Having seen most of the blockbuster films currently showing in the theaters, tonight, my wife and I took in a screening of the film Novitiate. I did not know much about this film, which was only showing at one theater of the dozen in my area. It was a decent night out, but not the most interesting film I have seen recently. I did learn a little bit about the Catholic Church and Vatican II that I didn't previously know.
Cathleen (Margaret Qualley) didn't have the best home life. Her father and mother fought constantly. At the age of eight, Cathleen's father simply left. Her mother, Nora (Julianne Nicholson), was hardly a role model, but she did her best to provide for her daughter. When the opportunity came for Cathleen to receive a full scholarship to a catholic school, Nora agreed. Cathleen fell in love with the idea of being in love with God. At the age of seventeen, she decided to give her life to God and join the local convent. Her period as a novitiate coincided with the reforms of Vatican II, which offered subtext to the stern and severe training that novitiates endure. At the end of her novitiate period, Cathleen must make the decision whether she wants to become a bride of Christ, or whether she wants more.
The sisterhood is a lifestyle. It is a peculiar lifestyle, but it is one that offers its own sense of purpose and meaning. This story examines that lifestyle through the eyes of a novitiate and the ramifications of Vatican II. The story is character driven, lacking a strong climax (can I say that about a movie about nuns)? The central character, Cathleen, primarily deals with an internal struggle, outwardly appearing to be a model novitiate. Internally, she longs for the thing she has always lacked. Affection. Comfort. The external struggles in the convent center on the strong character role of Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo). Leo is incredible in this film. Her balance between compassion and severity is often a blurred line. Leo toes that line with precision. She delivers a likable but flawed character that feels genuine. The Reverend Mother is dealing with her own struggle. She resents and resists Vatican II, which essentially lowers the status of the sisterhood. The performances in this film were spectacular. The cast is almost entirely female, with strong female leads delivering worthwhile character studies.
I was not raised Catholic. While I am mildly familiar with Vatican II, I was not aware of the impact it had on the Catholic Church. I am mostly familiar with the positive outcomes of Vatican II. The switch from Latin to other languages during services, the priest facing the congregation and a general "shining of light" in dark places. I was not aware that Vatican II impacted nuns as severely as it did. Apparently, nuns held special status in the spiritual realm before Vatican II. Afterward, they were considered no different from any other believer. As a Protestant, that is pretty much what we believe already. The impact of Vatican II on the sisterhood resulted in a mass exodus, with 90,000 nuns leaving their calling. I can only imagine the impact that had on Catholic Charities and the many schools and hospitals run by the church, largely dependent on the cheap labor of the sisterhood. This film broadened my understanding of that subject, although I'm not certain it really needed to be broadened. I am always happy to learn something new, and the film was interesting, but it isn't a topic I would have necessarily sought out. But I did like the film enough to recommend it.
Novitiate runs a bit long at two hours and three minutes. The film has deliberate pacing, which is a nice way of saying slow, but steady. It wasn't necessarily boring, just not much in the way of action. The film contains some self-flagellation, non-nudity masturbation scenes, a bizarre full frontal nudity scene of an elderly nun and exposed breasts. There is also some intimacy between two nuns that does not go beyond kissing on screen. It was enough to easily earn this film an R rating from the MPAA. It is not a film for young viewers.
Novitiate is a decent niche film. It is definitely not going to be from everyone. It had a bit of a Handmaiden's Tale look at times. The story is driven by the characters and their internal/external struggles. The backdrop is a convent during Vatican II. It makes for an interesting character study, but only moderately. This film succeeded for me on the performances of Leo and Qualley. Qualley is amazing. I love her already. I have seen some other films she has been in, but this is the first time she has stood out to me. I think I will be on the lookout for her next film, Io. It's dystopian sci-fi, so it is right in my wheelhouse anyway. I would recommend waiting for this one to hit video, which probably won't be long. It is worth a rainy day rental. 7/10.