THE SAINT OF EVERYMAN

A return to the cinema after a four month absence was, to be fair, a strange experience. I always rely on The Everyman Cinema to have lots of space in which to lounge and immerse oneself, and on this occasion that was still the case but it felt strange.There was a tension within the auditorium and a feeling of uncertainty, but a good movie can negate these external factors, so it's a good job I went to see Saint Frances 

Directed by Alex Thompson, written by Kelly O'Sullivan and starring O'Sullivan, this film is a breath of fresh air and is an unfussy tale well told. Now I would be the first to say that films with precocious small children in major roles can be an acquired taste but Ramona Edith Williams (age 5) as the titular Frances is clearly a natural and she manages to balance the brattishness of the character with an insight and innocence  that makes her slowly become more and more likeable. In this respect this is exactly what happens with O'Sullivan's Bridget as she searches for some kind of meaning within her underachieving life she creates a bond with Frances.

The main characters are well defined and  tell of the complexities of relationships, parenthood and guilt but in a non-preachy way.

It's funny, not laugh aloud funny, but finding the humour in tricky situations and the uncertainties of relationship building.

Yes, I soon forgot about the strange circumstances of the viewing as I became absorbed with the story.

Saint Frances is a great example of the relevance of independent cinema, handling big themes with an intimate approach. I await more from Thompson, O'Sullivan and of course Williams.