‘Chronicles of a Wandering Saint’ Review: A Luminous, Bucolic Exploration of the Miraculous From Argentina's Tomás Gómez Bustillo

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Half an hour into Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, the movie's central character, Rita, Google searches, "How do I know if something is a miracle?" She is given the answer, "If you're asking, then it's definitely not a miracle." The SXSW-winning feature debut from Argentinian filmmaker Tomás Gómez Bustillo, Chronicles of a Wandering Saint examines the everyday wonder in which miracles present themselves to both the dead and living, much more attuned to the authenticity of the rural region in which the film takes place rather than the piety of the Catholic-dominated country. Through his appreciation for the phenomena that shape our everyday lives, Bustillo weaves a distinctive movie with an underlying compassion that viewers will not quickly forget. 

The film's focus is Rita Lopez (famed Argentinian actress Mónica Villa), an elderly woman who lives in a rustic, close-knit small town. Rita devotes much of her life to the local Catholic church, even if her most significant contribution is keeping the sacred space sparkling clean. She is somewhat disillusioned with her quiet life and frequently frustrated by her caring, if not needy, husband Norberto (Horacio Marassi), despite his thoughtful plans to recreate a trip to the waterfalls where the couple spent their honeymoon many decades earlier. One afternoon, while sorting through a dusty backroom at the church, Rita believes she finds a statue of her namesake patron saint: Santa Rita, the patroness of impossible causes, which was thought to have mysteriously disappeared from their town thirty years before. Smuggling the sculpture home, Rita plans to spruce it up and conceive a grandiose plan to reveal her treasure to the townspeople, hoping it will boost her favor in the community and maybe even her chances of ascending to heaven. As with most ventures in life, Rita's master scheme is derailed, leading her on a wildly unexpected metaphysical journey that lifts her from the ennui of her life and away from the conventions of Christian spirituality she has so tightly clung to.

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Just as the viewer tunes into Bustillo's screenplay for Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, the director vigorously turns things upside down with a drastic shift that finally sees the movie's opening credits roll thirty-seven minutes into the film. The latter half of the movie feels like a uniquely fresh, standalone work, detouring from Rita's strong connections to Catholicism that dominated the early portion and leaning into the Magical Realism traditions that originated in Latin America. This metamorphosis of the film's narrative works as one of its most distinguishing factors, exemplifying the filmmaker's daring vision despite the film's ambiguous ideas surrounding the nature of miracles. 

With its trim cast and unpretentious, everyday shooting locations, the genuine chemistry between Lopez and Marassi's principal characters, Rita and Norberto, contributes immensely to the genuine sentiment expressed by Chronicles of a Wandering Saint. The duo honestly feels like an old married couple, with Rita's impatience towards her husband's kindness comedically balanced by Norberto's unfettered pleasures for the simple rituals of life. Despite the film's chimeric shifts, the undying love and authenticity of the couple's connection serve as a dynamic that works to hold it all together.  

Although Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is Bustillo's debut feature, he and his collaborators craft the film with a brilliantly thought-out construction that operates in high gear to elevate the movie. Composer Felipe Delsart's score—dominated by straightforward piano notes and soothing clarinets—works as a grounding leitmotif throughout the film, holding together its disparate sections with a ruminative and peaceful sensibility. Contrarily, director of photography Pablo Lozano's efforts dazzlingly evolve with the film. His largely stationary camera maintains an observational perspective, often framing with wide shots that work to capture the serene qualities of Rita's small town. An emphasis on golden hour lighting and how it can naturally transform compositions influences the earliest moments of the movie. As the narrative gives way to its supernatural elements, Lozano uses harsh bursts of light and even flashes of lightning to create rather remarkable images (the cinematographer even scored a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 39th Independent Spirit Awards).

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The specificity of the connections to place explored in Chronicles of a Wandering Saint speaks to the director's childhood experiences doing Catholic missionary work in rural areas and the appreciation for pastoral communities that this time instilled in him. Through his investigations of miraculous phenomena outside of divine circumstances, Bustillo creates a quietly subversive movie, especially regarding Argentina's ties to Catholicism, where over ninety percent of the country still considers themselves to be practicing the religion. Among her peers and fellow church-going ladies, Rita often feels alienated, which spurs her to look for a reprieve from her hum-drum life and fabricate a miracle that will elevate her social standing. Many provincial communities around the world can relate to this heightened sense of social pressure, especially in areas where religion holds more substantial precedence and creates stricter roles to perform in society. This desire for some sort of getaway from the mundanity of rural life ultimately obstructs Rita from seeing the beauty of her community and the happiness it harbors for so many, including her husband. Through the spiritual journey she unexpectedly undergoes, Rita is finally able to understand and accept the magnificence and love found within her pastoral existence, the miracles that have constantly been orbiting her life.

In conclusion, Chronicles of a Wandering Saint stands out as a unique work of world cinema that harbors a radiant universality through its communication with the unseen enchantments that influence our everyday lives and the paths we choose to take into the future. The film's tenderness, mystery, and wit work together with a synchronized singularity unseen onscreen in recent memory, a levity in mood and tone that will surely stick with viewers long after they exit the movie theater. Bustillo's concept makes daring swings, both narratively and structurally, which shows great promise for his sensibilities as a filmmaker delving into his feature-making career. 

4/5

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint first premiered at SXSW in 2023, where it was awarded the Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award. The film then went on to be nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards in 2023, including Best First Feature. Hope Runs High will release Chronicles of a Wandering Saint in U.S. theaters on Friday, June 28, in New York City at the IFC Center before the film expands to more cities in the following weeks. Click here for more information about Chronicles of a Wandering Saint.