adonis98-743-186503 Set in the early 1960s and during the era of Vatican II, a young woman in training to become a nun struggles with issues of faith, the changing church and sexuality. Despite Novitiate's talented cast and the settings or the direction as a whole this was a film way too long, with a story that doesn't go anywhere to be honest and perfomances that are a mixed bag (Melissa Leo did a good job tho for the most part) but a film about nun's that is super slow and is 123 minutes? I think was too much for me and the young women who play some of these girls in terms of perfomances were kinda on and off in my opinion at least. (3/10)

beatriceyongyuexuan The film begins by following through the life of a young girl who never expected to become a nun. As a child, she was intentionally 'exposed' to religion by her somewhat religion-mocking mother. The young girl experiences some family issues and sees the unhappiness of her single mother who went through a failed marriage. It probably shaped her to desire a form of love that is more uncommon, a form of love that her single and unhappy mother doubts and mocks, and perhaps has less complications than if she were to be with another person - and chooses to be married to God. But as she grows she realises that she is worthy of more, and is capable of wanting more, that though it may be scary to love another living, breathing, feeling human being, it's real. I think that this is a film about change. How inevitable change is in our lives, and learning how to embrace change, even if it pushes us way out of our comfort zone; or if its just that we feel what we once felt does not really apply anymore, it is okay to say and act otherwise. That though we may have felt very certain about things before, something that could be so sacred and profound like religion - choosing to be married to God - can be changed if you eventually feel differently about things, that freedom is ultimately your own choice. It is shown in the film that at the end when the Vatican 2 changes were announced, many chose to leave. We may convince ourselves that there is a higher power, but see how more than one third of the nuns decided to leave, and not essentially held back by the ties to God. The film also shows how times are changing in our society. Before,the girls were forbidden to have any doubts, not allowed to question the things Reverend Mother does, even if it was immoral. The film progresses and the girls are seen to be full on voicing their doubts about God's existence in front of Mother during 'fault-confessing' sessions. Melissa Leo is incredible. She perfectly portrayed Reverend Mother, an unreasonable authoritative person who often feels her position is threatened. She seems to be fearful of losing the exaggerated beliefs that became her known way of life. Feeling the need to torment others the way she tormented herself, her behaviour seems to be that of a sadist and hypocrite. "Things are easier when they are stricter" applies to the world of Reverend Mother. When the vatican 2 announced that the nuns are free, the Reverend Mother feels lost, as there is no rules to forcefully follow through anymore. Overall an amazing film. Absolutely loved the tones and emotions of the film.

Hellmant 'NOVITATE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)The critically acclaimed religious themed drama, about a nun in training (in the 1960s) who starts to question her faith. It was written and directed by debut feature filmmaker Margaret Betts, and it stars Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Dianna Agron, Morgan Saylor, Liana Liberato, Julianne Nicholson and Denis O'Hare. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's also garnered prestigious awards attention as well. I found it to be really well made and involving.At the age of seven, Cathleen Harris (Qualley) was introduced to Catholicism by her agnostic mother (Nicholson), for educational purposes. Cathleen feels drawn to the religion, at the great disappointment of her mother, and at the age of 17 she decides to join a convent as a postulate. She's trained by the extremist Reverend Mother Marie St. Clair (Leo). Reverend Mother tortures the young women she trains, in an obsessive (outdated) belief that it will bring them closer to God, and she rejects modern reforms ordered by the Second Vatican Council. Her methods really put Cathleen, and her faith, to the ultimate test, while Cathleen also must struggle with natural temptations of desire.The film is a lot like a female Catholicism version of 'WHIPLASH' to me, that's what the relationship between Cathleen and Reverend Mother feels like. It's very intense, hard to watch, and at times pretty emotional. Leo is also fantastic in the role, and I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see her get an Oscar nomination for it. The film is also a great examination of what faith and commitment to faith meant for these women at that time. It's definitely an interesting, and emotionally involving, movie to watch.

Paul Allaer "Novitiate" (2017 release; 123 min.) brings the story of Kathleen. As the movie opens, we are told it is "1964" and we get to know Kathleen as she is in a nuns' convent. "I was 17 when I entered the convent, 18 when I started the novitiate. We are all women in love." Wow. We then go to "Ten Years Earlier", as we get to know young Kathleen and her mother, and how Kathleen becomes interested in Catholic school, then the Catholic faith, and eventually the Catholic church. At this point we are 10 min, into to movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director Maggie Betts, And what a debut it is! Betts takes a close look at what the road is like towards becoming a nun, with a 6 months postulate and then the 18 months novitiate. These are all young women with an idealistic view of the Catholic church. In a parallel story, Betts also examines the consequences of the Vatican II reforms. The Reverend Mother who runs the convent is entirely opposed to any ref0rms. "Isn't the church just perfect as it is?", she retorts when a younger nun questions her. As one might expect, the pace of the movie is quite slow and deliberate, so this isn't for anyone in a hurry. At times it almost feels like a documentary. I was bowled over by it all, to be honest, and felt deeply invested into these characters. There are a number of scenes in the movie that will break your heart (the disbelief of Kathleen's mother upon learning what Kathleen intends to do with her life; the "chapel of faults"--I shan't say more...). As it plays out, one can't help but be reminded of "The Nun's Story" starring Audrey Hepburn (when asked why she decided to become a nun, one of the young ladies refers to that movie). The movie is helped enormously by several towering performances: Melissa Leo as the Reverend Mother is outstanding, but even better is Margaret Qualley as Kathleen (in one of her first movie roles--she is best known for her recurring role in HBO's The Leftovers). Qualley reminded me physically immediately of a younger Kirsten Stewart. The range of emotions that Qualley is able to convey on the big screen makes it very clear to me that this is a major up-and-coming talent, the last of which we surely haven't seen. Same can be said of writer-director Maggie Betts. If it sounds like I am gushing about this movie, you bet I am. This movie is for me one of the best I have seen this year."Novitiate" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate critical acclaim. No idea why it's taken so long to reach my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, but better late than never. The Saturday evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely. You could hear a pin drop, as the theater was enraptured by this film. If you are in the mood for a probing psychological drama that poses some serious questions about religion and faith and features several stunning acting performances, you cannot go wrong with this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Novitiate" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!