Vera Farmiga is a great actress, I think everyone knows that, but now with Higher Ground we get to see what a true talent she has as a director. The story that is told here is one like I've never seen before, a religious film that doesn't really come off with a bias attitude for or against the church, it does paint a beautiful portrait of a woman who found faith at a young age and in her adult life is slowly losing that faith. The character of Corinne is not a weak woman, she is a tough woman who speaks her mind and doesn't let herself be quietened down by the men in the church, this type of character is what is needed in films about women today and Vera Farmiga performs this difficult role so spectacularly it's a crime if it is ignored come award time.
Everything about this movie is just amazing, the acting, the script, the costumes, the production design, everything just fits together perfectly and all aspects compliment each other very well. I am not a religious person at all, I have zero interest in any religion, I really only went to see it because of it being Miss Farmiga's directorial debut but almost instantly I was totally taken in by the story. One thing I noticed is the surprising amount of humor, I found myself laughing so hard so many times, the scriptwriters knew just when to lighten the load and throw in an intelligent laugh, at those times the entire theater was in hysterics. I can see why this film has such a low rating, a lot of Americans would probably be offended by it but oh well, you win some you lose some, full props to Vera for taking in such a daring subject for her first feature.
This movie deserves to be seen by all types, religious, non religious and even just those after a terrific film to watch, it's a film that would get you talking afterward, one for discussion, me and my partner are still talking about it.
I am so looking forward to seeing what Vera does next, she is obviously a very talented woman in many ways and with Higher Ground she shows amazing promise as a director.
In a word, EXCEPTIONAL!!!
