I really want to like this film. It has all the ideas and concepts of something that is necessary for Catholics around the world. A message that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and a call to action for all Catholics to take part in this source and summit of the faith. Unfortunately, this film ends up being phoned in in the most spectacular of ways, leaving behind the documentary that it is meant to be and instead becoming a 90 or so minute commercial about the Eucharistic Congress and other Catholic events that are vaguely Eucharistic themed. It's as if they took 10-15 short promotional videos that Spirit Juice and other Catholic production companies create, mashed them together, and called it a documentary. There is very little story and almost no perceivable throughline. I legitimately fell asleep 20 minutes in and had to be shaken so I could watch the rest.
It was not all bad. Many friends of mine (mostly responsible for the visuals) are in the credits working on this movie. I applaud them for their stunning cinematography and video work. There are also some really interesting places they go. The work of the Sisters of Life and the work done at the penitentiary are both fascinating subject matters. I just wish we could have had a deep dive into either one of those subjects rather than a surface level effort among 15 different subjects. Overall, I understand this was probably a rushed effort as the 10th Eucharistic Congress is less than a month away. It seems that the apparent lack of coordination in that event seems to pervade surrounding efforts. I just wish more of these Catholic productions could have more respect for their own work to see the films as more than just a means to an end. I don't regret paying as I support the efforts of the filmmakers, but the film itself was not worth the price of admission.
