Das Kloster

Two stars for fairly competent cinematography. Good composition and good camera movement without glitzy focus-racking thru the forest.

Malkovich and Deneuve are there only for their names. The real acting takes place with the Porteguese? actors. And they struggle with the pretentious dialog.

The two worst offenses are committed by the director who explains the characters and their actions thru narration ( or awkward scenes with minor actors describing the main characters by using some vaguely occult terminology) rather than showing their characters and motivations thru their actions and their own dialog. It is a movie, after all, not an essay. Second offense is the music, which is overwhelming at times. Using Stravinsky with violent string passages to imply evil, danger, foreboding etc could work, but it didn't for this production. Just loud and annoying without any real matching action.

It reminded me greatly of a university master's thesis film I worked on 37 years ago--(fortunately not mine). Lots of fantasy, lots of literary allusions, lots of mood, pointless scenery long shots, more than a few long takes that the director fell in love with and the editor was not inclined (or allowed) to abbreviate, and some really over-the-top acting moments (as when Baltar meets the prof's wife for the first time). Down, boy, down! I rented it because I am trying to catch up on some Deneuve films that I missed over the years, but I'm sorry I did. She must have really needed some money to have done this one.

Seldomly do we get films with such an interesting and involving plot as this one. An absolute joy to watch, with an excellent cast. There are not many films with such an interesting and fascinating plot as this one. Part of what makes the film such fascinating viewing is the settings and the stories that are associated with them. First rate cinema and obviously a moment of pure genius for the film maker.

Regarding others opinions, this movie is not to bee seen vainly, or as a block buster from another big company. The plot although can be a bit boring in some way, it's enormously compensating by the story it self, the picture work (the movie photography is brilliant), and of course by the talent of the actors, the Convent (in fact was really a convent, i know, i have been there) is based upon a book of, Augustina Bessa-Luis called, "As Terras do Risco" (the lands of risk, as a free translation) if you do not like reading a good book,or if you are not interested in some of the Europe's culture, just go head, eat American trash. If you're reading habits are updated, (you may find it easy to understand it if you are familiarly whith Dr. fust's History), you really shuld not miss this one, it's a brilliant movie whith a great history from the oldest of film directors in the world (belive it see the date of his 1st movie).This is an artwork

Well, first of all I've enjoyed this film immensely. I think it had all the right tone, the right actors, and the way the story is developed is done with great know-how. It's not boring in any way, but spectators need to be aware of the kind of movie they're going to watch.

Deneuve, Malkovich, and the Portuguese actor Silveira and Cintra are all able to create an atmosphere of metaphysical mystery, in dealing to all the questions about all books, convents or even the devil.

Thank god there are still movies that make you think and don«t give you all the answers so that you forget just after leaving the theater.

Great scene the one where the "devil" runs through the forest... don't miss it!!!

Great premise: American academic (John Malkovich) and lovely French wife (Catherine Deneuve) travel to Portugal so he can research his theory that Shakespeare was really a Spanish Jew cast out in 1492 or on the run from the Inquisition. He winds up at a disused monastery (not a convent; there is no convent in the movie, despite the title) cared for by Satan worshipers, the viewer subtly becoming aware of this due to a big inverted pentagram hanging in the office of the "guardian" of the monastery, Baltar. Whether Malkovich and Deneuve are aware of this, or care, is unclear. Baltar gets the hots for Deneuve, while Malkovich is thrown together with the lovely young archivist (who seems to be a token non-Satan worshiper), but nothing comes of either pairing. Characters yak at each other, this tedium being broken by the greater tedium of extended silences, and then the yet greater tedium of extended silences with the screen virtually still. Despite the great setup, no gore, no nudity, all very tasteful eurotedium. Inconclusive conclusion. Ninety minutes wasted.