Luckystudios

I was able to see the Little Hours at Sundance and loved it. I will be going to see it again when it has its official release. This film is very loosely based on the Decameron by Baccaccio, a collection of 100 short stories written in the mid 1300's. With an amazing cast of comedy talent, great chemistry between all the cast members, spectacular cinematography of the Italian countryside, and a great score, it is something unique to behold.
The story centers around three bored, foul-mouthed nuns Alessandra (Brie), Fernanda (Plaza), and Genevra (Micucci) and their crazy antics. Early on in the film, Massetto (Franco) finds refuge in the convent as a deaf-mute and sparks some some hilarious and sexy interactions with the nuns.
After the first screening I noticed there were others that loved it, and many who were like 'What the hell did I just watch? This is one of those movies that is not for everyone, and the cast and director made sure people knew this. Everyone seemed to have had a hell of a lot of fun making it- and it (really) shows in the interactions in the film.
If you're not easily offended, love quirky, raunchy humor, and love to have a good time, then this film may be for you.

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If you are someone who delights in a parody of religion and piety then this will tickle your pink bits. Laugh out loud moments. A delightful surprise.

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In medieval Italy, a young man takes refuge in a convent after fleeing from his master who wishes him dead after he is caught sleeping with his wife.
Now, this was something a bit different to the norm that's for sure! There really isn't a surfeit of medieval comedies about sweary nuns, so this one is in pretty unfarmed territory in a lot of ways. While the unique set-up is definitely in the films favour, what elevates it so much more is the fact that it is that even rarer beast, a modern cinematic comedy that actually has plenty of laughs. The principal reason for this is a great ensemble cast who all do very good work. John C. Reilly is great as Father Tommasso who gets bevvied nightly on the holy wine, Fred Armisen is very funny as Bishop Bartolomeo who pitches up later only to be aghast at the carry on going on at the nunnery and Nick Offerman is hilarious as the obnoxious Lord Bruno, a man who sports an impressive medieval mullet haircut. But best of all are the trio of nuns, played by Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Kate Micucci. All three actresses put in excellent comic performances in wild portrayals of medieval nuns played like modern day city girls. They swear like troopers, throw turnips at the local handyman and seek sex at every given opportunity, culminating with a night-time witch's ceremony. Seemingly this nonsense is based on The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, although I am sure many liberties must have been taken with the original text. It looks beautiful though with great location cinematography in Tuscany, while it also has a great soundtrack to top it off.
As the old saying goes, this one certainly is not for everyone. Its combination of religion with utterly irreverent humour will rub people up the wrong way for sure, while its bawdy nature will put others off. I personally thought it was a really good laugh though. A comedy film coming at us from a unique perspective. If you are on the look-out for something (a) different and (b) funny then this could be just the ticket.

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EVERYONE in this movie has is repressing their 'dressed roles' and desires an alternate life. Little Hours is more than the antics of foul mouthed nun trio. It is a modern comedy set in 13th century. And what a refreshing modern comedy it is.
The charm of the humour in the movie is that the situations everyone find themselves in. The comedy is less about what is actually being said but the extreme hypocrisy of what we preach against our true desires. Events mostly take place at a convent but religion is never the central message. Little Hours rather exposes crudity of humanity under the neat veils & robes.
None of the acting is really Oscar worthy; they appear almost amateur-like and that is part of the charm. Music in simple and un-intrusive. Story is straight forward but contains pleasant surprises.
Little Hours is not, and probably not intended to be, for general audience. If you like Lost in Translation, Life Aquatic, Nacho Libre, etc., you will love this movie. If you are offended by the religious contents (or lack thereof) in this movie, I recommend watching 'Spotlight' first.

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Loved it. We saw it at the Sydney Film Festival.
The film will struggle to find the audience it deserves because selling a medieval bawdy romp in today's market is difficult. I think back to the 70's and there were many more of these.
The cast is fun and the presence of quality actors such as Nick Offerman and John C Reily show it is not an ultra-low soft-porn production, though the titling could be referencing that at the start.
I saw this at the same weekend as the Beguiled, also about a group of women cloistered who encounter a single male. LH is far more fun and a better use of your time.
Set in Tuscany (no production notes on filming locations) it is prettily shot.
Nudity is not overused, there are a couple of breast shots and the full frontal stuff is in the distance by firelight so hardly tittilating. Nothing that was not done ad nauseum through the 70's

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I really enjoyed watching this movie. Great cast! The chemistry is so good, definitely a new comedy classic.
The pace is perfect and keep me laughing throughout the whole movie. Great location and a beautiful treatment. I would love to see more stuff like this in the future.

