The Holy Girl (2004)
Martel intimately explores the burgeoning sexuality and religious fervor of two teenage girls, Amalia (Alche) and her best friend, Josefina (Zylberberg). Artfully piecing together a mosaic of nuanced details, fragments of sounds, and small moments, Martel creates a potent and specific portrait of adolescent life. (Lita Stantic Producciones SA)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Lucrecia Martel
Written By: Lucrecia Martel, Juan Pablo Domenech
Starring: Mía Maestro, Mercedes Morán, Julieta Zylberberg, Arturo Goetz, María Alche, Marta Lubos, Carlos Belloso, Alejandro Urdapilleta
Genre: Drama
AKA: La Niña Santa
Country: Argentina, Italy, Netherlands, Spain
Where to Stream
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The Holy Girl belongs to 24 collections
1. Female Directors (collaborative: moderated by djross - 90 stars)
2. 21st Century Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 49 stars)
3. Harvard University's Suggested Film Viewing List: Narrative Films (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 12 stars)
4. He Who Strays Discovers New Paths (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 10 stars)
5. Religion (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 8 stars)
6. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2010) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)
7. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2012) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)
8. Cinema Tropical top Latin American films of 2000-2009 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 5 stars)
9. South America (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 4 stars)
10. Sight & Sound's Films of the Decade (00-09) (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 3 stars)
11. 501 Movie Directors (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 3 stars)
12. Coheed's Films I Need To See Or Try To Track Down (public: Coheed - 3 stars)
13. Cannes 2004 Official Selection (collaborative: moderated by djross - 2 stars)
14. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2011) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)
15. Super Champion Film Zone top 100 of 21st century (public: snallygaster - 2 stars)
16. A Year of Essential Cinema (collaborative: moderated by Ibetolis1 - 1 star)
17. films mentioned in Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema ~p~ (collaborative: moderated by 5Z5qjRCfM2 - 1 star)
18. TSPDT Top 150 Most Acclaimed Films of the 21st Century (2017) (collaborative: moderated by arrow-s)
19. SFIFF 2005 (public: citrusboy)
20. us-tv McD 101 from the 2000s (public: timxyz)
21. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 3 (public: PeaceAnarchy)
22. List: Filmspotting Ratings Project - Communal Watchlist (public: KasperL)
23. Latin American Cinemas: Local Views and Transnational Connections (public: ComradeSolar)
24. 42nd Portland International Film Festival (2019) ? (public: 5Z5qjRCfM2)
Browse the full list of collections
| Date | User | Rating | |
| Dec 20, 2017 |  |
Moribunny | 70 75th |
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At the center of the film is an improper relationship between a grown man and a young girl, but Martel presents a surprisingly nuanced view of power relations, somewhat reminiscent of Breillat if perhaps not quite as provocative. The patchwork plot is sometimes a little hard to follow, but tantalizingly concise for the most part. A good movie.
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| Apr 08, 2014 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 68 20th |
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The style is intriguing, as is some of the subject matter, but I don't find myself interested in the same things Martel is and as such a lot of it feels tedious and repetitive. The way she creates a closed of world from one-dimensional characters also annoys me.
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| Jan 18, 2013 | Nepeta | 90 90th |
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A tale of sexual awakening. Of a child's eyes misinterpreting a threat as a sign from God. Of Hitchcockian levels of suspense created so easily with a claustrophobic feel amplifying every glance, an ambiguity suggesting so many possibilities and thus so many things that could happen - does she genuinely feel this is her God-given duty? Or is she doing this because she is attracted to him? Or both? What is he going to do? Is she at danger stalking him?
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| Sep 26, 2012 | pzingg | 93 86th |
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I can't say I understood any of it, but I could feel all of it. Terrific plotting, editing, and the crowded framing of fascinating faces, especially those of Mercedes Moràn and Mónica Villa.
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| Nov 25, 2010 |  |
SlantMag | 30 78th |
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"Martel can't exactly be called a horror film director, but I can't think of another filmmaker currently working in the genre with her knack for tension." - Ed Gonzalez
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| Apr 04, 2010 | Jazzaloha | 75 86th |
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interesting coming-of-age story--particularly in the way the film merges vocational calling with awakening sexuality.
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| Nov 15, 2009 |  |
ronthedog | 81 57th |
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Powerful drama about desire, repression and morality. Beautifully understated.
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| Mar 15, 2008 |  |
amerigo | 90 95th |
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At first I was deeply disappointed by the incomplete, meandering nature of the film, but then I realized the genius of the technique. It is a repressed climax--repressed not by religion but by conventional morality. That sort of repression ensures that each moment and nuance feels more intense than the most emotionally manipulative drama. The tension left me squirming in my seat until the very end. I left the film wondering just where do we draw the line between sexual liberty and perversion.
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| Average Percentile 57.82% from 222 Ratings |  |