|
The first film to focus on sister missionaries, the young female members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who go out into the world to spread their faith two-by-two, just like their male counterparts, is a sincere and pleasant reminder that LDS films can discuss LDS culture without burying their good intentions beneath a protective coating of winking self-analysis and caricature.
Instead, "The Errand of Angels" follows the example of the best films of its genre by simply and straightforwardly telling a story about people that happens to have LDS characters and an LDS setting. Sister Taylor is a new missionary in Austria, fresh-faced and fresh out of Brigham Young University. She's ready to change the world, or at least the part of it that resides in the land of Mozart and edelweiss, and her first missionary companion, or partner, is a friendly, energetic Austrian, Sister Felder, who is helpful, patient and likes to go jogging in the mornings. The LDS missionary tradition of deferring to the more experienced proselytizer spells trouble, however, after Taylor is teamed up with a second Austrian, Sister Keller, who is gruff and assertive. Taylor and Keller struggle to find common cause about anything, even arguing over whether and how much to encourage an Austrian teen who's been listening to what they have to say. Writer and director Christian Vuissa makes these interactions seem natural. And the situations he devises effectively suggest, without belaboring the point, the difficulty of being assigned to live with a stranger and cooperate at all times in a largely self-directed endeavor. It also helps that Vuissa chooses not to focus, even in passing, on mission hierarchy or leadership, sticking to missionary work at its most basic level, the daily interaction between companions. The overarching plot is ultimately limited to Sister Taylor's coming to terms with herself as a missionary. It's not exactly the stuff of "Casablanca," or even of "God's Army," but the series of somewhat mundane challenges, interspersed with minor victories and small disappointments, feels like it's probably pretty close to the actual experience of most missionaries. There are some fairly standard missionary movie mileposts, like the consumption of strange delicacies (beef stomach and intestine, pigs feet in gelatin), or the garbling of language (Taylor asks a befuddled commuter whether she can share "a large birch tree" with him). The movie is not afraid to leave some of its more profound questions unanswered, however, and doesn't insist that its heroes always get what they want, or even that what they want is always the right thing. Location filming in Austria gives the movie a powerful sense of place, solidified by the colorful cinematography of Brian Wilcox. Erin Chambers, star of the recent LDS comedy "The Singles 2nd Ward," has a charming presence, and is especially well paired with Bettina Schwarz as Keller, and Rachel Emmers (the neighborly actress in "States of Grace") as even-keeled fellow American Sister Young. Moving and thoughtful, "The Errand of Angels" is reason for fans of LDS filmmaking to have hope. The movement may be struggling, but it certainly isn't dead. A- The Errand of Angels Director: Christian Vuissa Cast: Erin Chambers, Rachel Emmers, Bettina Schwarz, Katrin Mayer Running time: 1 hr., 31 min. Rating: PG for some thematic material Location: Opens Friday at theaters in Utah and Idaho |
