The Novice

Lauren Hadaway's debut feature is what you'd expect to see if you zoomed into those rowing scenes during The Social Network and applied the Black Swan treatment to them.

Inspired by Hadaway's own experiences as a rower, the movie tells the story of Alex Dall, a college student who is driven close to self-destruction by her boundless ambition to gain a spot on the varsity rowing team. There's only drips of who Alex is beyond her all-consuming desire for improvement, a frame of mind that leaves little room for social niceties and personal growth.

It's going to feel like your being beaten to a pulp, while traversing flurries of intense montages, frequently contrasted by sweet tunes of the 60s. Hadaway's experience in the sound department goes a long way to articulate the inner life of the movie and its lead, the latter so vicariously portrayed by Isabelle Fuhrman.

There is this ultimate sense that Alex is not fighting against herself, or even against her teammates, but rather against the whole world - one where however good you are, there's bound to be many, many people who are simply better. A fight you can (almost never) win.

Definitely one of the best debuts of the year.

I like films about people becoming obsessed with something. I think there's something fascinating about the concept of putting every bit of energy you have into achieving or obtaining something. 'The Novice' takes a topic that has zero interest to me, rowing, and made me interested in it. That's no easy task and something the film should be commended for.

The biggest problem the film has is that it feels very flat. There aren't the usual ups and downs most films have. The highs and the lows. There are little annoyances or triumphs here and there but they are fleeting and don't really have an impact. Also isn't always a clear narrative to the film. Where we are going and what is trying to be achieved isn't always clear. It can create a sense of pointlessness.

What I liked about the film though was that it felt motivational. It was inspiring and it got me interested in something I wasn't before. I'm a little torn on where I stand with this one. I'll settle on a generous 7/10.

This film authentically illustrates the struggles that rowers experience and that obsession and perfection, can sink the the boat before you cross the finish line. Isabelle's performance is elevated by her dedication and believability as the novice.

Alex is a college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost.

'The Novice' is an incredibly engrossing film, I would compare it to stories set on obsession, search for perfection, and competition, like Black Swan or Wihiplash.

Lauren Hadaway did a great job with this directorial debut creating a very tense and engrossing environment for the story to develop. Alex clearly shows signs of OCD, with actions that depict her intrusive thoughts, her obsessions which drive her to compulsion in her sport, and Hadaway captures it in a hectic and intense ways, you really feel like you are in her brain. The cinemanography is fantastic, the landscapes and the close-ups are some of my favourite elements of it capturing both the isolation and the overwhelming nature of Alex's compulsion.

Isabelle Fuhrman is great as the lead, she an actress I haven't follow as much since her debut in Orphan, but I will definitely check out what she has been up to in the last few years. Her characters is complex, you feel sorry for her, you cheer for her as you meet other characters because you empathize with the story she is telling you, even understanding the destructive nature of her behaviour... but there is a lot more to more to it than you expect from the start.

Maybe I expected a more tragic or explosive ending for the type of story, but I am glad the writer took a more realistic approach to the story.

Highly recommend this film.

This is a dark thriller about the plunge into darkness caused by an incessant fortitude to be the best at all costs. Director Lauren Hadaway does a terrific job balancing the competing conflicts of the story, giving a movie that paces well and keeps viewers invested in the film. Lead actor Isabelle Fuhrman delivers an sensational performance, convincing in all the right ways. This film has several thematics very similar to Black Swan, from psychosexual to self-harm; thus would absolutely recommend The Novice to anyone who enjoyed Black Swan.