Austrian director Jessica Hausner’s small “Lourdes” finds Sylvie Testud, a treasure of contemporary French cinema, as a woman with multiple sclerosis in a wheelchair who travels to the Pyrenees to the city of miracles. Testud, a waif of steel, has made her bold mark in movies like “La France” (Serge Bozon’s lovely, bizarre musical). Simple humanity and matters of the soul is what Hausner is after, with lovingly etched characterizations in even the smallest roles, and Testud conveys grace in even her most reserved expressions. Miracles may happen, but not everyone will be pleased: “Lourdes” is a sly, gentle parable. Mysteries linger. French-language with subtitles. With Gilette Barbier, Gerhard Liebmann, Léa Seydoux, Bruno Todeschini, Irma Wagner, Elina Löwensohn. 96m. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
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