The Apparition (L’Apparition) raises interesting questions, but when it comes to giving answers, it turns a blind eye.
Xavier Giannoli’s The Apparition tells the tale of a young French woman (Galatea Bellugi) who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary. A former war reporter (Vincent Lindon), with baggage of his own, is recruited by the Vatican to lift the veil on the incident.
The movie doesn’t coerce viewers into accepting a belief but it tries to be more ambitious than it actually is. By the time the final rosary comes around, it loses track of its ideas and ends up going astray down an anecdotal path, where bewildering circumstances are never fully resolved.
Those looking for a neat ending tied up with facts and evidence, may be disappointed, as the plot stays mum (or in this case nun) on the anomalies and coincidences throughout. Viewers may find themselves praying to Saint Anthony in the hopes of finding the lost script.
After more than two hours playing cloak and daggers, it really starts to feel like all of the characters have taken a vow of silence.
The film’s saving grace is its two lead characters. Galatéa Bellugi has a remarkably unruffled, haunted quality, and is cast perfectly as the fragile martyr who will go to extreme lengths to be believed.
Equally, Lindon’s wonderfully expressive face exquisitely captures the essence of a lost man who is detached from life.
Giannoli directs the movie with an eye to framing each performance with spectacularly arresting visuals but he struggles to maintain momentum as he lurches through extended lulls and prolonged compositions of joyful pilgrims.
The Apparition is a fantastic piece of craftsmanship, benefiting from excellent performances, but instead of standing on the alter as a powerful examination of religion and faith, it becomes a humdrum whodunnit hiding among the pews.