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'THE LITTLE HOURS': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
A period comedy about a convent full of sexually deprived nuns, that begin experimenting (for the first time) when a runaway slave takes refuge at the convent. The film is based on the first and second stories in 'The Decameron', a collection of novellas (published in 1886) written by Giovanni Boccaccio. The movie was written and directed by Jeff Baena; who's helmed other indie comedies like 2014's 'LIFE AFTER BETH' and 2016's 'JOSHY' (both also featuring Aubrey Plaza). The film stars Aubrey Plaza (who also served as a producer for the film), Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, Dave Franco, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, Nick Offerman and Paul Reiser. It's received mostly positive reviews from critics, and a limited indie theatrical release at the Box Office. I think it's a hilarious movie!
Alessandra (Brie), Fernanda (Plaza) and Ginerva (Micucci) are three young nuns that are extremely unhappy with their convent life; and they all obviously have much deeper desires. They're so unhappy that they constantly harass men that work at the convent. After an employee (Paul Weitz) quits, due to their constant harassment, a runaway slave, named Massetto (Franco), takes his place; at the suggestion of Father Tommasso (Reilly). Massetto also pretends to be deaf and blind, also due to the priest's suggestion, and the young nuns decide to take advantage of him, in order to explore their sexuality.
Growing up Catholic, I'm always fascinated with movies that deal with religion (and spirituality). This is a very dark, and quite crude, sex comedy; that I'm sure most practicing traditional Catholics would not enjoy. I found it to be hilarious though. It's honestly laugh-out- loud funny for almost it's entire running length, and there's never a bad joke (in my opinion). The cast is all fantastic in their roles, and the subject matter is very interesting (and also quite timely) for almost anyone (even if you've never been to church). It's almost a 5 star movie for me, but not quite. I highly recommend it though.
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This would have made a great 15 minute short on Portlandia or some other show along those lines. Sitting through this movie was pretty painful and the whole plot got old after 30 minutes. The premise of the movie was movie was funny enough, but after a while you just wanted it to end. Skip this one.

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The Little Hours is an indie comedy with an appealing cast and premise that unfortunately is likely to offend more people than it amuses. Allison Brie, Aubrey Plaza and Kate Micucci star as three young novitiates in the Middle Ages. The first two would vastly prefer life away from the isolated convent, and are champing at the bit in various ways. The third is a goody-two-shoes who eagerly tails and snitches on the others for the slightest no- nos. In fairness, she's just as hard on herself, wearing out the confessional priest (John C, Reilly) who must endure her detailed recitations of trivial trespasses.
When a roguish servant (Dave Franco) is caught boinking the wife of a nearby lord (Nick Offerman), he flees in justifiable fear of his life, running into the drunken priest, who was in the midst of his own self-inflicted distress. After helping him recover, they devise a plan. Franco will return to the convent with him, pretending to be a deaf-mute laborer, allowing sanctuary for one, and a relief from the foul-mouthed invectives the young ladies had regularly screamed at the last poor sap who held the job.
That sets up the main theme - sexual curiosity and silly seduction attempts for everyone under 25, and perhaps beyond. When the befuddled bishop (Fred Armisen) arrives for an inspection, he's overwhelmed by the shocking closeted capers in the cloisters.
The film is loosely based on a social and religious satire of that era, Boccaccio's Decameron, which pointed it barbs at hypocrisy and other ills of The Church and The Gentry. Writer/director Jeff Baena seems to have grasped what he wanted to accomplish, but did far better at reeling in a talented cast and finding exceptional locations than in giving them a worthy script to cash in on those preparations. The farcical element of the nuns-to-be flailing about farcically to lose their sexual naivete could have been far more amusing and/or titillating. The shock value of young nuns from long ago cursing like 21st Century punks isn't enough to carry an entire feature.
Baena's best previous script was the wryly comic I Heart Huckabees, which also tried to include intellect-oriented humor. Baena didn't direct that one. He also shared the writing with the more accomplished David Russell, whose credits include wearing both hats for American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. Baena still needs more time on the ascending side of the learning curve, but he's only 40, and seems to be heading in a worthy direction. After all, any guy with a relatively small list of credits who can sign so many gifted comic actors (Paul Reiser, Adam Pally and Molly Shannon, too) must have something on the ball to reward their faith, even if this wasn't necessarily it. Stay tuned..

