Who knew that Irish-Catholic nuns could be like Nurse Ratchett?

Raise your hand if you wish you could pay for your sins by living a mundane, abused existence in an Irish Penitential Asylum ran by sex starved, uptight nuns? No one? What a shocker.
The Magdalene Sisters is a powerful movie about the penitential asylum system that was in place in Ireland from the 1880's until the final closing of one such center in 1996. It chronicled the lives of three women (Bernadette, Margaret and Rose) who were forced into an asylum for "wayward" behavior that shamed your family (and of course, went against Catholicism). Bernadette, who lived in an orphanage, was caught talking to boys through a fence. Margaret was raped by her cousin. Rose had a baby boy out of wedlock. Their embarrassed families and the orphanage sent them off to St. Magdalene's Asylum to be under the care of Nurse Ratchett type nuns. All I can say, is that either: A) These nuns did not get enough fiber B)Celibacy isn't all its cracked up to be C)Irish-Catholic nuns in the 1960s had a secret S&M culture going on or D) all of the above.
The women at this institution were forced to wash clothes in scalding water all day, clean the Asylum, sustain severe beatings, be humiliated while naked in the shower, not have any contact with the outside world, and give sexual favors to the priests. They were desperate to escape. The only way you were legally free from the institution was if a male relative came to collect you. Margaret was lucky enough to have her brother collect her. Bernadette and Rose escaped - thanks mostly to Bernadette's determination and crazed, fearless behavior as they made their way out.
This would make a great film if you have a film club (i.e.- Carmella Soprano style) or you are in a poignant film mood. The intensity of the film is, in large part, captured by the cinematography (and of course the amazing acting). It could be a "date night" film - especially if you would like to test the analytical capacity of you S.O. Otherwise, keep it as a film to watch with your arthouse movie friend(s). We all have one (or more) that is more than happy to head to the indie film theatre to catch a flick. So add it to your Netflix rental queue today.

I think the next film I shall review will be Lost In Translation. Everyone knows I love it, but I think a formal review is necessary to illustrate why I love it.

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