I plead the Mandela effect: For reasons I cannot fathom, I thought that Kelly O’Sullivan co-wrote Saint Frances with her directing pal, Alex Thompson. I really have no idea how I came to this conclusion. I also thought, for a hot second, that they co-directed together, but I caught that mistake before sending in copy.
Regardless, I’m glad I was wrong. This is a wonderful case where the writer, and the writing, both feel more important to a film than the directing. Frankly, I feel like Thompson is just working at O’Sullivan’s behest. He’s a means to an end. The script is the story. I don’t want to put Thompson out entirely, because I think Saint Frances is wonderfully directed, but I think you could probably swap directors and lose little. Take away O’Sullivan and there’s no film at all.
You can read my full review over at Paste Magazine.
