Film Review: CARMEN (2022) DIR. VALERIE BUHAGIAR
Still 1 - Steven Love and Natascha McElhone In Valerie Buhagiar's CARMEN (Credit/ Good Deed Entertainment)
Written by Belle McIntyre
Beautifully filmed in a sun-dappled village in Malta in the 1980 is a charming tale which has elements based on actual beliefs and practices in such a place at such a time. What lightens the whole story is the myriad of impossible elements which drive the story of Carmen (Natascha McElhone) the lonely and repressed middle-aged sister of the local priest who has been acting as his housekeeper and has lived in the rectory since the age of 16. It seems she had fallen in love with a young Arab. When her father found out he sent her to be in service to the dour fire and brimstone older brother in a small village. This is the only life she has known. She has no skills or life experience.
When he suddenly dies of a heart attack, she is abruptly out of a job and a place to live with no financial support. The church elders show a callous lack of charity, informing her that she must leave the rectory since the new priest will be arriving with his sister. She leaves with her suitcase and wanders aimlessly. It seems the rest of her family is no longer alive. Out of desperation she returns to the church and takes a key to the rectory and the church, where she takes refuge and sleeps in the bell tower.
Still 3- Natascha McElhone in Valerie Buhagiar's CARMEN (Credit/ Good Deed Entertainment)
She hides in the confessional booth to avoid notice until a parishioner comes in to make her confession. At this point, she begins to discover her agency. She gives the woman who is complaining about her abusive drunken husband for whom she is harboring nasty thoughts. Carmen’s suggestion is so brilliantly practical and non-judgement that the woman leaves hopeful and grateful and leaves a large contribution in the box. Emboldened, Carmen “borrows” from the box with fervent promises to return the money. She manages to buy some food but returns to the church to sleep and listen to confessions by day. The popularity of her advice to the parishioners brings in generous contributions which Carmen feels entitled to. The unplausible notion that no one would notice the absence of a priest for services and still have someone hearing confessions is one of the fairy tale details. There is a pigeon guide who shows up intermittently when she needs direction. Why not?
The fun begins when she is discovered and becomes a fugitive. She flees with some of the church silver. She shows remarkable survival skills for someone so unexposed to life. She becomes rather fearless and starts trying out different ways of being. In short she starts to live as if to make up for the last 30 years of lonely solitude. She gets a taste of sweet romance as well as some unwanted masculine attention, and other adventures. It is a joy to watch her bloom. Natascha McElhone carries the film with her soulful portrayal and her luminous innocence and comic timing. I find her to be an alluring, magnetic screen presence who can carry off the impossible happy ending. You will have watch to find out. You will be rewarded with joy.
