The Letters (2014)

Please don't spend money on this.

Overrated and overhyped

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The Letters is a biographical film about Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta based on the letters of 50-year correspondence with her longtime friend and spiritual adviser,Father Celeste van Exem. It stars Juliet Stevenson as Mother Theresa together with Max von Sydow, Rutger Hauer and Priya Darshini.The story starts when Mother Teresa is honored to be a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for being one of the greatest humanitarians of our time.Millions are touched due to her selfless commitment that have changed their hearts and inspired them to be the extension of Christ's work particularly charity and helping the poor.Then a story is told from the point-of-view of Fr.Celeste who recounts her life from her work,how she started her own charity cause,the political oppression she experience in aiding the poor and her love for Christ.We could have been treated to a good film if there was more research done on Mother Teresa.Too bad that we just have the same information that is probably already known by many people around the world.Added to that,there is not much depth in too the characters as well.In the end,it simply became a watchable fare about the saint.

The Letters is an absorbing and interesting film on the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Revealing her accomplishments but concentrating on her trials and tribulations--and her bouts with "spiritual darkness"--it has a different perspective than previous films about Mother Teresa. Max von Sydow and Rutger Hauer were excellent, as usual. The rest of the cast were very good, although some presented as somewhat rigid, but that might have been on the part of the script. Juliet Stevenson, however,was exceptional. Her posture and mannerisms were reminiscent of those of Mother Teresa. The cinematography and editing were well done. The film is certainly worth watching, and a good biographical rendering, contrary to the unsubstantiated and unreferenced accusations about Mother Teresa offered by angry, unkind persons influenced by the same agendas fostered by the late Christopher Hitchens.

This is the second movie about Mother Teresa I've seen in my lifetime, the first being Mother Teresa: In the Name of God's Poor starring Geraldine Chaplin from several years back. This one goes through similar territory concerning her career of helping the poor but also explores her letters that gets discovered by some present-day cardinals. In those letters, she mentions how lonely and depressed she felt during all those years of doing what she always said was God's work though she never expressed that publicly and in fact, wanted those letters destroyed after she passed on not wanting the burden of being thought of as less-than-thankful for her life's work. My mom watched this with me and we both agreed it was another well-made film about a woman who sacrificed so much during her lifetime. So that's a high recommendation of The Letters.

I have no idea why this beautiful movie is rated so low in the IMDb rating system, obviously a lot of people didn't care for it. I am surprised. First, I am not a Catholic but I am a religious person. I believe this is a beautiful and touching biopic about a kind and good woman who sacrificed her life in service to the poor. Although she had doubts and struggled with depression, she soldiered on bringing relief to the one of the world's most retched group – India's untouchables. A humble woman, Mother Teresa, ably played by Juliet Stevenson is traced through a 50-year career of kindness and compassion. I am nonplussed, what is there not to like here? I loved this poignant movie and urge those of you with hearts to see it too.