The Little Hours

Summary: It is Italy in 1347. In a convent four young nuns generally misbehave, in what ever limited ways are available to them. Their priest helps a young man who is on the run from the baron, having been engaged sexually with the baron’s wife. They decide he will be the convent’s handy man, but will pretend to be a deaf mute to reduce the nun’s involvement with him.  It also seems possible that that the priest and the mother superior are involved. The young nuns do not seem to be put off by the fact that the handyman is a mute, still getting sensually and sexually involved with him. They also get drunk on communion wine and two of them have a lesbian tryst. Later a bishop visits but is initially unaware of what is happening, however every things comes to a head when the handyman is taken captive with the intention of sacrifices him at a witches coven.

Content: There is non-revelatory sex between all of the young nuns at different times, and the handyman and some actual nudity at the witches coven. The mercurial temperaments of the young nuns are explored. The baron is a boring man who alienates his wife, and apparently only has two armed men working for him, who chase the handyman. The nuns find ways of getting together with Massetto, the handyman. There is the witches coven with naked dancing in the bonfire light. When Massetto is recaptured by the baron the nuns have to find a way of releasing him.

A View: Two of the ladies playing the nuns are married to others involved, one to the director and another to Dave Franco, and apparently their dialogue is improvised. I did not know that but it explains why it is all a bit weird. There are echoes of Monty Python, who made a joke of their lack of fund. It is obvious that The Little Hours has similar limitations, when the bishop arrives, for instance, he just walks in the door. No horse, no entourage, no baggage – and no joke. So every time the limitations show up I expected something to happen, which didn’t. In summary then, it should be fun, but isn’t.

I suppose this is a adult comedy, of which many have been reviewed on this site as I have hoped for a laugh.  Here are three which actually entertained me: Hot Tub Time Machine, Game Night and Horrible Bosses.