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How can a DECAMERON TALE be rendered so lifeless, joyless and entirely lacking in healthy bawdry. The note says that the dialog was ad libbed: obviously, none of the cast was up to the job and fell back on insipid comments and over reliance on variations on a common vulgar word rendered meaningless with repetition. Somebody said that this is supposed to be comedy in the style of Monty Python That might convince somebody who's never paid attention to MP's inspired zaniness. I usually have great patience with badly done movies but was bored and walked out after 20 minutes. I know that my response to some things is a function of age. I've been in academic classes with 20 year olds who thought films I dismissed were simply grand. This one is simply dreck.

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Why film a ribald Boccaccio romp now? There's absolutely nothing at all even remotely like it in the multiplexes now. Everything today is Current or Special-Effect Future. So why not a little dabble in the historic. For a change.
That's reason one, and a hint at writer-director Jeff Baena's willingness to take a risk. In the film biz, remember, sequels and rehashes are the sincerest form of flattery — not to mention the safest investment. This film, though, is a unique riff on the medieval not a rip-off.
It's also an interesting experiment. Can you set a story in medieval Italy but keep the dialogue contemporary colloquial (e.g., one nun's 'Shut the f— up!'). Spoiler alert: yes, you can and it works with refreshing brio.
After all, Boccaccio didn't write in any archaic lingo but in his period's colloquialism. That's what Baena does here. The apparent anachronism is true to the original's currency. Its the quote may suggest, it's also great fun.
Which is another reason to revive Boccaccio today : to spring delightfulness upon the dour.
In one plot line a handsome young servant escapes a sadistic lord's revenge for sleeping with the lady of the house. In the other he pretends to be a deaf mute so he can secure work in a convent, where the ladies have vented their frustration by tormenting the male gardener. At the end three nuns rescue their man from the lord's dungeon and return him to his manifold functions at the convent.
The fired priest and the mother superior resume their enriched love as well. Amor vincit omnia. Love (secular, that is, really) conquers all. Especially the cold-hearted prigs.
That bawdy folk-tale works as a corrective to the stolid religiosity of the Dark Ages. One fruit of the Renaissance was to recover humanity and the values of earthly existence, responsibility and pleasure from the repressive throttle of the medieval church.
The archbishop here represents the period's religious orthodoxy. So in his own service does the presiding priest. But the latter is distinguished by his humanity, his instinct to forgive, and his capacity to love more fully than in the ethereal abstract.
And that is what makes this medieval joke so bitingly current. Reviving a Renaissance ribaldry suggests we have yet again the need to fight off the Dark Ages. The monster is back so we need to revive its opponent. This hearty embrace of love and individual liberty implies today's need to deflate an unsympathetic, repressive, non-compassionate religiosity. Of the latter, examples in the Trump presidency abound. This film summons Renaissance humanism to fight that monster again.

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Very smart, and quite funny. The characters are perfectly played by all. Will have to read the Decameron now.

