The Holy Girl Movie Review:


Argentine director-cowriter Martel (La Cienaga) creates an astonishing atmosphere that's almost dreamlike in its examination of obsession, sexual awakening and redemption. It's such an intimately crafted film that it can't help but get under our skin.

Amalia (Alche) is a 16-year-old living with her mother (Moran) and uncle (Urdapilleta) in a family-owned hotel, which is being invaded by a medical convention. After church choir practice, Amalia and her friend Josefina (Zylberberg) sit with the other girls and talk about religious issues ... while whispering about sexual longings. Then one afternoon, one of the married doctors (Belloso) rubs against her suggestively. Amalia's reaction is a curious mixture--she stalks him out of curiosity, or perhaps it's love, or maybe she can save him.

Martel captures puberty remarkably well. These teens want to be pure and upright, yet it seems like everything they see, hear or touch ignites a frightening part of them they can't control. Through extreme close-ups and tight editing, the film bursts with almost overwhelming sensuality, and Martel uses this brilliantly to convey Amalia's journey. Meanwhile, Josefina is playing with fire, in the form of her boyfriend. These are bold but subtle performances that convey whole ideas through a glance or a touch, but not necessarily through the elusive dialog.

It's a very clever screenplay, mixing conversations about medicine and religion with lively, funny chitchat, all of which help define the various human connections, as well as the guilt and fear that flow through most of the characters. Is Amalia deluded about what really happened between her and the doctor? Does she feel like a guardian angel or a vengeful spirit? As the girls seek a sign--any sign--that will help make the world easier to understand, the adults seem to ignore all the most obvious signs around them. And as the tension builds, Martel's insinuating, seductive filmmaking style might be a bit elusive, but it establishes such a lush tone that our own reactions to the situations become as important as the characters themselves.



Rich Cline

 

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