Thérèse

It would take a miracle to keep even the most devout filmgoer from being bored out of his God-fearing skull while watching Thérèse, a numbingly innocuous chronicle of real-life French nun Thérèse Martin (Younce) and her elevation to sainthood. Far removed from truly heartfelt cinematic expressions of devotion and sacrifice such as Alain Cavalier's excellent 1986 portrait of the same holy woman, this turgid dramatization lacks any sort of passion, verve or urgency. In his dual capacity as director and actor, Defilippis shows a keen mastery of the bland, infusing every scene with the most obvious and uninspired artistic interpretations possible.