So let me set the scene. It was the middle of the week, there was nothing new we wanted to see at our theatre, but we wanted to go out for a bite to eat and to see a movie. The only movie that was showing that fit in with the time we were going to eat and that we had not seen already was Cabrini. I will admit, I was more focused on the pizza I was going to be having beforehand and was not that fussed about the movie, but this movie (and the pizza) was fantastic!
How to Download Cabrini
Cabrini was released on March 8, 2024. You should be able to download or stream it from Angel.com in about two months afters its release. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. You should also read our reviews of other movies by Angel Studios, for example, Sound of Freedom, The Shift, or His Only Son.
Cabrini: A Review of an Unexpected Cinematic Gem
This is a biographical movie and I will admit that I am 100 percent ignorant to the story of Francesca Cabrini. After watching the movie, I am embarrassed to say that because this woman was amazing. She is an absolute hero and what she did is just such a remarkable and strong story of trying to do all you can to help others.
Beyond a Faith-Based Film
Is Cabrini a faith based film? I guess, I would have to say that yes, this is a faith based film, but I do think it is as much about looking after others and trying to do what is right as well as “faith”. The 19th century setting is great and the way that they captured this era of New York was just so well done. I saw that this had a 50 million dollar budget which I feel is quite high for a movie like this, but none of that budget went to waste.
Cristiana Dell’Anna Shines as Francesca Cabrini
Playing the role of Francesca Cabrini is Cristiana Dell’Anna who I am pretty unfamiliar with. She brings Francesca to life amazingly well and she completely won me over and I would love to see more of her work. I truly believed in everything that she said and did and being ignorant to this amazing woman’s work, I had no idea how it was all going to turn out and I was rooting for her every step of the way.
The Heart and Struggle of Cabrini’s Story
The basics of the story of Cabrini are that Francesca Cabrini wants to try and help those in need and she goes straight to the Pope to try and get him to let her make this happen. The Pope actually agrees and suggests she go to New York to set up her order in New York City.
New York City at this time for Italian immigrants was shocking! It was really hard-hitting just how bad these people had it, especially the kids who were pretty much just left to die! Francesca wanted to set up a hospital to help people, but the mayor who was a real piece of garbage had some kind of anti Italian agenda and fought her every step of the way.
A Legacy of Compassion and Resilience
As a matter of fact, there were so many people who stood in her way and made her life and mission so much harder that it is amazing she was able to stick it out. That though is just the kind of person that she was! She wanted to help people and she was going to do whatever she could to help, I also loved the way that she saw good in most people and how she even changed a few people too.
Why Cabrini Deserves a Wider Audience
Look, I cannot pretend to know the extent of the great work that this amazing woman did. However, as a movie, Cabrini was fantastic, it was hard hitting, but it was also uplifting and it made me want to learn more about her. I highly recommend that you give this a chance, I have not heard many people speaking about it and there were only about five other people in the theatre watching it so I do hope that this finds an audience and does well as it deserves to.
