Le moine

Dominik Moll directs as well as adapts the screenplay alongside Anne-Louise Trividic , being adapted from Matthew G. Lewis' ,now cult , 1796 Gothic novel . The Monk traces the corruption of a 16th Century, pious Capuchin Monk . Madrid, in the seventeenth century . Abandoned at the doorstep of a monastery , a baby was taken and educated by a group of monks headed by Père Miguel (Jordi Dauder) . Left at birth at the gates of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, Brother Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel), raised by the friars, grows up into a preacher admired far and wide for his fervor. Ambrosio is feared for his righteousness and believes he is immune from temptation - until the arrival a strange character . But Satan attempts to tempt Brother Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel) who was left on the door of a Cister Monastery . Ambrosio has been brought up by the Capucin Friars and after becoming a friar himself, he becomes an unrivaled preacher whose sermons draw crowds and earn him the admiration of all , especially a young girl named Antonia (Joséphine Japy) . Ambrosio is a monk who is sexually seduced by a sorceress , a young female named Valerio (Déborah François) in monk's robes . Admired for his extreme rigor and absolute virtue , Ambrosio is certain he is safe from any temptation . But Satan has not said his final word . As pleasures of the flesh incarnated by a young woman devoured his soul . After he has committed a crime , it appears that he will be caught by the Inquisition .

This is a slow-paced , deliberate though magnetic Gothic thriller . A supernatural thriller and sincere attempt to film one of the Eighteenth Century's most readable Gothic Novels . It is a riveting film though boring , waiting to be made from The Monk the classic 18th Century Gothic novel by Matthew Lewis . Anyway, the film is interesting , thematically intriguing , and usually scathing of virtually all institutions and classes , as marvelous cinematography by Patrick Blossier , breathtaking musical score , enjoyable production design , but, for a variety of reasons, it does not quite pull as much punch as it should have . It tells of the downfall of the devout Ambrosio , excellently played by Vincent Cassel , who fulminates about sins of the flesh in hellfire and brimstone sermons only to be tempted by a emissary of the devil masquerading as a monk , a gorgeous young woman well acted by Deborah Francois . Good support cast gives right performance and full of French actors as Josephine Japi , Catherine Mouchet , Roxane Duran and Spanish players as as Jordi Dauder , Javivi and Sergio Mateu who eleven years later shooting ¨Harry , he's here to help ¨ collaborated again with director Dominik Moll in some dream scenes filmed in Almeria , Spain . And special mention the veteran Geraldine Chaplin as L'abbesse . Adequate and atmospheric set design filmed on location in Madrid , Navarra, Girona and Monatery of Santa Creus , Tarragona . Intriguing as well as evocative musical score by several times Oscar nominated Alberto Iglesias .

The motion picture also called Le Moine, was professional though slowly directed by Dominik Moll . He has directed a few movies as Intimacy", "Harry, He's Here To Help" and "Lemming". ¨The Monk¨ is the third adaptation based on the classic novel , the first version was ¨The Monk¨ with Franco Nero , Nathalie Delon , Nicol Williamson directed by Ado Kyrou , including a screenplay by Luis Buñuel , subsequent remake ¨The monk¨ by Paco Lara Palop , starring Paul McGann as Father Lorenzo Rojas , Sophie Ward as Matilde Venegas , Isla Blair as Mother Agueda and Aitana Sánchez Gijin as Sister Ines .

Matthew G. Lewis wrote this cult classic THE MONK in 1796, and while it was a scandalous work at the time it has survived as a window into the depravity of certain orders of the church. It is particularly timely as a film now, released amidst the scandals of the Catholic Church. Dominick Moll transforms this story in to a film so reminiscent of 16th century Spain in deco and costumes (Maria Clara Notari and Bina Daigeler), music (Alberto Iglesias), and atmospheric cinematography (Patrick Blossier) that the few lapses the story takes form the novel simply do not detract from the visual beauty of this film.

The film opens with an old beggar dropping off an infant on the church steps of a Capuchin monastery in 16th century Spain. The friars raise the child, convinced he is a miracle from the Virgin Mary and at age 18 Ambrosio (Vincent Cassell) takes the vows and becomes a sanctified Capucin monk, but not just a monk but also one blessed with righteousness and distance from temptation. Scores come to the monastery to simply see him and have him hear their confession. His beneficence to a young nun (Roxane Duran) who has become pregnant is cancelled by the abbess of the nunnery (Geraldine Chaplin) and evil begins to shroud the film. A young monk Valerio (Déborah François) is brought to the monastery masked to apparently cover the brutal burn wounds on his face, but in actuality Valerio has healing powers, is able to heal Ambrosio's frequent severe headaches, and finally reveals to Ambrosio that there is a women beneath that mask. From this point the near holy monk Ambrosio falls from grace and descends into seduction, depravity, satanic secrets and murder.