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(RATING: ☆☆ out of 5 )
GRADE: D+
THIS FILM IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A ribald farce whose biggest sin is its unfunny screenplay.
SYNOPSIS: Lustful nuns run rampant in this sex comedy set in the Middle Ages.
JIM'S REVIEW: Bless me father, for we have sinned..big time. In the independent comedy, The Little Hours, little time is spent on subtleties. Shock value is frequent, both in language and in actions, as we meet some nuns who are sexually deviants in the highest order. (Needless to say, many Catholic groups are protesting this film's sacrilegious content.)
Loosely based on The Decameron, Jeff Baena's subversive film takes us behind the walls of a 13th century convent and squarely in the midst of a trio of lustful sisters, Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginerva (Kate Micucci) who are 'beguiled' by a new handyman, Massetto (Dave Franco). He is posing as a deaf mute and in hiding from Lord Bruno (Nick Offerman), who is after him for bedded his wife (Lauren Weedman). The convent and temporary sanctuary is run (or mismanaged) by Sister Marea (Molly Shannon) and Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) and it is coming undone from all of these farcical complications.
One might recommend this film to the most liberally-minded of individuals, but even that is questionable as Mr. Baena squanders his chances by playing up the sexual antics while playing down the real farce. The non-stop profanity and sexual situations could easily offend the more conservatively-based moviegoers just within the first ten minutes of the movie itself. But if you are one of the ribald loving few, who likes their raunchy hi-jinks with a satirical sting, this is your kinda movie. For me, the satire was lost.
The title makes no sense, but then neither does the movie. The film wants to be outrageous and edgy but it never goes far enough, mostly due to a scattershot screenplay that seems more improvised than written. Characters are walking clichés and the plot remains a series of unfulfilled opportunities and comic possibilities.
The Little Hours more often provides groans with a few laughs in-between, mostly due to its nimble cast of players who know their way around a good joke or two (although finding a good joke in this movie is indeed a spiritual quest. But the film cannot sustain its own comic energy and some of the set pieces seem like routine SNL skits rather than well written satire.
Only Ms. Plaza, Ms. Micucci, Mr. Reilly, and Ms. Weedman delivering a few chuckles. Fred Armisen also makes a quick appearance as a visiting bishop and his droll humor in one short scene does registers. Sadly, the talented cast is wasted.
Granted, the director has a small budget, but Mr. Baena has an even smaller vision. As the screenwriter, he rarely builds any comic conflict to the absurd degree it needs to be remotely funny. He also unwisely allows his actors to speak in modern day jargon which becomes labored and their pratfalls are non-existent.
The Little Hours is unfunny and disappointingly dull. It may be the longest hour and a half any moviegoer shall endure..and that is the ultimate sin. The filmmakers should say three Hail Marys and an act of contrition over this dud.

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Let me start by saying that I love most of the cast of this movie, but..I don't love them in this movie.
The acting was terrible, the jokes were for simpletons. I found this to be an excruciating movie to watch, and wish I could have that time back.
I couldn't find one redeeming quality (or even good joke) in the entire movie.

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'The Little Hours' (2017 release; 90 min.) brings the story of a group of nuns in a small convent. As the movie opens, we are reminded it is 'Garfagnana 1347', and we watch as the nuns go about their daily tasks and deal with their frustrations. Meanwhile, the handyman at a nearby castle is found out to be cheating with his master's wife, and as luck would have it, he ends up being hired by the priest running the convent. It's not long before some of the nuns have 'impure thoughts'.. To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: the movie is very loosely based on/inspired by the book 'The Decameron' by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (and source for the infamous 1971 movie of the same name by Pier Paolo Pasolini). Writer-director Jeff Baena takes a couple of the dozens of tales found in that book, and builds a script around it that is intended to showcase several of the actresses playing the nuns, including Alison Brie and Audrey Plaza (the latter also being a co-producer). The handyman is portrayed by Dave Franco (brother of James Franco, and looking remarkably similar). It took my quite a while to get into the flow of the movie, as at first we're not sure what to make of all this (the F-bomb laced outbursts, for one). Is this even comedy? If so, it's certainly one with a heavy twist of semi-absurd Monty Python-inspired comedy. The movie really hits its stride in the second half, where there are some memorable scenes (the 'confession' taken by the priest of the handyman truly is a classic). The priest is played hilariously by John C. Reilly, who seems to revel in this part. Given that I had no idea in the initial 20 min. whether I would even stay through the end of the movie, that is quite remarkable!
'The Little Hours' premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to positive buzz, and so when it finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, it was a given that I would check it our. The Sunday evening screening where I saw this at was attended nicely, somewhat to my surprise. Maybe people will find this a quirky little comedy. For me it was a bit too much all over the map, even if the second half is markedly better than the first half. In any event, I encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

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Obviously Jeff Baena must be well connected in Hollywood to be able to get funding and backing for this awful production. Aside from the poor directing, the acting was horrible. I was very tempted to walk out after the first 20 minutes, but I kept on hoping for something good to happen--and it did: after 90 minutes, it was all over! I was the first one out!

