I won’t go so far as to call Paul Verhoeven “underrated,” but we, collectively, don’t talk enough about how many must-see movies he’s made. Soldier of Orange, The Fourth Man, RoboCop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Showgirls, Starship Troopers, Elle — Verhoeven directed them all, and they’re all great. His new film, Benedetta, must be great, too, because it’s an official selection at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Based on the non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun In Renaissance Italy, Benedetta is about a nun in the 17th century, played by Virginie Efira (she was in Elle, but more importantly, she’s the French voice of Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania movies), who has an affair with another nun. The drama also stars Charlotte Rampling, Daphné Patakia, Lambert Wilson, and Olivier Rabourdin.
Verhoeven’s long-time co-writer, Gerard Soeteman, distanced himself from the project, believing it was too focused on the more lurid aspects of the story. “She is a lesbian and knows how to get a lot of people behind her with her machinations,” he said. “For me, it was not about the sexual relations of this genius woman, but about the political constellation in which she moved. If you omit that element and just think, ‘Hmmm, lesbian, how nice,’ then I’ll serve you, I don’t find that acceptable. I am so against what Paul wants to make of it.” Watch the (slightly NSFW) trailer above.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
In the late 15th century, with plague ravaging the land, Benedetta Carlini joins the convent in Pescia, Tuscany, as a novice. Capable from an early age of performing miracles, Benedetta’s impact on life in the community is immediate and momentous.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from July 6-17.
