The Letters

Respectable biography perhaps inevitably gives in to Hagiographic excesses at times, but still manages to tell a compelling tale, anchored by a commanding, down-to-earth performance from Stevenson; also effective as a low-key portrait of religious hypocrisy as Teresa is shunned by her religious order. Von Sydow and Hauer are essentially wasted, and while the wrap-around flashback feels clunky, it's difficult to fathom a better way to tell this quite insular woman's story.