A beautiful cinematic achievement, that briskly brings the viewer along an unusual story starting with the apostles, moving through the death of a pope, and then to an ultimate secret of a mystical tree and its wondrously healing powers. The tree brings comfort, hope, salvation and strength, and becomes the focus of a power struggle in remote Sicily. It follows a sick patent lawyer who hopes to find health again, a corporate executive who looks for advancement, and an ancient order of priests thirsting for power. They clash under the limbs of the tree, the tree decides their fate. A moving story and experience.

This film moved me. Everything, from the setting to the casting to the story, fits together in a way that I would expect from a Hollywood blockbuster. I felt the characters transform as I saw them on the screen. And how could they not? Sicily proves a hidden gem that brings the characters--and this film--to life in a vibrant, spiritual way. The story moves with excellent pace and plenty of intrigue. I found myself glued to the screen, curious about what would happen next. Veterans like Eric Roberts, Armand Assante, and Sean Young all give brilliant performances, and the lesser-known members of the cast deliver with equal force. The movie promises to be a spiritual tale about transformation, and it fulfills that promise in ways I never expected.

No spoilers here I had a chance to see this at the Santa Fe Film Festival, which by the way has generally selected great movies. This however was one the worst films I have seen at a festival, let alone in a theater. The acting was at best mediocre, perhaps better directing, editing and a decent script could have helped what looked to be a pretty decent cast. The fillers involved trite romances which made the movie drag on and formulaic. The basic premise of the movie had potential, but this dramatization spoiled it. Perhaps others will forgive the listed complaints because the spiritual message spoke to them. And I suspect that was the hope of the producers