Director: Peter Mullan
Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy, Eileen Walsh, Mary Murray, Britta Smith, Eithne McGuinness

- Reviewed by Vickie

Given its unpleasant subject matter and bleak nature, it's really hard to walk out of this movie and say, "That was great!"

Powerful, yes. Intense, definitely. Moving, you betcha. Scary, yes, at times. But, like Schindler's List, it's a hard film to "love."

The unflinching drama, written and directed by actor Peter Mullan, tells the true story of the Magdalene Asylums, prison-like detention centers run by the Irish Catholic church to punish women who were perceived to be sinners—a term whose definition was stretched far beyond reason. It follows three young women sent to repent within the walls of one such institution: Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff) was raped by a cousin and is blamed for the incident, Patricia (Dorothy Duffy) had a baby out of wedlock and Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone) is believed to possess lusty thoughts about boys. All three are shipped to an asylum, where they are stripped (literally and figuratively) of their dignity, independence and human rights. Emotionally and physically abused by the nuns, the women join the ranks of the penitents—who range in age from teenagers to the elderly—and prepare to spend the rest of their lives doing hard labor, being punished for transgressions they didn't commit.

Led by the terrifying Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan in a deliciously hateful role), the nuns preside over the women like wardens, routinely subjecting their charges to humiliation such as having them stand naked for a contest to see which of them has the biggest breasts, fattest bum, etc. The women, in turn, make attempts at rebellion, but with each effort the audience cringes—knowing of the torture to follow should it fail.

The film, which Peter Mullan says barely touches on the horrors experienced at the asylums, has been condemned by the Catholic church. And it's easy to see why: exposing the disturbing truths about the church's methods of reforming its "sinners" doesn't exactly smack of a winning P.R. campaign. The actresses in the film, who were culled from community theater troupes and the like, are all remarkable, and Nora-Jane Noone (as the fiery Bernadette) stands out for providing much of the film's "oomph." An honorable mention also goes to Eileen Walsh for her poignant portrayal of simple-minded and long-suffering Crispina.

Difficult to watch and not much of a feel-good movie, The Magdalene Sisters nonetheless delivers a sobering look at one of the Catholic church's biggest, and most horrific, mistakes... especially considering the last such asylum was still in operation as recently as 1996 before finally being shut down.

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