Several of today's top comedic actors gather to play medieval Italian dress-up in "The Little Hours," a loose adaptation from part of "The Decameron" created by indie comedic filmmaker Jeff Baena ("Life After Beth," "Joshy"). Foremost an experiment in bringing contemporary comedic approaches to an unexpected period setting, the film cashes in on some delightfully fresh laughs and bizarre scenarios even though the plot and story largely meanders.
The story's main focus is on three young nuns at a convent, Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), Sister Alessandra (Alison Brie) and Sister Ginerva (Kate Miccuci), each dealing with a myriad of pent up emotions. The catalyst to their wild behavior is the arrival of Massetto (Dave Franco), a servant on the run for sleeping with his master's wife who the convent's priest (John C. Reilly) takes in. Massetto agrees to do labor around the convent for refuge, but must pretend to be deaf and mute so the sisters will leave him alone.
This classic farcical setup provides a launching pad for strange behavior, and the largely improvised scenes have the tone of "what would 21st century people say and do if they lived in the Middle Ages?" Coming from the mouths of talents including (in addition to the aforementioned) Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Jemima Kirke, Adam Pally and Fred Armisen, a lot of the humor Baena's going for lands. For a film driven way more by comedic concept than story, having the right talent in front of the camera matters. The improvisational and sketch comedy chops of this cast keeps the random, directionless story interesting.
The biggest shortcoming of "The Little Hours" is that Baena appears to not have anything he wants to say, that there's no purpose behind the film other than to make a comedy that feels fresh and distinctive by using a classic Italian story as a platform for familiar antics. In many ways, that is purpose enough, but it keeps the ceiling fairly low on what "The Little Hours" can accomplish. Each little scene or comic exchange bares the responsibility of keeping the viewer entertained because we have not investment in the arc of the narrative.
Still, the brilliance of blending really old literary and theatrical tropes and contemporary attitudes leads to a number of worthwhile moments. Baena puts a twist on odd rituals to seduce men, confessionals and even witchcraft. The disconnect between these old practices and how people think today turns into a reliable source of humor throughout the film. Then there are all these supporting actors in the right places to sprinkle in different flavors. If you're a fan of all or most of the names attached to this movie, they are doing what they do best, and that counts for something.
"The Little Hours" tries to hit some dramatic and romantic notes and the film ends in such a way that suggests Baena was hoping some of the notes would strike a chord, but his film is mostly a creative string of good improv and sketch comedy that makes for an easy watch.
~Steven C
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The story's main focus is on three young nuns at a convent, Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), Sister Alessandra (Alison Brie) and Sister Ginerva (Kate Miccuci), each dealing with a myriad of pent up emotions. The catalyst to their wild behavior is the arrival of Massetto (Dave Franco), a servant on the run for sleeping with his master's wife who the convent's priest (John C. Reilly) takes in. Massetto agrees to do labor around the convent for refuge, but must pretend to be deaf and mute so the sisters will leave him alone.
This classic farcical setup provides a launching pad for strange behavior, and the largely improvised scenes have the tone of "what would 21st century people say and do if they lived in the Middle Ages?" Coming from the mouths of talents including (in addition to the aforementioned) Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Jemima Kirke, Adam Pally and Fred Armisen, a lot of the humor Baena's going for lands. For a film driven way more by comedic concept than story, having the right talent in front of the camera matters. The improvisational and sketch comedy chops of this cast keeps the random, directionless story interesting.
The biggest shortcoming of "The Little Hours" is that Baena appears to not have anything he wants to say, that there's no purpose behind the film other than to make a comedy that feels fresh and distinctive by using a classic Italian story as a platform for familiar antics. In many ways, that is purpose enough, but it keeps the ceiling fairly low on what "The Little Hours" can accomplish. Each little scene or comic exchange bares the responsibility of keeping the viewer entertained because we have not investment in the arc of the narrative.
Still, the brilliance of blending really old literary and theatrical tropes and contemporary attitudes leads to a number of worthwhile moments. Baena puts a twist on odd rituals to seduce men, confessionals and even witchcraft. The disconnect between these old practices and how people think today turns into a reliable source of humor throughout the film. Then there are all these supporting actors in the right places to sprinkle in different flavors. If you're a fan of all or most of the names attached to this movie, they are doing what they do best, and that counts for something.
"The Little Hours" tries to hit some dramatic and romantic notes and the film ends in such a way that suggests Baena was hoping some of the notes would strike a chord, but his film is mostly a creative string of good improv and sketch comedy that makes for an easy watch.
~Steven C
Thanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more