The Monk (15)

Out in UK cinemas tomorrow is French horror/drama The Monk (originally 'Le Moine').

The Monk (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

The Monk is the latest big screen adaptation of the classic gothic novel by Matthew Lewis. After being abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in the 17th century, Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel) is raised as a monk and soon becomes renowned for his godly sermons and piety. As with all serious men of God, the Devil makes a beeline for him, relentlessly searching for a weakness.

Because Ambrosio was never exposed to the outside world, he has no experience of the perils and pleasures that those in his congregation must daily face and feel. This sets him up for a monstrous onslaught of temptations, thanks to the all too real influence of the Prince of Darkness himself. His troubles begin as a strange new face enters his life, in the form of Valerio, a soul who has suffered much and wants to withdraw from the world to be with God.

Cassel bottles up his usual angry energy, giving a brooding performance as the distant but intense Ambrosio. The supporting actors aren’t as strong, especially compared with this typically gripping turn by Cassel, but their efforts are plenty adequate to not be distracting.

Marking director Dominik Moll’s most ambitious project to date, The Monk offers a dark and oppressive vision of 17th century France. Fans of the book might be sorry to see that some of the more visceral thrills found in its pages have been replaced by a more subtle style of horror, one that creeps under the skin and leaves you feeling uneasy. Moll brings out the elements of the subject matter that provoke thoughts of real life horrors, things impossible to portray on screen; unseen terrors which we all must face. That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t provide thrills for the horror movie fan, it’s just that the focus is more on the impact that Ambrosio’s testing has on his character.

Alberto Iglesias scores The Monk with a bombastic and almost over the top soundtrack, full of ominous choral cues and Church-like echoes amping the eeriness. Patrick Blossier’s cinematography makes striking use of contrast, giving most of the film a dim and slightly sepia look, only turning the colour and brightness to eleven for a series of dream sequences. These could have done with a more creative effort from Moll as one would think that Ambrosio’s subconscious would be the perfect canvas on which to further highlight how far removed his impression of reality is from that of others.

The Monk is a haunting portrait of a tragically flawed character; a well-intentioned man who finds out the hard way that his faith wasn’t so strong after all. The film never pretends that evil isn’t a genuine power, a refreshing concept these days and one that disturbs with great precision. Go into this expecting to have your mind toyed with, as well as your emotions.