Before I watched this film I saw that the director was one Peter Szewczyk, a name I recognized from somewhere. At some point during the film it came to me that I knew the name from recently watching the short ColourBleed – a film I had not cared for particularly because it was all effects and no substance. Credit to Szewczyk then for trying here to tell a story to allow the use of effects rather than just showing off what he can do. I think it is a good try but a shame that it is not a better try because it mostly doesn't work.
Firstly it is worth saying that the effects are very impressive and effective throughout. They produce a creepy atmosphere that eventually delivers into a scene with frightening and well-designed visions. The problem is, that this sequence is so strong that it stood out to me as the reason for the whole film to exist and at a point where I should have been pulled closer to the action, instead I was thinking "well, that was a long walk to get to an effects showcase". Even on paper the narrative is full of convenience and obvious attempts to draw the viewer in; it does work a little bit not as much as it should. The characters are too simply drawn: Bernard is a kindly drunk with a sad story that comes out very easily and Lourdes is too kindly. OK perhaps these are the basic characters but the performances limit them – Scott is stunning but doesn't convince in her dialogue although Dyblik is better. The presence of Moran and his character are equally annoying – his accent stomps all over the film and needs its own explanation, while his character is just a very poor narrative device that doesn't work at the start or the end.
Our Lady of Lourdes is a better attempt at delivering a narrative supported by effects from Szewczyk but it still falls short of what it needed to be by only being an attempt – not a successful one.
