A new film release? At a cinema? Yes, it is good to be back (And I’ll also note you can stream this at home).

Cinema is more often than not portrayed from a male gaze. Is this me just being woke? No, it’s just a statement which is difficult to contest. When was the last time you watched a film in which women are women. This isn’t just a film with a female lead who acts in a man’s world, like Captain Marvel, but a film which treats them as they are. After the amazing Greta Gerwig (Ladybird, Little Women) and Celine Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Tomboy, Girlhood) I struggle to think of many top film makers who regularly make full deep female characters feel complete on screen, and even these two seldom get the audience they deserve. Maybe that’s part of the reason that Saint Frances feels like such a breath of fresh air.

Bridget (Kelly O’Sullivan, also the director) is a waitress in her mid-30’s. She has no husband or children and doesn’t like her job. She wants more, but she’s lost and has no idea what she wants in her life. She then takes on a new job as a baby sitter, despite being unqualified, and we know how that goes (That link has a spoiler for a certain best picture winner). She looks after six year old Frances whose quite an energetic character. Meanwhile one of Frances’ mothers is also having a second child. Yes, she has multi-racial lesbian parents. If that bothers you, then grow up. At the same time, Bridget finds out that she’s pregnant. Feeling that she’s not ready to have a child, she has an abortion. As she spends more time with Frances she starts to learn she is capable and needs to believe in herself more and comes to terms with her emotions.

The film is really rather revolutionary in breaking taboo. It discusses a whole bunch of issues which you just don’t see on the big screen (thus the male gaze comment). It openly talks about menstruation and sanitary products. It discusses birth control pills as the men in Bridget’s life assume she is using it. It discusses both abortion and childbirth in terms of both the mental and physical effects on the body in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film do before. This doesn’t feel forced either. The cfaracters make it so authentic. It’s just a natural part of the conversation that these women have. In fact, in retrospect it’s odd that these issues which affect all women aren’t discussed more in media.

We also have a discussion about how women are defined by whether they’ve had children at a certain age. When Bridget went on social media or talked to her friends, it was all about their babies and that really isolated her.

The film as a comedy was really funny, and that’s from someone who doesn’t do comedy well. I laughed throughout. There was some awkward humour, but most of the humour which works best in films comes from heartfelt moments and in that way, the film succeeds. It was full of charm. The relationships between all of the characters were warm and the film was entertaining while saying what it wanted to say clearly, but with nuance.

Each character feels human and flawed. They’re all three dimensional. Bridget is lost but good. Frances is naive but knows what’s going on. One of her mothers is a devout catholic who loves her children, undoubtedly, but is suffering post-natal depression. Charlin Alvarez was especially fantastic in that role.

The film is low budget and understated. However, without all of the fancy stuff that bid budgets bring, it almost felt more authentic and that’s where the film thrives.

Summary

Saint Frances is unapologetically feminine and revolutionary in the way it breaks taboo so naturally, only being able to do so without feeling forced because of how authentic the characters are. Funny and charming, this is a film that all women need to see, as should men. A worthy reason to return to the cinema. [Grade A-]