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This movie relies on one gag to keep it going, and that's the nuns and priests not acting like society thinks they should be acting. They drop f-bombs, they have sex, they abuse each other, one's a witch, the mother superior is doing the priest, all in the name of comedy? Hasn't this been done before? The script is an adaptation of a play, which shouldn't be surprising, as the screenwriter hasn't a shred of originality in their brain.

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Several of today's top comedic actors gather to play medieval Italian dress-up in 'The Little Hours,' a loose adaptation from part of 'The Decameron' created by indie comedic filmmaker Jeff Baena ('Life After Beth,' 'Joshy'). Foremost an experiment in bringing contemporary comedic approaches to an unexpected period setting, the film cashes in on some delightfully fresh laughs and bizarre scenarios even though the plot and story largely meanders.
The story's main focus is on three young nuns at a convent, Sister Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), Sister Alessandra (Alison Brie) and Sister Ginerva (Kate Miccuci), each dealing with a myriad of pent up emotions. The catalyst to their wild behavior is the arrival of Massetto (Dave Franco), a servant on the run for sleeping with his master's wife who the convent's priest (John C. Reilly) takes in. Massetto agrees to do labor around the convent for refuge, but must pretend to be deaf and mute so the sisters will leave him alone.
This classic farcical setup provides a launching pad for strange behavior, and the largely improvised scenes have the tone of 'what would 21st century people say and do if they lived in the Middle Ages?' Coming from the mouths of talents including (in addition to the aforementioned) Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Jemima Kirke, Adam Pally and Fred Armisen, a lot of the humor Baena's going for lands. For a film driven way more by comedic concept than story, having the right talent in front of the camera matters. The improvisational and sketch comedy chops of this cast keeps the random, directionless story interesting.
The biggest shortcoming of 'The Little Hours' is that Baena appears to not have anything he wants to say, that there's no purpose behind the film other than to make a comedy that feels fresh and distinctive by using a classic Italian story as a platform for familiar antics. In many ways, that is purpose enough, but it keeps the ceiling fairly low on what 'The Little Hours' can accomplish. Each little scene or comic exchange bares the responsibility of keeping the viewer entertained because we have not investment in the arc of the narrative.
Still, the brilliance of blending really old literary and theatrical tropes and contemporary attitudes leads to a number of worthwhile moments. Baena puts a twist on odd rituals to seduce men, confessionals and even witchcraft. The disconnect between these old practices and how people think today turns into a reliable source of humor throughout the film. Then there are all these supporting actors in the right places to sprinkle in different flavors. If you're a fan of all or most of the names attached to this movie, they are doing what they do best, and that counts for something.
'The Little Hours' tries to hit some dramatic and romantic notes and the film ends in such a way that suggests Baena was hoping some of the notes would strike a chord, but his film is mostly a creative string of good improv and sketch comedy that makes for an easy watch.
~Steven C
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This is by far the worst movie, I have ever sat through.
I thought, I'd give it a shot 'cause of Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offermann aso. But boy was I wrong.. The story was absurd, the acting was off, you never knew with the language if it was medieval or modern-funny-ish or so.. It was just pure awkward and sometimes I even threw up a little 'cause of this BS. I am sorry, but that movie isn't even 'indie-good', it's just plain awful. I don't know how else to express my disgust for that 'shartwork'.
Move on. If you ever consider this movie, it might be better pointing a gun to one's head..

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I don't know if this was a serious movie attempting to be funny or if it was a funny movie attempting to be serious. Having a bunch of nuns toss around the F-Bomb may have seemed amusing around the turn of the century, but it didn't bring any laughs to me. I don't find it funny to see anyone being bullied and insulted, in this case, a peasant being beaten and called a 'Jew'.
Holding a knife to a man's throat and forcing him to perform sexually for two nuns might bring giggles to some while they say: 'oh man what a lucky guy!' is not funny. If the roles had been reversed and it was two priests holding a knife to a woman's neck then I am sure that there would have been a lot more indignation. Rape is rape and there should be no double standards.
Watching Ginerva, played the delightful Kate Micucci, smear blood on her face and getting high on Belladonna was not the least bit funny. In fact, it actually made me sad to see a poor woman subject herself to get the attention of a man.
I'm all for empowering women and removing the veil of the hypocrisy of religion. However, this movie fails in its message to deliver that.
The most depressing thing about this movie is the cast. They aren't your average actors, but great actors. The only thing that made this movie bearable to watch was them. They were wasted in a movie with a terrible script. It comes almost unbearable to watch. I gave this movie three stars because of the actors involved otherwise I would have given it a zero.

