The Novice

Legs, body, arms, so many things to harm, when you're obsessive and compulsive and you're not close to being calm.

Turbulent times for an overly dedicated student who's pinned her hopes to the varsity mast, intent on going solo, to hell with the personal cost as she swims against the tide.

I like films about people becoming obsessed with something. I think there's something fascinating about the concept of putting every bit of energy you have into achieving or obtaining something. 'The Novice' takes a topic that has zero interest to me, rowing, and made me interested in it. That's no easy task and something the film should be commended for.

The biggest problem the film has is that it feels very flat. There aren't the usual ups and downs most films have. The highs and the lows. There are little annoyances or triumphs here and there but they are fleeting and don't really have an impact. Also isn't always a clear narrative to the film. Where we are going and what is trying to be achieved isn't always clear. It can create a sense of pointlessness.

What I liked about the film though was that it felt motivational. It was inspiring and it got me interested in something I wasn't before. I'm a little torn on where I stand with this one. I'll settle on a generous 7/10.

Novice takes rowing and obsession and makes it incredible. Her drive to be the best is incredibly intense and the cinematography and music are spot on. Her manic way of pursuing life draws you in.

I didn't know much about the sport of rowing and this depiction of the Ginormous amount of blood, sweat, tears, dedication and sacrifice of these athletes left me awestruck!! :O It was a well done story, that cuts to the bone and sad to see the extreme obsession of the main character and a trip and stumble down the rabbit hole into crazytown.

Half way thru watching I remembered what that B*TCH that played Aunt Becky on Full House did to get her daughter into a college that the kid didn't even want to go to. Photo shopping her into rowing equipment and such. Stealing a spot from a REAL and DESERVING Athlete, who loves the sport and maybe needing a scholarship to be able to even go to college. MAkes me SICK!!! Sorry, but her and her husband shoulda got WAY MORE JAIL time.

I tip my hat to the REAL women athletes that compete in this sport, because it sure ain't for Sissys!! :O I felt sore and out of breath just watching them!

Definitely worth a watch!!

Alex is a college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost.

'The Novice' is an incredibly engrossing film, I would compare it to stories set on obsession, search for perfection, and competition, like Black Swan or Wihiplash.

Lauren Hadaway did a great job with this directorial debut creating a very tense and engrossing environment for the story to develop. Alex clearly shows signs of OCD, with actions that depict her intrusive thoughts, her obsessions which drive her to compulsion in her sport, and Hadaway captures it in a hectic and intense ways, you really feel like you are in her brain. The cinemanography is fantastic, the landscapes and the close-ups are some of my favourite elements of it capturing both the isolation and the overwhelming nature of Alex's compulsion.

Isabelle Fuhrman is great as the lead, she an actress I haven't follow as much since her debut in Orphan, but I will definitely check out what she has been up to in the last few years. Her characters is complex, you feel sorry for her, you cheer for her as you meet other characters because you empathize with the story she is telling you, even understanding the destructive nature of her behaviour... but there is a lot more to more to it than you expect from the start.

Maybe I expected a more tragic or explosive ending for the type of story, but I am glad the writer took a more realistic approach to the story.

Highly recommend this film.