I’m not sure how many people realize it, but Vera Farmiga is a cinematic treasure. I would say everything she touches turns to gold, the counter-example of Safe House notwithstanding (film making incompetence on that scale would confound anyone!) She has a unique presence on screen: one-half glamorous old-time movie star, one-half gritty, anonymous character actress. Her performances in Up in the Air, Henry’s Crime, and Source Code are all absolutely outstanding in completely different ways and for completely different reasons. In my mind she is one of the current elite among actresses (along with Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, and maybe a few others.) She is entering her prime right now: be sure not to miss anything she does.

After watching Higher Ground, I can now add that she is also very fine director. The performances she gets from all her actors are superb, and her scene flow and construction is lovely. Pacing is a touch slow, but you hardly notice because she captures everything with such genuineness.

Higher Ground is very interesting, lovely and understated film, with a good story and well-written dialog. But even though I really enjoyed the film, I felt a little conflicted about it afterward. It is probably the most realistic portrait of a person struggling with their own faith I have ever seen. This is a bit of a mixed blessing, however. There is something disconcerting about the literalness of the final third of the movie. It shows her position of confusion and vulnerability so honestly that there is little-to-no room for any kind of larger statement on faith itself. In the end, we get the platitude “faith is hard,” the ambiguity of which is completely lost on the film – it could be hard because worthwhile things are hard, or it could be hard because it (faith) developed somewhat in opposition to human freedom, empiricism, and mutual self-determination. This is one way a less realistic film (one that has her run off with the sexy philosopher-mailman, for example) might actually have more to say about the general concepts being considered. In the end I was left with a slightly hollow feeling – the film does not really stimulate debate. It kind of left me hanging a bit, emotionally, and I felt a little let down that the film didn’t have more to say.

My personal quibbles with the film’s message aside, I would highly recommend this film. It is definitely one of the better films of 2011.