LFF 2011 Diary, Day 11: The Monk (Rating: **) French thriller director Dominik Moll’s adaptation of this gothic 1796 novel is an ambitious attempt to revive an old and controversial story for a modern audience. Expectations were high, but despite starring the inimitable Vincent Cassel (Mesrine, Black Swan) in the lead role and featuring a bold visual style, The Monk is sadly no greater than the sum of its parts. Cassel plays Brother Ambrosio who, abandoned at a Madrid monastery’s door when he was just a baby, knows little of life outside its walls. Under the watchful eye of the friars, Ambrosio grows up to become a tal- ented preacher with an apparently unimpeachable moral compass. However, when a dark presence arrives at the monastery the form of a stranger in a wax mask (eerily reminiscent of Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face), Ambrosio finds his faith tested for the very first time. Risking everything for a taste of forbidden fruit, Ambrosio’s inevitable descent into evil will lose him his profession, his standing and ultimately, his soul. The Monk is heavily stylised, making great use of the surrounding landscape to create a striking balance of darkness and light. In a subversive play on familiar tropes, the monastery as a beacon of religious ‘good’ is shrouded in darkness while the outside world is bright enough to be almost blinding. As with his previous works Lemming and Harry, he’s here to help, Moll admits that his visual style is greatly indebted to Hitchcock and this is quite apparent throughout. However, certain homages to his style, such as the ‘iris’ shots seem a little gimmicky and out of place. The Monk often seems so preoccupied with its visual impact that other important elements are lost along the way. The performances are very much a mixed bag. Vincent Cassel flounders a little in the early scenes; portraying Brother Ambrosio as the embodiment of religious dignity and devotion seems a little out of his comfort zone. Perhaps unsurprisingly for French cinema’s go-to villain, Cassel thrives in the latter half of the film when he is thrown something a little juicier to chew on. Other stand out performances include Roxane Duran as the tragic and fragile Sister Agnes and Sergi Lopez in a brief appearance as the monstrous child-molester. While The Monk does not lack ambition, with a highly controversial and rich storyline, the delivery is sadly lacking. Despite a strong story and adventurous cinematography, the film fails to pack an emotional punch. It is perhaps The Monk’s aspirations which are its outdoing; it may well have benefitted from a little toning down. AL
LFF 2011 Diary, Day 11 - THE MONK
Mar 30, 2016
French thriller director Dominik Moll’s adaptation of this gothic 1796 novel is an ambitious attempt to revive an old and controversial story for a modern audience. Expectations were high, but despite starring the inimitable Vincent Cassel (Mesrine, Black Swan) in the lead role and featuring a bold visual style, The Monk is sadly no greater than the sum of its parts.
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LFF 2011 Diary, Day 11: The Monk (Rating: **)French thriller director Dominik Moll’s adaptation of this gothic 1796 novel is an ambitious attempt to revive an old and controversial story for a modern audience. Expectations were high, but despite starring the inimitable Vincent Cassel (Mesrine, Black Swan) in the lead role and featuring a bold visual style, The Monk is sadly no greater than the sum of its parts.
Cassel plays Brother Ambrosio who, abandoned at a Madrid monastery’s door when he was just a baby, knows little of life outside its walls. Under the watchful eye of the friars, Ambrosio grows up to become a tal-ented preacher with an apparently unimpeachable moral compass. However, when a dark presence arrives at the monastery the form of a stranger in a wax mask (eerily
reminiscent of Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face), Ambrosio finds his faith tested for the very first time. Risking everything for a taste of forbidden fruit, Ambrosio’s inevitable descent into evil will lose him his profession, his standing and ultimately, his soul.
The Monk is heavily stylised, making great use of the surrounding landscape to create a striking balance of darkness and light. In a subversive play on familiar tropes, the monastery as a beacon of religious ‘good’ is shrouded in darkness while the outside world is bright enough to be almost blinding. As with his previous works Lemming and Harry, he’s here to help, Moll admits that his visual style is greatly indebted to Hitchcock and this is quite apparent throughout. However, certain homages to his style, such as the ‘iris’ shots seem a little gimmicky and out of place. The Monk often seems so preoccupied with its visual impact that other important elements are lost along the way.
The performances are very much a mixed bag. Vincent Cassel flounders a little in the early scenes; portraying Brother Ambrosio as the embodiment of religious dignity and devotion seems a little out of his comfort zone. Perhaps unsurprisingly for French cinema’s go-to villain, Cassel thrives in the latter half of the film when he is thrown something a little juicier to chew on. Other stand out performances include Roxane Duran as the tragic and fragile Sister Agnes and Sergi Lopez in a brief appearance as the monstrous child-molester.
While The Monk does not lack ambition, with a highly controversial and rich storyline, the delivery is sadly lacking. Despite a strong story and adventurous cinematography, the film fails to pack an emotional punch. It is perhaps The Monk’s aspirations which are its outdoing; it may well have benefitted from a little toning down. AL
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