"A very creative and atmospheric picture, which certainly makes you think..."

Based on the gothic novel of the same name by British author Matthew Lewis, The Monk is set in Spain, by a German director and has a French cast, covering the universal theme that is religion. In theory, this is a film that should appeal to a rather wide audience.

Set in 17th century Madrid, Vincent Cassel plays Ambrosio, a monk that had been abandoned at the doorstep of a monastery when just a baby, and raised by Capucin Friars. He grows up to become a much respected preacher, gaining almost celebrity-like status in the church, admired by all. Ambrosio is self-assured and full of virtue, yet that soon changes once Valerio (Déborah Francois) joins the monastery.

Ambrosio's religion and restraint is tested as his sexual desires kick in, as he begins a sexual affair with the young woman, who has had to wear a mask to hide her female identity. From that point onwards Ambrosio spirals out of control as he finally encounters the young girl (Joséphine Japy) that had been a recurring figure in his dreams for quite some time. Unable to grant forgiveness to others for similar sins, will the hypocritical Ambrosio manage to forgive himself for going against his beliefs and giving in to temptation? Director Dominik Moll has played on the religious themes within the film to great effect, creating a serene yet eerie atmosphere - a similar ambience to that which a church emanates. Such an atmosphere is created in the slow-burning nature to the film, as well as the supernatural edge Moll has induced. The music is also very traditional of Catholicism, which despite it's tranquillity, does sound rather haunting.

Despite being a period drama, The Monk does feel almost timeless as religion remains theoretically the same now as it did 400 years ago in certain parts of the world, revelling in tradition. The story of one man's battle with his own judgement and natural human instincts is also somewhat timeless, as a similar theme is explored in the recent and contemporary production Shame.

The greatest feature to The Monk is Moll's use of visuals. He uses colours very effectively, as at points the film is very dark and shadowy, and at others it is incredibly bright and vibrant, almost depicting a contrast between heaven and hell, nightmares and dreams - effectively the two sides to Ambrosio's demeanour and fragile state of mind. Despite the intriguing and unique use of colour, Moll's experiments with his shots is a little too much, as despite the interesting transparent scenes where two separate sequences play over one another, he includes a Looney Tunes-esque black circle fade out a few too many times, which simply appears unnecessary and unsuited to the film.

However despite the imaginative use of imagery which helps in creating the harrowing and archaic atmosphere, the story isn't strong enough, and despite the potential for it to be fascinating, it just fails to completely engross its audience. It's also stuck inbetween genres, as it's difficult to tell exactly what Moll is hoping to achieve. It's got elements of the horror genre to it, as well as romance, thriller and drama, yet due to not specialising in any single one it leaves The Monk somewhat indefinable. 

Most of the horror comes early on via Valerio, who is terrifying when behind the alarmingly expressionless mask. Cassel is also absolutely brilliant as our lead, as captivating to watch on screen as he always is. It's a different role for him but one that suits him completely. He has a real likeability which makes his role as a much celebrated and revered preacher seem perfectly justifiable. He also has a quite intimately hands-on acting style, evident within Black Swan, which also helps his role when Ambrosio becomes obsessed with sexual thoughts.

The Monk is a very creative and atmospheric picture, which certainly makes you think. Yet unfortunately for Moll it's substance fails to match its style which truly prevents it from being the classic thriller it set out to be.