La priere (2018)

Directed by: Cedric Kahn | 107 minutes | drama | Actors: Anthony Bajon, Damien Chapelle, Alex Brendemühl, Louise Grinberg, Hanna Schygulla, Antoine Amblard, Maïté Maillé, Magne-Håvard Brekke, Iñaki Aguirre, Birane Ba, Lucas Barraud, Colin Bates

What is the best way to get rid of a serious addiction? The French arthouse film ‘La prière’ by Cédric Kahn does not provide a conclusive answer, but it does show a tried and tested method. We meet young Thomas (Anthony Bajon) on his way to a monastery. His face is broken and the look in his eyes already tells the viewer that he was not the innocent victim of senseless violence on the street. Thomas is not a sweetheart. In the monastery, where he comes to kick his heroin addiction, he has to hand in all his possessions. The monastery is beautifully situated in the French Isère, but Thomas does not get the time to enjoy the natural beauty around him. It is hard work and the interaction with the inmates is intense.

On the one hand, that’s nice, because like all the other boys who just arrive at the monastery, Thomas is assigned an attendant who was once in the same boat as the newcomer. We have already gone through all the stages and no one understands better what it feels like to kick cold turkey, what it is like to be cut off from the outside world and to pray a lot, a lot. But on the other hand, Thomas doesn’t feel at home there, because there is no such thing as five minutes to yourself. This escalates into a huge rage, after which the boy runs off like a loose cannon.

His absence from the monastery doesn’t last long, of course, as Kahn keeps the story short. For example, we don’t see anything about Thomas’s past, so we don’t know his background and everything you think you know about him is based on assumptions. We see Thomas grow slowly, feel better about himself, and even take on the role of supervisor. He even seems obsessed with the faith, memorizing psalms and praying a lot. A major event in the French Alps seems to be the turning point for him: he decides to dedicate his life to the priesthood. But can you ever take an ex-addict at his word?

From a plot point of view, ‘La prière’ is not very exciting. The love element feels forced and Thomas’ development is not surprising either. The acting, on the other hand, is strong and it remains fascinating to see what Thomas will eventually choose. The short confessions of a couple of ex-addicts also feel authentic and that fragment touches the sensitive nerve. Whether religion really offers the solution to these kinds of problems, Kahn does not burn his fingers and that is not the intention of the film.