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My extensive experience with nuns in grammar school taught me that their sexual repression as it affected us was a life-long gift leaving us to search for the goodness of sex and the secrets of females. Jeff Baena's The Little hours confirms what we always suspected: The younger nuns and postulants actually had firm breasts and world-class hormones.
Handyman Masseto (Dave Franco) hides in a convent in 1347 medieval Italy as a deaf mute (no doubt the way some women consider men anyway). Malaspina Castle would remind you of the iconic castle in Monty Python and The Holy Grail, and their English vernacular evokes the abandon of Mel Brooks' several satires. While the young nuns explore their interest in the forbidden, especially sex of several kinds, the jokes are weak by comparison with Python, Brooks, and even Boccaccio's Decameron, on which this film is loosely based.
Not just the randy nuns and handyman violate the Church's dictates against freewheeling sex, the venerable overseer, Father Tomasso (John C. Reilly), is carrying on with an older nun while listening to the salacious details of the younger nuns' sins in confession. Reilly is always competent displaying a simple man's wonder at the underbelly of the world.
In grammar school a nun shouted me out for holding a girl's hand, calling me a 'dirty thing.' I had more laughs over that kerfuffle than during The Little Hours, where laughs are in limited supply while the parody of sanctimonious medieval religiosity is mildly rich. But not rich enough to eclipse the wit of Python and Brooks.
'I did 12 years with nuns, you know. So I came out of it going, like, 'I think Jesus is all right.' The rest of it I think stinks to the high heavens.' Denis Leary

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The Little Hours is a hilarious and ribald romp involving nuns, priests, laborers and hypocrisy. Though it takes place in the 14th century and features era-appropriate setting and attire, the dialogue and behavior are decidedly modern.
To open the film, three nuns at a convent diligently attend to their daily chores-an innocent beginning. When a polite handyman merely says hello, one of the nuns, Fernanda, lambasts him, 'you f***ing pervert! Don't look at us!' Clearly the unhinged member of the group, Fernanda is played wonderfully by Aubrey Plaza, who seems to have a knack for this sort of thing.
The other two nuns, Alessandra (Alison Brie) and Genevra (Kate Micucci), also deal with their own demons, though without the same raging outbursts. All of them are sexually repressed and desperate for attention, so when a handsome laborer (Dave Franco) shows up, they all aggressively pursue him in their own way.
The introduction of a man into an all-female environment calls to mind themes of The Beguiled. The women compete for his attention, throwing themselves lustily at the poor fella, who is only here because he had to flea his prior post for sneaking around with the owner's wife. He wants to avoid similar trouble here but can only resist for so long.
The plot could easily read as a tragedy if a few tweaks were made. It's an illustration of how fine the line can be between comedy and deep drama.
But, of course, no one would mistake this for a drama. The actors make sure of that. Plaza's ruthless, domineering presence intimidates fellow characters and amuses viewers, who are safe from her wrath. Micucci masterfully plays the smarmy beta, fearful and uncertain of everything. When she finally cuts loose, she's a tornado of libido. Her knack for physical comedy and facial contortions make her the comedy standout of the film. And John C. Reilly's drunken, blubbering priest listens carefully to confessions and gives sage advice but is hiding depravity of his own.
As the plot dives deeper and deeper into exaggerated hypocrisy, it becomes funnier and funnier. The bold and self-assured delivery of its barbs at religion is a clear acknowledgement that it smirks at those who may find the material offensive.
With less capable direction, this movie could have sputtered halfway through. It operates mostly on the strength of one joke, so competent hands at the reigns were necessary to maintain the momentum.
The messages are complex and heavy, but the film approaches with a light touch. It remains hilarious throughout, no matter how ridiculous the events unfolding become.
Loosen up and enjoy this one. It's a riot.

