a sense of identity with the celebration surrounding the procession, distinct landmarks and rows and rows of middle-class housing. There’s also the visual imperfections that go along with everyday life: traffic congestion, messy buses, scruffy residents. Much of the film is shot in natural daylight and appears as though a lot of the background actors don’t even known they’re on camera. It is all natural without feeling staged or forced.
Yet, no matter how much I wanted to believe, Saint Monica never quite gets there. Monica seems interesting. So does her mother. Likewise Mary (Clare Coulter), an angel-loving bag lady with a past who befriends Monica. Yet none are fully realized. Odette, who also wrote the screenplay, establishes early that Monica really wants to be in the procession. Great, we’ve got motivation for the plot. But over and over, it’s all about Monica and the wings. With all the surrounding background, you know there’s dimensions to the girl, yet it’s frustrating when only the angel-obsessing side of Monica is shown. It’s the same with Icelia. What’s told is that her marriage is still in her close memory and the memories aren’t good ones. Understood. There’s also the angle of her going to work everyday while her irresponsible brother looks after Monica. Icelia oozes with tension but because Odette is touching on so many issues, he’s also neglecting them as none get a chance to evolve beyond the surface. Mystery is great to a degree, as it shows trust in the audience but there’s just too much here.
Naming a main character Mary in a film that is framed in the Catholic faith is the equivalent of a billboard with flashing neon lights when it comes to potential obvious symbolism. This Mary has a secret that explains why she keeps crossing busy lanes of traffic, challenging her faith in a God that had done her bad in the past. Mary’s importance to Monica is obvious as she is the one who has the young girl’s wings. After they form a bond that goes beyond friendship, it’s a certainty that she’s also a mentor. With Mary in the picture, Monica is better in touch with herself but she’s also getting into more trouble. Mary has a power over the girl that’s filled with good intentions but it’s hard what to make of them.
This is the sense I got from much of the film. Odette wants to say something but most of the action is so quiet, when something big does happen it feels far too loud. Saint Monica is optimistic in a struggling world. Like the use of the name Mary, some of it is obvious. At other points the obvious is left too ambiguous for our own good. There’s a ton of interesting background material lurking beneath these characters. It looks like a case of someone perhaps simply picking the wrong story to tell with them.
I am curious to see what the future brings for Odette. He’s got a good sense for clean visuals and environments. With Saint Monica as a strong foundation to build on, it looks like Odette is ready to breakout as one of Canada’s foremost filmmakers.
Saint Monica Gallery
