Fátima

Great movie and again relevant for our times. Shows us that in the face of a pandemic, strife, suffering and socialism run amok that faith can conquer all. Whether is be 1917 or 2020, Our Lady STILL cares and draws us to salvation and her Son. Well constructed with a great cast...the child actors are honestly some of the best I have ever seen. So moving and so believable. Everyone involved should be proud of this movie.

The events near Fatima in Portugal are well known historically, culminating with what has come to be called "The Miracle of the Sun", where a crowd of about 70,000 were in a heavy storm when it suddenly cleared up and the grounds dried.

This movie ends with that but actually starts in more modern times when Sister Lucia as an old woman is telling her story to a historian. Then we see the 1917 story in flashbacks. The movie is very well made with mostly veteran actors and can be enjoyed whether or not the viewer believes in the religious aspect of it.

I must comment about young actress Stephanie Gil (about 12) who is in the lead role as Lucia. She is really good and I was struck with her comments on the DVD extra, she sounds like a typical American girl, with no accent at all. In fact she is Spanish and I had to look up a video of her being interviewed in Spanish and yes, she speaks perfect Spanish too. I hope to see her in future roles, she is a talented young actress.

My wife and I watched it on DVD from the public library.

The 2020 version is a good attempt at telling the story of Fatima. However, many details were omitted which will leave the audience, who may not know the story well, scratching their heads in confusion. Far more could have been done to better explain what happened during the Miracle of the Sun.

Fatima is a definite must-see film for those of the Catholic faith. A phenomenal period masterpiece that pulls at your heartstrings. A film that should not be missed. Fatima brings light to a true story that many do not know.

Fatima tells the true story of three young children who met the Virgin Mary and were witnesses of "The Miracle of the Sun." The movie opens up with Professor Nichols (Harvey Keitel) as he visits Sister Lucia (Sonia Braga) in a nunnery in 1989. They talk about the happenings from Lucia's past in 1917 Fatima, Portugal. The film goes back and forth between both years. We see a young Lucia (Stephanie Gil) with her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto (Jorge Lamelas and Alejandra Howard) meet the Virgin Mary (Joana Ribeiro). After that fateful day, the story breaks out and the children are faced with a harsh reality.

The true standouts of Fatima are its young actors. Stephanie, Jorge and Alejandra show the struggle of being called "liars" when telling the truth. The kids are called out by their parents and are given the cold shoulder by many in the village. This never stops them-they stand by the truth with faith in their hearts. The movie concludes with The Miracle of the Sun which happened on October thirteenth, 1917, followed by actual photos of that day. The makeshift monument that was built in the movie is an exact replica of the monument in the photograph. It is appealing to see how much filmmakers worked on small yet important details such as this one.

The lesson to be learned from the film is to always have faith and believe in your truth. Time and time again, Lucia faces anger from her mother, who believes her daughter is lying about meeting Mary. Not once does Lucia give up, however; and she always prays, standing by her word. The topic of the Catholic faith may disinterest some audiences who do not share the same views. Considering that Fatima features the Virgin Mary, Catholicism is front and center in the movie.

I give Fatima 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18 plus adults. Reviewed by Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

I saw the original movie "Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima" - I've read a lot about this event over the years. This new movie's cinematography was good. Some things were left out of the original story...the threat from the authorities to boil the kids in oil if they did not tell the truth, what happened to the apparition for September? (never shown in this movie). Also - the ending - the miracle of the sun was shown as just a bright shining sun giving off a few colors and did not appear "dramatic" at all. Historical documentation show that people saw the sun "dance in a zig zag" pattern and move all around while shining off a magnitude of colors over everyone and the landscape. There were also miraculous healings directly after the miracle that this movie also did not depict. For these reasons, I give the film a 5 out of 10. I enjoyed the original 1950's movie better.