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Not 1970s master of erotica Jesus Franco, of course. It's Dave, finally allowed to act in an age-appropriate role. The Little Hours does follow the classic plot formula, though: a male visitor to a 14th century convent puts the nuns in a tizzy. And as often happens, witches are involved. Hijinks ensue. Could it be worthwhile?
Despite knowing that Fred Armisen is in this film, I decided to watch it anyway, hoping that Brie, Micucci, Plaza, Reilly, and Shannon could make it watchable. And they did. Compared to the old erotica, this is funnier and more entertaining, with good flow and a not unbelievable plot. (As 'nunsploitation' it's our usual American pap, watered down to suit the Puritans. Where is the happy middle ground?) Most of the acting wasn't bad.
But the dialog.. oh good grief. At first, every word from the three female leads jarred the senses: they kept their modern day personas, vocal stylings, and vulgarity level. Eventually you get used to it; it becomes just part of those characters, but that takes time. Reportedly a lot of the dialog was ad-libbed, and it shows. Even so, Franco, Brie, Reilly, and Shannon come across quite naturally. Plaza, too, as a mean and slightly crazy person. But Armisen, and unexpectedly, Offerman, seemed like beginning high school dramatists reading from a teleprompter. Fortunately their roles weren't huge.
It would be too strong to say that Kate Micucci 'made' the show - it's too much a joint effort -- but she raised the enjoyment level several notches higher than it would have been. Such an incredibly annoying, insecure, hanger-on and tattle-tale she plays to perfection! And on belladonna, she's hilarious.
Even with its faults, The Little Hours blows Wondrous Boccaccio (Italy/France, 2015) out of the water as entertainment from The Decameron. And most of the 70s stuff isn't even in the same league, except as erotica. So watch The Little Hours and enjoy it for what it is: it could have been better, but it's not bad at all.

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I loved almost every minute of this movie, from all of John C. Reilly's scenes, to Dave Franco's very descriptive confession of the affair his character to he, to Aubrey Plaza's emo nun moments.
However, the ending is awful! Sure, it's happy, the nuns go and save Dave Franco from being tortured in a dungeon, but it doesn't show them sneaking in or anything, it just cuts to them rescuing him, and it goes off without a hitch. There's no chase scene or anything, they just get away. And then it doesn't wrap the story up it just shows them running off.
Other than that, hilarious movie, definitely recommend it.

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Greetings again from the darkness. It's not often when the obvious comparison to a movie is the classic 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and it's even more unusual for such a film to be making the rounds at festivals (I saw this at Oak Cliff Film Festival) where schedules tend to be loaded with serious and dark subject matter. This outlandish comedy won't be to everyone's taste, as it is profane and at times mean-spirited.
The year is 1347 when writer/director Jeff Baena's story kicks off outside a convent where it takes less than a couple of minutes to realize that these aren't your usual nuns. Profanity spews forth, as does laughter from the audience. Dave Franco plays a servant who has a good reason to flee from his King (Nick Offerman) and agree to a cockamamie plan suggested by the local priest (John C Riley). The plan has Franco working at the convent pretending to be deaf mute, while struggling to decline the advances from the aforementioned warped nuns played by Aubrey Plaza (the director's long-time girlfriend), Alison Brie, Kate Micucci (Unleashed).
Plot is barely an after-thought here, and most of the movie plays like interrelated Saturday Night Live skits. In fact, Fred Armisen and Molly Shannon are part of the ensemble, along with Paul Reiser and Adam Pally. Just as the characters begin to wear a bit thin, a new character is introduced, resuscitating our interest. Each of the actors deliver, but it's Armisen and Micucci who are especially fun to watch, as is Riley's tendency to turn communal wine into a community beverage.
Raunchy medieval comedies filled with debauchery and outrageously misdirected nuns could be classified as a bit of a stretch. However it makes more sense when you learn that Mr. Baena has adapted this from Giovanni Boccaccio's 'The Decameron', and his use of modern day dialogue and attitudes, delivered by an ultra talented comedic cast, makes this one to watch after a particularly rough day or week of work. Expect an altar filled with f-words and blasphemy with a wink. If you are OK with that, you'll likely laugh and enjoy the temporary reprieve from real life … even without any killer rabbits or Knights who say 'ni'.

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