Carmen (Natascha McElhone) is down on her luck, she’s struggling to find happiness, and now the church has turned its back on her. She doesn’t know what to do with her life, and she’s on the verge of a major collapse–but one day something happens that alters her fate like she had never expected. When the parishioners accidentally mistake Carmen for the new priest, she finds that her life is now changing for the better, and she’s willing to take this chance to find happiness once more. Her journey is unique for sure, but if all goes well, the life she once hoped for may finally rear its head.
It appears that the primary purpose of Carmen is to instill ideas of perseverance and love within its viewers. Regardless of the direction in which the film heads, it always follows this path, never veering too far from these two ideas. Along with those ideas of perseverance and love exists this idea of positivity. In a film that shows its protagonist struggling throughout a good portion of it, it does a wonderful job of keeping hope alive and continuing down this path of positivity. Carmen works wonders in this regard, and Writer-Director Valerie Buhagiar presents viewers with an incredibly even-keeled approach to these sentiments. She’s honest, regardless of what form that takes throughout the film–and viewers see the truth regarding all that this film hopes to express. Even through the hardships seen on screen, viewers are able to remain optimistic as a result of Buhagiar’s writing and directing. She’s brilliant–and she’s ultimately the catalyst for Carmen’s success.
McElhone, too, is incredibly talented, and while it’s Buhagiar with the reins in hand, McElhone is the one tasked with being the face of her vision. She’s brilliant in her performance, and she brings Carmen to life with incredible vigor as a result of her talent. She’s perpetually simple and calm, and she creates a character that seems to embody depression in the most obvious ways. She has a clear understanding of how to represent the sentiments present in Carmen, and she never fails to deliver even a single word.
The makeup department works wonders, perfectly altering McElhone’s look throughout the film. She’s a beautiful woman that must face a series of difficulties throughout Carmen, and her appearance always reflects the tone of the film. There’s a slow, intentional release of beauty to mirror what occurs throughout the film–and that gives viewers a wonderful sense of the tone of Carmen, almost acting as the emotional bridge between viewer and film.
Just about everything in the film, regardless of who or where it comes from, revolves around Carmen. She’s the most important piece of this puzzle, and without McElhone I’m not sure that Carmen is quite this entertaining. With all of that being said, there’s a piece that has very little to do with the film’s main character, but plays almost as important of a role as she does. The setting is impeccable, and it acts as a way to continue to express these ideas of hopefulness and passion. The landscapes are beautiful, plentiful, and inviting–driving home all that Buhagiar had hoped to throughout her film.
Carmen is a touching tribute to womanhood, passion, love, religion, and a plethora of other things. It has the potential to reach a wide-ranging audience, and it refuses to be anything but true to itself–branching out to even more potential viewers as a result of its honesty. Carmen is hilarious, touching, and heartbreaking–all wrapped into a beautiful little package. It’s one of the more emotionally accessible films of the year, and it’s sure to entertain.
Written & Directed by Valerie Buhagiar.
Starring Natasha McElhone, Steven Love, Michaela Furragia, Richard Clarkin, Peter Galea, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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