Farmiga's Higher Ground is the life story of Corinne, a girl who gets married young and moves with her husband into an evangelical Christian community. She embraces the faith and the community embraces her, but she gradually feels more repressed and dejected about life and is criticized for breaking the unwritten rules of her society. What's interesting about Higher Ground is that, contrary to some initial controversy about the subject matter, religion really isn't the subject at all. Farmiga is telling a story about the human condition, one that we can all relate to: a story about those moments where we lose our faith, lose sight of who we are and don't know where to turn or what to believe in.Farmiga brings to Higher Ground the same things we've learned to expect from her as an actress: unflinching honesty, deep insight, effortless naturalism and a dash of humor sprinkled in. Her examination of the conflicts between hope and faith and doubt pulls no punches: but it doesn't throw any either. Higher Ground has been criticized by evangelical groups for "attacking" their faith and social structure, but the film is actually very reverent and respectful. Farmiga treads carefully and never judges the religion at all - in fact, she makes the community and lifestyle seem appealing at times. We can see what attracts Corinne to the community and understand where she finds her solace. Christianity is just the backdrop of Corinne's story and Farmiga's message; the real focus is on the universal struggles for acceptance and hope.Farmiga's direction can't be praised enough; she was so precise, careful, respectful, and she knows how to get the best out of her actors. However, the film certainly has flaws. There were many throwaway subplots that were totally unnecessary - not only did they not advance the plot at all but they did nothing to support what Farmiga was trying to say with the film. Farmiga does her best with these scenes, but ultimately the screenplay needed some fine-tuning. The actors are unanimously impressive. Farmiga takes center stage as Corinne, but she's a generous actress and lets her co-stars shine most of the time. Vera's younger sister Taissa is fantastic as young Corinne; she shows great promise and could reasonably act on the same level as her sister one day. Joshua Leonard as Corinne's husband is lovable and sympathetic, but he's not afraid of revealing his character's flaws - it's brave, I think, for an actor not to care whether an audience likes him or not. Donna Murphy, Nina Arianda and John Hawkes have small roles but perform to their usual high standards.It's Vera Farmiga, though, who is the anchor of this film. She plays Corinne as a many-layered, complex, ultimately human woman who struggles to find her way through life. It's hard for films to portray abstract ideas like Higher Ground does, but Farmiga has such a deep understanding of her character and the film's themes that she makes it look easy. There is no doubt that one of the best actresses working today has huge promise as a director as well.

I'm going to start with what I didn't like. This film could have done with a scissors taken after it. There was too much music, too much on the young girl's life, and too much that didn't need to be there.But if one was attentive, one didn't mind. Every film has some flaws in it, but good ones have enough in them that the flaws can be overlooked.So let's consider the good parts.This was not a typical Christian film. It had R rated language, it had sexuality that was plain and honest. It had an honest discussion of faith and an intelligent representation of doubt. It had Christians who lived their problems and it had small bits of drama that made us aware of the main Character's observations.What's not to like? The R rated language is sometimes an adjunct that is necessary especially when anger is our most dominant emotional response. Those 4 and 5 letter words are all that will work. We might just as well say what we think.When one sees the world through poetic eyes one begins to interpret rather than think literally. When we interpret, perhaps we lose sight of God, but we begin a journey that could perhaps take the rest of our lives to come to the end. Corine (the main character) went on such a journey. She began to realize that she wasn't living the same life as those around her. She wanted to, but it just wasn't in her.Slowly, ever so slowly, discontent set it. She could not live what she perceived as the rigid life of those around her. Finally after a violent eruption of honesty coupled with her near choking murder by a nearly out of control angry husband she agrees to go to a marriage councillor. What a mistake.He judges her even before she gets there. I think the film missed a chance to really get some of her anger plainly stated. The councillor is actually correct in what he says. He has a poor vocabulary to talk to her, but he is not wrong. She could confront him by saying that he is right, but he is still not her teacher. She knows that basic discontent has set in. What I liked about the film is that it admits that basic discontent cannot be cured. She must leave her husband. She must leave the church and she must leave her old life behind so that she can go on the journey she so desperately needs to take. He is an arrogant man, full of self righteous hatred of anyone who does not think and believe as he does, and he needs to be told that, if not for his development, then for hers.It missed a chance, but it was not wrong. She was not developed enough to stand her ground and teach men. Not yet.That would come later, almost at the end. Then she was able to say (finally) that she did belong in Church. She was able to say that she admired those who have faith, but she did not. And she joined the dogs outside. She did it willingly and honestly.Bravo, for her.In the meantime the church did the only thing it could. It continued on with its service. Christians will see this as a slap in the face. I don't really. They have their standards. She has hers. They each have to live within their structure and the film presents us with that. That's where most of my nine out of ten came from.What's not to like when you are given so much opportunity to think and observe.9/10

Higher Ground is a story about an honest search for faith in a fearful, posturing world. It is an unpretentious film. It is also Vera Farmiga's directorial debut and it showcases her signature style. She displays astonishing depths, carrying roles with integrity and intelligence. I've always noted that she has an atypical screen glamor that grows in its unfurling. In fact, it's a special beauty but it fits a needed niche. If you have ever walked the path of faith, honestly questing, be prepared for a cathartic, ambiguous denouement that may take you to higher ground. I enthusiastically recommend this soft, sad but lovely journey by cinema.

I can understand why many people will fail to see Farmiga's genius in creating this gem. It is a slow, thoughtful movie. The fact that Corinne sometimes seems to lack emotion is part of the point. She is repressed in every way, yet at times the true woman's spirit shines through - when laughing with her children, for example - and this contrast shows the depth of Farmiga's acting ability as well as her admirable restraint and daring as a director. To honestly portray a repression that is as much internally as it is externally driven - this is a fine line, and one that Farmiga walks with delicacy.Watching Higher Ground was a deeply personal experience for me. Corinne's story could be mine in so many ways. From the music (which I knew word-for-word), to the nearly word-perfect alter calls for children (while every head is bowed and every eye is closed), to Corinne's moments of recognition (inside with you, or outside with the dogs), everything felt intensely real and honest. People who see this movie as attacking Christianity are probably not able to see their own worlds with any spirit of truth, as - for me, anyway - everything about Corinne's experiences in her church was painted accurately and with a painful degree of realism.I watched this movie with my husband, who was raised without any religion and has a hard time understanding what it was like for me to walk away from my whole life, my whole world. This movie helped me express to him that pain, and that freedom. Like Corinne, I simply couldn't pretend anymore.