Dark Habits
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Movie Reviews of Dark Habits
Movie Review: The Pleasures of Pedro Almodovar
Summary: 5 Stars
Perhaps it is because Spain is the place of origin of the Surrealism movement in art that has propelled Pedro Almodovar's career. But whatever the genes or historical influences, Almodovar is one of the most consistently creative and outrageous directors working in the industry today. The public has become aware of his gifts through his recent tender films (All About My Mother, Talk To Her, etc) but this zany romp dates back to 1983 when he was able to take on anything and create parody (Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, Matador, etc).This time around it is the Catholic Church he examines. A convent exists for women in the throes of desperation (drugs, prostitution, other crimes) and the Sisters all bear humiliating names (Sister Rat of the Sewer, Sister Manure, etc) as per the design of the order. The hilarity comes form the sub-vocations of the nuns which include dealing and using heavy drugs, writing pulp novels, voyeurism, etc. Even the Priest affiliated with the convent is more committed to sewing gaudy dresses than tending to his parish. The story is slight - a victim singer takes refuge in the declining convent and helps to salvage its support from a stingy and wealthy widow of their main source of financing. Things just get crazy, zany, and at times ridiculous, but you just can't help liking this batch of ladies. A refreshing romp!
Movie Review: "I'm Sister Rat of the Sewers. I was keen to meet you" .........
Summary: 4 Stars
The very fact that you are going to watch nuns snorting cocaine, and even craving for it, should give you an idea of how far Almodovar went to give an alternative view of what a "convent" is in this movie.
This is early Almodovar, and if you've seen his other films, you know what to expect. If you haven't seen them, then you might be surprised. The film is funny, unpredictable, and endearing in a kinky, warped kind of way. Almodovar's nuns are wonderful characters. With straight faces and looks of piety, they do outrageous things without batting an eye. There are probably many ways to interpret the film, but I think it's about acceptance. We're all "sinners" in one way or another, as the nuns would say, and it's not up to us to judge or condemn other people. The sisters are very forgiving - in fact, they love sinners! - and they create a little haven where marginal people can find shelter. They are eccentric, they do things that mainstream society condemns, but they don't really do any harm to anyone and maybe even help some people find their path in life.
This isn't the Catholic Church's idea of what a convent should be like, and I understand that very devout people would be offended by the way Almod?var treats the subject. Still, he does it in a kind of gentle, good humored way and he offers an alternative vision of religious devotion that can make you laugh if you aren't too uptight about these things. Things don't always make sense, but that's fine, things don't make sense in life sometimes, either.
Recommended to the Almodovar/Spanish/foreign fans who shouldn't expect this one to be better than his usual films.
Movie Review: Old School Almodovar
Summary: 4 Stars
Seeing that Almodovar's new movie (La Mala Educacion) has to do with the catholic church, I felt it appropriate to go back and see this old one. Glad I did. Very funny film.Though the dvd quality is not that great (and several scenes have been deleted), the film still stands up to the test of time. A drugged out singer takes refuge in a convent run by nuns with serious issues. These nuns do heroin, drop acid, read trashy novels, and even have lesbian tendencies.
The acting is great, the women (most of whom you are familiar with if you've seen other Almodovar films, Carmen Maura, Marisa Paredes, etc)do a fine job, they created a very charming and entertaining group of "sisters."
While this is not the best Almodovar film, it is still a funny ditty that is better than 95% of the films that come out these days.
Movie Review: Pleasantly weird
Summary: 4 Stars
Classic Pedro Almodovar movie. Dark and strangely funny. Not as commercial or light as "Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", but still entertaining. Almodovar uses the usual stable of actors and they don't disappoint. I love Carmen Maura's acting choices. Always unexpected. Movie is in Spanish with English subtitles. If you like this and/or want to see another GREAT Spanish film, check out the South American film "Destiny has no Favorites"Movie Review: Early Almodovar--major influence on filmmaking
Summary: 3 Stars
Where did the Whoopi Goldberg flick Sister Act come from? Dark Habits. Where did Hal Hartley get the idea for a nun who writes porno novels in his film Amateur? Dark Habits.
Almodovar is a unique figure in global cinema; of that there is no doubt. It's interesting to see his progress as a filmmaker which is dotted here and there with films that are full of great ideas, some of which have juice and some of which don't quite gel. What Have I Done to Deserve This?, the film immediately preceding Dark Habits, gels and works really well. Dark Habits has a lot of good ideas but does not quite seem to gel.
But some of it--parts, ideas, scenes here and there--are so creative they make you sit up and almost shout. A Mother Superior who shoots smack? A nun with a full grown pet tiger? Another nun who writes trashy romance novels? Great ideas. One of the absolute best sequences in the film is that in which junkie-hooker-nightclub singer Yolanda sings a parting song at the Holy Redeemers convent accompanied by three nuns who play instruments and also do backup singing (obviously lip-synched). This is a terrific scene full of bounce that makes you realize Almodovar is a truly gifted filmmaker.
Alas the chops shown in this one sequence are not consistent throughout the film. The ending is not as strong as it should have been, unfortunately, which makes it all the more disappointing when so many great ideas have passed you by during the course of the film.
Worth seeing because of the uniqueness that is Pedro Almodovar. Not one of his best, though. (My favorites are Live Flesh, What Have I Done to Deserve This? and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).
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