Director Alejandro Monteverde follows up last year’s surprise box office hit “Sound of Freedom” with “Cabrini”, a gripping period epic that shares the profoundly moving story of famed Catholic missionary and future saint Francesca Cabrini. This biographical drama (penned by Rod Barr) follows Cabrini’s charity efforts on behalf of immigrant children in Five Points, New York City, while facing rampant bigotry, misogyny, and corruption from the local government as well as the church.

Born in 1850 near Milan, Francesca was the youngest of thirteen children and one of only four who lived past adolescence. She was born premature and remained in questionable health for the majority of her life. Yet she overcame countless obstacles beyond her health to help marginalized communities on her way to becoming the first American canonized by the Catholic Church. “Cabrini” powerfully portrays a slice of this remarkable life through Monteverde’s impressive direction, an array of technical savvy, and a stirring lead performance from Cristiana Dell’Anna.

Dell’Anna’s dauntless yet empathetic portrayal of Mother Cabrini begins with her leading a small group of fellow nuns in Codogno, Italy. From there she travels to the Vatican after the latest of her many petitions to start a network of orphanages in China has been denied. After being brushed off yet again, she takes her case straight to Pope Leo XIII (a terrific Giancarlo Giannini).

It takes some lengthy persuading, but Mother Cabrini finally convinces Pope Leo to make her the first woman to lead an overseas mission for the church. But he has one condition. Rather than China, he wants her to go to New York City where waves of Italians have been immigrating. Poor, often illiterate, and rarely speaking English, the immigrants immediately face an uphill battle in their unwelcoming new country. Adding to the pressure of her mission, the Pope is quick to remind her that the entire church will be looking to her for proof of what women in her position can or cannot accomplish.

The frail but driven Mother Cabrini along with a small group of loyal nuns arrive in New York in 1889, ready to take over an orphanage in Five Points from a disillusioned Father Morelli (Giampiero Judica). What they find is an impoverished neighborhood riddled with disease, crime, and debauchery. The sisters immediately begin renovating the rundown orphanage before setting out to find homeless children and bringing them into their fold.

It’s hard to see Mother Cabrini’s actions as anything but virtuous and noble. Yet she quickly finds herself running into all kinds of barriers. Some are placed by the local Archbishop Michael Corrigan (David Morse) who is terrified of ruffling the feathers of the area bigwigs. Others are placed by the racist, anti-immigrant Mayor Gould (John Lithgow) whose chief concern is maintaining his elitist vision of New York City.

Despite her failing health, Mother Cabrini fights for her mission, persistently seeking help from government officials, church leaders, press members, and even entertainers. Every hint of progress is met with resistance. Yet she pushes onward, determined to realize her “Empire of Hope”. Along the way she makes some valuable allies such as a former prostitute named Vittoria (Romana Maggiora Vergano) and a benevolent Irish doctor named Murphy (Patch Darragh).

The story of Mother Cabrini’s courage and commitment is inherently inspirational and affecting. Similarly the depictions of the countless roadblocks meant to deter her are unfathomable and infuriating. Monteverde artfully conveys it all while avoiding cliches, overwrought sentiment, and lazy histrionics. He’s aided by DP Gorka Gómez Andreu’s elegant yet uncompromising cinematography as well as the period-rich production and costume design. Then there’s the transporting score of Gene Back. His music walks us through a range of emotional highs and lows without ever feeling manipulative. And there are moments where his swells hearken back to classic big screen epics of old.

Just as vital is Dell’Anna and her ability to relay so much through what remains a powerful yet subdued performance. Rather than a fiery tempest, Dell’Anna focuses on Mother Cabrini’s quiet determination and resolve to great effect. And it helps that she is surrounded a superb supporting cast most notably Judica, Morse, Lithgow, and Vergano. All fit incredibly well with their characters and are given good material to work with.

Obviously “Cabrini” is a movie about a religious figure. But it’s not what some would qualify as a “religious movie” – a label full of connotations that people like to project. It’s an enlightening historical biography. It’s a story of a fearless woman overcoming multiple patriarchal systems. It’s an uplifting testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. Despite the film’s lengthy 140-minute runtime, the ending feels a bit rushed. But other than that, there’s little fault to be found in this emotionally stirring and skillfully made feature. “Cabrini” hits theaters March 8th.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS