La novena

I saw this film about a year ago, and I found it very good. Not because of the action, but because of the introspection it causes. Élise Guilbert was outstanding in her role, as was Patrick Drolet. Bernard Émond didn't make a movie for a specific demographic, which is becoming more and more common even here, he wrote a movie about something that matters to him. Even though he is an admitted atheist, his movie revolves around the first of the three theological virtues, that of faith, and how it can be misplaced, misjudged, and yet so ingrained in our heritage.

The movie didn't try to play on clichés, nor did it try to explain and justify everything. It simply tells a good story, and Élise Guilbert will be back in the third film of the triptychch, the second one, CONTRE TOUTE ESPÉRANCE, is coming out on August 17th, and deals with Hope. I look forward to seeing it.

I saw this film at the 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Élise Guilbert is fascinating as Jeanne and Patrick Drolet delivers a fine performance as François in this very serious and somber drama but I found how the way they came together to be a little implausible. I got the St.Anne-grandmother-savior parallel connection right away in the film and felt it was unnecessary for the film to point out it out to me later on in the film. I found myself predicting the ending about halfway through the film. This movie is really slow in parts that seem to drag on. The script is a little weak as is the dialog. I liked the story and the premise of the film but felt it could have been done a little differently. I would rate it a 6.5 or possibly a 7.0 but wouldn't go out of my way to see it twice.

La Neuvaine won 3 awards in Italy last august, including a well deserve acting award for Patrick Drolet. Elyse Guilbault should have won also. Very slow pace movie. We witness the meeting of a religious young man and a woman doctor who does not believe in God. She wants to commit suicide, he wants his grand-mother to survive her terminal illness. The acting is superb. A well written script and a beautiful cinematography help us not to forget a thought provoking film. I went to see the film with friends and we talked about it at least an hour long after the viewing. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves in Canada, the States and the world.

I saw this movie as part of a test group.

I found the story to be very interesting but, personally, I do not enjoy movies where you see the actors thinking out loud while you do not see any action at all.

In this movie there are several instances where this happens and I find this annoying.

However the actors are very good and the scenery is also quite beautiful.

In the movie "Birth" with Nicole Kidman there is the same kind of thinking out loud that occurs and it is very annoying.

This film will appeal to a certain kind of audience.

I enjoyed very much this story about Jeanne and François: a story with quite short dialogues but with a great intensity.

On one side we see François who lives with his grandmother who is ill (her heart is weak)and François goes to the church and dedicates a novena to Saint Anne for the health his grand mother.

On the other side we see Jeanne, a physician who has has lost her, is a caring woman but is suffering from a great depression.

Then at the shores of river Jeanne, quite desperate, is looking at the river. François arrives with in his pickup,is eating a sandwich and is looking at the strange lonely woman. He decided to talk with her and toprotect her against the cold, later he buys for him and for her a meal:only some words betweeen them. Little by little François will meet again Jeanne at the shores of the river and will care for her.

A sober and touching story about the faith, about the respect and finally about the gratitude.

I enjoyed the performances of Elise Guilbault, Patrick Drolet, Claude Binet, Lise Castonguay, Pierre Colin,Stéphane Demers, Denise Gagnon and Paul Hébert.