Saint Clare Review

Saint Clare is a towering Joan of Arc-inspired opus with blended modern subtext alongside a complex performance by underappreciated actor Bella Thorne, who shows massive conviction in riveting detail that exhumes multiple emotions.

An amazing return by the talented director of the intriguing 2018 cryptocurrency-funded first feature, Braid. Mitzi Peirone joins writer Guinevere Turner in adapting the bestselling novel Clare at 16, the first in a series by author Don Roff.

Shy, appearing to be normal, Clare Bleeker (Thorne) lives in a small town with unusual inhabitants constantly reeling from the tragedy of multiple missing persons. Clare hears voices, an inner narrative haunting her into acts of vengeance to assassinate the bad, despicable atrocities of society.

Clare has a paranormal friend, former US postal worker simply known as Mailman Bob (Frank Whaley) whom she speaks with regularly, usually for guidance and companionship, then other times out of annoyance. Bob is a character that shouldn’t work, but is necessary to the proceedings and well portrayed by veteran Whaley (The Doors, Career Opportunities).

When not on a deadly mission cleaning up the town, Clare attempts to live a quiet life with her grandmother Gigi (played by the irrepressible Rebecca De Mornay), who starts to suspect over time that something might be wrong with her young relative. How absolutely wrong could she be as clues start mounting up. Gigi and Clare are close, with the actors sharing strong emotional scenes of fervent conflict, both happy and sad in equal measure and dialogue matched by dynamic chemistry.

De Mornay is an icon. That she was overlooked for award consideration as Peyton in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) is still hard to comprehend. Also, as Lana in Risky Business (1983), she baked up the screen seductively and intellectually. Among other magnificent performances, I loved her as Jennifer, swirling around courtrooms or bedrooms in Guilty As Sin (1993). To experience her as Granny Gigi in this is quite overwhelming and bizarre in a good way here in Saint Clare.

Clare begins to have a problem with a fellow student in her drama class as they prepare for the opening night of their play Deathtrap, and the story is complicated further when Detective Timmons (Ryan Phillippe) begins to snoop around when one particular local is unaccounted for. For very good reasons, he doesn’t seem quite right. Just stay alert to his mannerisms and cynical output that intelligent Clare notably tracks immediately.

Cruel Intentions (1999) manipulator Phillippe is another good actor. From being suspicious of others to being apprehensive, he slowly rises to boiling point. Religious aspects highlight a magnetic Bella Thorne, whom I always believed would make a brilliant Joan of Arc in a historical retelling or sweeping modern blockbuster. Now I am more than dazzled by her revenge-filled, female power accolade here.

Luka Bazeli’s cinematography is sharp, and an agitated musical score from composer duo Zola Jesus and Phillip Klein is a little retro with accelerated nuances for mood tempo full of sound extremities. Mitzi Peirone is a master auteur already; her presentation of this obscure subject matter is disorientingly good. Saint Clare is an impressive indie with dark pizzazz; it steals your breath, opens your eyes and jolts you back into your chair. Bravo.

★★★★