'The Little Hours' A Review

The Little Hours is a period comedy set in a medieval Italian convent which loosely follows three nuns Alessandra(Alison Brie),  Fernanda(Aubrey Plaza), and Ginerva(Kate Micucci) as they engage in various levels of debauchery. Tensions run high when Father Tommasso(John C. Riley) brings young hunk Massetto(Dave Franco) in as a handyman.

Out of the three leads Plaza is the stand out, her onscreen presence is always magnetic and she seems to especially relish the foul-mouthed witch-nun she is playing. Micucci also puts in a great turn in her first truly meaty screen role, goofy and unhinged she enlivens scenes and gags which would be rote with another actor. Brie is decent but has to play the most straight laced of the three and as such doesn't have as much play with. Franco is serviceable but as with most of his roles to date his dopey charm only goes so far and has a quality of sameness, he seems unable to reach any emotional or comedic heights. Riley and Molly Shannon(as the Mother Superior) are wonderful, no surprise, but underutilized.

The costumes and setting are all very faithful and contrast well the anachronistic language and humor. The film isn't altogether successful despite its production elements and gleefully manic cast because the story is somewhat rough and meandering. The screenplay could use another edit or two, a distillation. All the elements for a great comedy are there it's just too narratively bloated, despite its brief run time, to be all together successful.

Playful, fun, and delightfully irreverent but lacking needed focus.

Rent It.