Mother Henriette runs a tight ship at St Mary of the Resurrection.
The lives of the nuns are strictly governed both in and out of the convent. From chastising them for any infraction to commanding them to avert their gaze with military precision, Mother Henriette sees all and blasts all.
They live such a regimented existence that they even coordinate their doctors’ appointments. To be exact, they get one group visit every two years, to minimise contact with the outside world.
It is during this routine check-up that Sister Lucie finds out she is in early menopause. A flippant comment from the doctor triggers something in her and her moment to catch some fresh air results in her unwittingly taking a bus into the city.
A panicky call to Mother Henriette leads Sister Lucie to the local police station for help. While she is there, she finds a wanted poster featuring her teenage sweetheart, Sebastien. She impulsively decides that he couldn’t possibly have committed the crime and she takes it upon herself to redeem him.
This kicks off a mad race around France to find Sebastien – with Mother Henriette right on her tail.
As one can imagine, twenty years of a reclusive existence increases the difficulty level of Sister Lucie’s urban quest.
Most of the comedy is centred around her catching up on world events and new gadgets. It was amusing watching Sister Lucie’s misadventures with newfangled tech – who knew a hand-dryer could cause so much chaos? I also snickered when she discovered God on her phone (although, given our reliance on Siri and AI to answer all our questions, maybe it’s not too far off from reality).
There are also moments of hilarity in her interactions with a myriad of people, from all walks of life. They each contribute to her character development
It isn’t all laughs though. There are introspective moments when the lens focuses on Sister Lucie’s past. We learn of Sister Lucie’s motivation. When Sister Lucie meets Sebastien, we are hopeful.
However, the ending just didn’t hit the spot. After over an hour of investment into Sister Lucie’s romantic past, the payoff was a pittance. I was not expecting any of the romcom cliches but the conclusion just felt like a hastily finished affair. It was almost as if the film maker realised that the only had ten minutes of film left.
The ending also completely contradicts Mother Henriette’s already established street wise, tough cookie character.
I already couldn’t fully fathom one of Mother Henriette’s decisions in the movie. It seemed at odds with her character; a sudden and not entirely justified decision.
But to completely remove her harshly discerning nature was just odd.
Fluffy ending and questionable change of heart aside, A Nun in the City is still an entertaining watch. Just sit back and watch it at face value.
A Nun In the City is showing at the Alliance Française French Film Festival from 19th March until 13th April