Nat Boltt’s comedy boasts a star-studded cast, of Judy Davis, Jacki Weaver and Miriam Margolyes as three elderly nuns in northern New Zealand. Their convent is on its last legs and is going to be bought up and redeveloped. Believing that a property deed can save it, they embark on a road trip south, with a young lad, Brian (Elijah Tamati), in order to retrieve it.
So, we have a perfect set up for some fish out of water comedy and a smidgeon of tear jerking moments. Unfortunately, neither are delivered. The comic potential is almost entirely wasted, with the naturally funny Margolyes given virtually nothing to do, unless you consider the recurring gag of her losing her false teeth hilarious. Brian is a good argument for corporal punishment and I did not buy his transformation towards the end, after an agonisingly long scene of him lost in the snow.
The sentimental moments are incredibly heavy handed and stretched out to a patience testing degree. Amidst this mess, Davis stands out with a performance that should have been in a better film.
Rating: 3.5 out of 10