The Daily Stream: ‘The Little Hours’ Is A Sweet Slice Of Blasphemy
By Danielle Ryan/Aug. 5, 2021 3:45 pm EST
After Massetto arrives at the convent, all three nuns try to seduce him one by one. It’s a ridiculous comedy of errors as the sheltered, inexperienced nuns explore their sexuality. Sister Fernanda’s friend Marta (Jemima Kirke) shows up, bringing even more mischief with her. The nuns sneak out some of the communion wine for a night of partying in their room that leads to some mind-opening experimentation for Ginerva, who thinks she might be a lesbian. Each character wants something more from life, and Marta’s free spirit inspires them to chase their dreams.
Alessandra initially longs for a husband and a family, but soon sets her sights on Massetto. Brie and Franco are married in real life, and the chemistry between them onscreen is apparent. It’s hard not to root for these star-crossed lovers to get together, even as the rest of the convent goes crazy around them. Fernanda’s greatest desire is for her own agency, which is why she’s so willing to run into the woods and practice witchcraft with Marta. Ginerva just wants to be accepted for who she is, despite the fact that she’s a Jewish lesbian pretending to be a Catholic Wife of Christ. Even the elders in the convent want more, as Father Tommasso and the head nun, Mother Marea (Molly Shannon), are having a secret, torrid affair. No one in the convent is happy, because none of them are being true to themselves.
The Catholic League called The Little Hours “pure trash”, but they’re completely off-base. The Little Hours is certainly horny and vulgar, but at its core, it’s a story of finding happiness through our connections to other people. In the end, the three young nuns are brought closer together by their experiences, and they eventually risk life and limb to save Massetto when he’s returned to the vile Lord Bruno. The ending is a celebration of joy as each of the formerly repressed characters finally gets what they’ve been longing for all along.
The Little Hours feels even more potent now than it did when it was released in 2019. It’s easier than ever to sympathize with these characters, trapped in close quarters together in unusual circumstances. All of us can identify with Alessandra at least a little when she complains to Massetto: “It’s not fair! You’re stuck here with all these bitches, and so am I.”
On top of the comedy and heartwarming story, the beautiful vistas of the Italian countryside are like a mini-vacation you can take on your couch. The cinematography by director of photography
Quyen Tran, who also shot the gorgeous time-loop comedy Palm Springs, is absolutely stunning. The Little Hours is as phenomenal to look at as it is funny.
Above all, the laughs are the real selling point. The humor in The Little Hours is somewhat absurdist, relying in part on the juxtaposition of modern dialogue with an antiquated setting. These comedy greats know exactly how to manipulate that to make it funny instead of jarring. Offerman steals every scene he’s in, whether he’s complaining about the neighbors in a nearby castle or telling Massetto in vulgar detail how he plans to torture him. You can really tell the folks who made this movie had fun making it, and that joy is infectious. The Little Hours is one of my go-to pick-me-up movies for a reason: it’s a little slice of blasphemous heaven.
