AMATEUR

Noir intrigue and philosophical comedy intertwine unexpectedly in Hal Hartley’s tender film, which is part of the rebirth of the 1990s American indie cinema. In this breathtaking tour-de-force performance, Isabelle Huppert portrays an ex-nun turned writer of erotic literature (her namesake), who believes that the Virgin Mary has instructed her to intervene in the destiny of a troubled porn star. Her path crosses that of Thomas, a handsome amnesiac she encounters in the street, sweeping them both into a bizarre chain of ethical dilemmas, desire, and absurd violence. Amateur, which had its premiere at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight, showcases Hartley’s signature balancing act between irony and compassion, delivering one of Isabelle Huppert’s most moving performances in English. A hilarious yet simultaneously melancholically pensive approach to sin, salvation, and reinvention, drawing from Godard’s cinematic universe.