Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is the debut film from director Tomás Gómez Bustillo. In a tiny rural village in Argentina, Rita Lopez, a pious yet insatiably competitive woman, decides that staging a miracle could be her ticket to sainthood. After discovering a lost statue in the back room of her chapel, she convinces her neglected but loving husband to help her orchestrate the grand reveal that will finally anoint her as the most admired woman in town. But before the unveiling, a jarring turn of events illuminates the hidden magic of her world, forcing her to reevaluate everything she once took for granted.

The premise of the film sounded intriguing, and a lot of the early reactions called it a triumph. I was excited to finally be able to sit down with this one and was surprised. Chronicles of a Wandering Saint really is a film that will catch you by surprise at the end. I thought it was masterfully acted with an emphasis on the actress Monica Villa who plays Rita. The character of Rita goes through such an amazing arc that will truly have you thinking about your own life. Monica plays this character so well with some amazing line deliveries and emotions portrayed through her face. One scene in particular was so impactful in the way she delivers her lines I couldn’t hold my tears.

Tomás Gómez Bustillo moves his camera and lets you linger in what’s beautiful, which is everyday life. This is what makes Chronicles of a Wandering Saint shine even more throughout. Chronicles at its core is about living in the present and these establishing shots really do their job at keeping you engaged with the now. The scenery alongside the sounds of nature with its melancholic yet hopeful score is just gorgeous. I found myself feeling very pensive and loving the film. I could almost describe it as a symphony of life with beautiful notes throughout, some of course a bit more melancholic but overall hopeful.

Although the film can feel emotional and have some very harsh realities, I think Tomás balances this with comedy well. There are scenes in which the characters are dealing with some heavy thoughts but there’s a good joke or two in between to alleviate the dread. This combined with the amazing dead pan delivery the film has just enhances the experience. Life really is filled with so many things that can bring you down and these small nuggets of joy are what makes it worth living. I also loved the almost surreal feeling Chronicles adapts especially in its second half. It works on so many levels, but its humor is where it really comes out shining.

I will say that there was a lot I did enjoy about Chronicles, however, one thing it doesn’t really do well is not being long enough. It felt like the film had finally found its groove towards the end but then it just ends. I felt the beginning setup took a bit longer than it should have. The ideas it explores in its second half were far more intriguing and left me wanting more. I still however think the film is worth a watch because although the second part is stronger, I’m not saying the first half is bad. It just kind of felt like the groove it was trying to get into didn’t happen until the second half.

Overall Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is a beautiful story of living in the now. An amazing performance from Monica Villa with inspired shots from Tomás Gómez Bustillo. I found myself really thinking about this one long after the credits rolled. Tomás Gómez Bustillo clearly has a bright future in filmmaking and I’m excited to see more from the director. Chronicles of a Wandering Saint really touches your soul.

We give Chronicles of a Wandering Saint a 4/5.