The Nun

Suzanne (Pauline Étienne), a 16-year-old girl from a respectable family, finds her love for Christ turned against her in this absorbing adaptation of Denis Diderot's 18th-century novel (previously adapted by Jacques Rivette in 1966). Director Guillaume Nicloux's The Nun begins in 1763 when Suzanne's parents send her to a monastery (her sisters are married, and Suzanne has no prospects). Suzanne assumes this is a temporary arrangement, but her mother and father pressure her to stay, more for financial than religious reasons. When called upon to take her vows, however, Suzanne declines, which leads Suzanne's mother (Martina Gedeck) to offer a more personal reason for Suzanne to reconsider. The Mother Superior (Françoise Lebrun) is kind to Suzanne, but when circumstances change, the convent turns against Suzanne, who suffers from fainting spells. While convalescing, Suzanne keeps a journal, hoping that someone will eventually see it and offer her assistance. But for stealing pen and paper, the new Mother Superior (Louise Bourgoin) deprives and humiliates her, which in turn only encourages more subterfuge. Also featuring Isabelle Huppert, this is a solid drama anchored by a riveting performance from Étienne. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)