Ah, nunsploitation. The ONLY cinematic genre where buxom women dress up in nun's habits and get their kits off for the delight of Satan, their peers, deranged priests and (usually) deranged audiences. Having gone into this one expecting a film akin to what I'd normally expect from this niche genre, I was disappointed to find that it's actually nothing like what I was expecting. There's two sides to this genre; one of them being the one described in the opening lines of this post, and the other being more along the 'serious drama' lines, and this one subscribes more to the latter; although unlike Story of a Cloistered Nun and Flavia the Heretic, this is still very much a 'trash' film. The plot focuses on a love between a man and a woman. The woman's father is not too happy about the relationship and so does what any noble father in nunsploitation would do; and has her put in a convent, while the man is reported as a betrayer. Naturally, there's more to the convent than merely worshipping God...
The film is very lacking in the sleaze department and that is its major downfall. I appreciate a substantial story as much as the next film fan; but when I'm about to watch a trash flick like this, what I really want is some skin; and The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine just doesn't deliver in that respect. The problem is that what we do get; namely a story about a forbidden love, entwined with an escape from the convent and some other stuff, just isn't interesting enough to hold the attention for the full running time of the film. There are a few torture scenes in the film which aren't bad, and that's the closest thing we get to sleaze. It's just not enough. I have to give credit where credit is due and say that the film looks rather nice. Director Sergio Grieco (who also has the excellent Italian crime flick 'Beast with a Gun' on his resume) shoots his subjects well and the cinematography is crisp and clean. Overall, this is a rather mundane entry in the nunsploitation cycle and there's plenty that I'd recommend in front of it. Not worth the trouble of tracking down!
The film is very lacking in the sleaze department and that is its major downfall. I appreciate a substantial story as much as the next film fan; but when I'm about to watch a trash flick like this, what I really want is some skin; and The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine just doesn't deliver in that respect. The problem is that what we do get; namely a story about a forbidden love, entwined with an escape from the convent and some other stuff, just isn't interesting enough to hold the attention for the full running time of the film. There are a few torture scenes in the film which aren't bad, and that's the closest thing we get to sleaze. It's just not enough. I have to give credit where credit is due and say that the film looks rather nice. Director Sergio Grieco (who also has the excellent Italian crime flick 'Beast with a Gun' on his resume) shoots his subjects well and the cinematography is crisp and clean. Overall, this is a rather mundane entry in the nunsploitation cycle and there's plenty that I'd recommend in front of it. Not worth the trouble of tracking down!