Of the over 300 films I watch a year this stands out as superlative -
meticulously crafted and thought-provoking. The way it uses only its modest static camera and small ensemble to address very big issues: theology, sin, spirituality and abuse, anorexia, consent to treatment , you name it it's packed in here. For me most moving are the searing religious resonances and of course the Christian theme from its contemporary perspective. This ranks with the superb Krzysztof Kieslowski's Dekalog series in gut-wrenching poignancy.
And it's not quite so simple as being about spiritual abuse and other forms of bullying, nor Is it merely about just cranky religious cults, and it's not a simple rejection of the existence of God. But it is in a way all that too at the same time. There's an uneasy agnostic ambiguity behind the deliciously dark humour. It is funny at times, but horrified half-laughs only came for me, until the film ends with a quirky almost facile gesture. The minimalism means the occasional camera moves are breathtaking to encounter, as is movement of the actors. The film manages to deliver a serious philosophical punch with a feather pillow, the blow leaving much to take home to nurse in thought and perhaps prayerful thought.
The young girl is spellbinding as with her character's mother. So much is a left implicit in the acting - the strident priest in the beginning becomes a lot more difficult to read in one of the dramatic end sequences. As mentioned it doesn't shout as it shocks - the characters speak volumes by simple steps to the back of shot, or slipping in and out of frame.. In a tightly wound intense way it is like a play, but the filmic realism is still there and essential, comprising one of a host of elements that makes this such a nicely formed and profoundly moving work of art.
And it's not quite so simple as being about spiritual abuse and other forms of bullying, nor Is it merely about just cranky religious cults, and it's not a simple rejection of the existence of God. But it is in a way all that too at the same time. There's an uneasy agnostic ambiguity behind the deliciously dark humour. It is funny at times, but horrified half-laughs only came for me, until the film ends with a quirky almost facile gesture. The minimalism means the occasional camera moves are breathtaking to encounter, as is movement of the actors. The film manages to deliver a serious philosophical punch with a feather pillow, the blow leaving much to take home to nurse in thought and perhaps prayerful thought.
The young girl is spellbinding as with her character's mother. So much is a left implicit in the acting - the strident priest in the beginning becomes a lot more difficult to read in one of the dramatic end sequences. As mentioned it doesn't shout as it shocks - the characters speak volumes by simple steps to the back of shot, or slipping in and out of frame.. In a tightly wound intense way it is like a play, but the filmic realism is still there and essential, comprising one of a host of elements that makes this such a nicely formed and profoundly moving work of art.