La Niña santa (The Holy Girl)

Halfway through The Holy Girl there is an absolutely gorgeous scene which epitomizes the film's startling utilization of accentuated sound and unconventional pictorial compositions.....The fantastic direction of Lucretia Martel makes The Holy Girl 's audience an active participant in the intricate unfolding of events.....The strange city he has arrived in is full of people who watch the same instrument-less musician perform beautiful music by merely waving his arms....It braces mise-en-scene with intelligen ... Full Review

If Ms. Martel had spent a bit less time with lingering shots, the movie would be better than it is. However, the film does have a relevant and surprisingly effective story. ... Full Review

The Holy Girl" may occasionally frustrate your desire for clarity and order, but in the end it will reward your patience, and you leave the theater in a state of quiet awe. ... Full Review

the purposeful thrust of a movie.... ... Full Review

The film is also made a little more creepy by the theremin music on the soundtrack, courtesy of musician Manuel Schaller.....The performances by the three leads are effective as well, especially newcomer Alche, who really looks like a teen (she's actually in her early 20s).....it is an impressive showing for Argentine filmmaker Martel, who's managed to do Almodovar-type material every bit as well as her mentor..... ... Full Review

The latest in Trinity College's annual Latin American & Iberian Film Festival is a story of budding teen sexuality. "The Holy Girl" tells the story of Amalia, a precocious girl fixated on boys, and the doctors' convention that comes to... ... Full Article

"The Holy Girl," in Spanish with subtitles, holds an emotional torch extremely close to sexual-tension dynamite throughout. Written and directed by Argentina's Lucrecia Martel and executive produced by equally volatile Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, this is the tale of forbidden... ... Full Article

"The Holy Girl", Martel intimately explores the burgeoning sexuality and religious fervor of two teenage girls, Amalia (María Alche) and her best friend, Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg). ... Full Article

Judging by the three gigs held so far, the second year of the Time Out-sponsored Platform debates at the London Film Festival is proving to be even more popular and successful than last year's event. ... Full Article

Argentine hotel where a medical convention takes place, Lucrecia Martel's The Holy Girl conflates the confusion of adolescent desire with spiritual paranoia. When Dr. Jeno (Carlos Belloso) rubs his crotch against the teenage Amalia (Maria Alch?) outside the hotel managed... ... Full Article

By Jeffrey M. Anderson Buy Posters at Moviegoods.com SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: In recent years I've seen several amazing films from Argentina ( La Cienaga , Nine Queens , Bolivia , Suddenly , The Holy Girl , etc.) but... ... Full Article