Yes, there are lapses in the story that beg explanation but the atmosphere created by the cinematic team and the performances by Vincent Cassell and the rest of the cast more than make this a fine cinematic achievement.

Grady Harp

In December 1595, a baby is left at the Capuchin monastery just outside of Madrid. The monks debated and decided to raise the boy in the monastery. He would become their best orator Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel). The church is packed as his brand of strict faith inspires the congregation. Only his actions may lead him down a thorny path.

Vincent Cassel has a natural intensity. This could have been a very powerful and profound movie. The story is there to put on film. But this movie has little movement. Most of the time, the characters do not move at all. It is all talk, and some of it is confoundingly slow. Other than two or three exchanges, most of the dialog could have been slash in half.

The story is there. If starving a pregnant nun to death in a dungeon cell isn't compelling, then I don't know what is. The problem is everything in between. And the twist is as telegraphed as they come. This could have been a great character study as this man get more outrageous as the movie goes along. Instead, Cassel isn't allow to physically act. There is a good story but this isn't a good film. It's a promise unfulfilled.

Based on the Matthew Gregory Lewis novel published in 1796, the oft-adapted "The Monk" is a cinematic oddity about a 16th Century Spanish friar (the understated Victor Cassel) who's winning souls to Christ despite the fact that he is deep into his own crisis of faith (though the movie takes place in Spain, the dialogue is in French). The screenplay by Dominik Moll (who also directed the film) and Anne-Loiuse Trividic is rich in irony as Friar Ambrosio seeks salvation from the very same people who are seeking it from him. Only, in his case, salvation lies in becoming MORE worldly - particularly in the realm of sexuality - not less so. Raised an orphan in the monastery, Ambrosio is coming to realize that there are aspects of the outside world that his cloistered existence has never allowed him to experience, and that, perhaps, God is reaching out to him with the message that it might not be all that bad for him to give himself over to them.

Many people and factors seem to be conspiring to bring him to this realization, including a woman disguised as a mask-wearing monk (her cover is that she claims to have suffered disfiguring burns to "his" face); a beautiful, innocent young woman who comes to him for spiritual guidance; a pregnant nun; a series of supernatural dreams and visions; a really nasty poisonous centipede, and a strategically placed, crashing gargoyle.

Or is he simply falling prey to the Devil's lies and machinations and trying to find a way to justify rebelling against God?

It takes about half the length of the movie before we are finally hooked into the story, but, once we are, it becomes a powerful dissertation on the struggle between the flesh and the spirit that has defined the human condition for as long as we have inhabited this planet. The overly enigmatic plotting and deliberate pacing that function as distancing devices at the outset of the movie eventually pay off as the movie's theme crystallizes into sharper view.

The book is a very thick one, offering myriad materials, why does it turn out to be like a milk-and-water man? Has D. Moll shot any pilot footage for potential audience to comment? While working on this project, did he still remember MG Lewis's "The Monk" was among the very first Gothic novels in the history of the western literature? Mystery, darkness, suspense are necessary elements, however, the lack of the intensity and the excitement which should be generated by these three makes it less bright. The best treatment or suspense I find thus far is the very slow revelation of the relationship between Ambrosio and Antonia.

Truly, all ingredients are ready: beautiful, poetic visuals, high quality music score, good acting. It is so promising to be more powerful than J-J Annaud's "The name of the rose"! Only, seriously, truly, absolutely… re-editing is definitely imperative. Just a couple of revisions may make the work far much better: 1) more on Valerio and Le débauché for they prove Ambrosio's pride to be wrong, 2) score with Bach's St Matthew Passion and St John Passion or other church music of his on the shots of Frère Iago being struck by a heavy stony object from the façade, 3) adjust the lighting, use more candle light to reflect the darkness to create suspense and mysterious ambiance (I guess that something can be done on the footage/film), 4) re-arrange the storyline order, for example, right at the beginning, put the crow-pecking on the baby and the dead body of Ambrosio together to rouse people's curiosity, 5) more on his demure sermons to exhibit his hypocrisy, 6) close-up shots of Ambrosio's face while he is on the way to drug and rape Antonia, and a couple of other revisions...

While leaving the cinema house, my only comment: the editor is too lazy or busy to think. I for sure will be 100% happy to see the re-edited version if there will be one.