The Holy Girl
(HBO Films)

Set in Argentina, most of the action of The Holy Girl takes place in a hotel run by Freddy and his sister Helena, whose teenage daughter Amalia, attends a parochial school and studies Catholicism with her friend Josefina. In school, the two teens are taught that they need to find a “vocation” to bring them closer to God. A convention of physicians check into the hotel and one afternoon while pausing to listen to a theremin player perform in a shop window, Dr. Jano has an encounter with Amalia when he rubs up against her from behind, leaving her confused and aroused. Later, when Helena meets the doctor, she flirts and attempts to seduce him, unaware of his “relationship” to her daughter, who has become obsessed with her own sexual awakening. Amalia believes that her “vocation” is the redemption of the good doctor and begins to stalk him in the hopes of repeating their encounter. Juicy!

Produced by Pedro Almodovar, The Holy Girl was written and directed by Lucrecia Martel, one of Spain’s most creative new filmmakers. She’s adept in getting her actors to express feelings of loneliness and desire with just a look, or the slightest of gestures. The film also benefits from a distinctive script and a strong cast of actors who fall into their roles naturally. --David Bassin