Magdalene Sisters

Pros: A powerful story well told
Cons: Not really

You don’t hear the term “Women’s Lib” much anymore. Opportunities and choices have expanded greatly for women in this country in the past fifty years and with progress, sometimes, comes apathy. We forget our past and take our future ...

Pros: Disturbing and detailed movie about an infamous situation
Cons: Very bleak and a bit too negative about nuns and priests

American Catholics, especially those who were raised in the Church after World War II, have talked about their experiences in that religion, and look back upon this upbringing with insight and humor. The Irish girls of "The Magdalene Sisters" lived a far ...

Pros: Excellent acting, settings of a system that broke down, but also hid the perpetrators.
Cons: Very violent, very graphic.

I first encountered news of the Magdalene Asylums as part of a throwaway line in another film, where an Irish father bitterly states that he fears that his daughter will end up with the Magdalenes. After viewing this film, I can easily see why there's ...

Pros: excellent acting, brilliant visuals; a top-notch film.
Cons: the sinking feeling in your stomach from knowing such places existed.

Margaret, while at a family member's wedding, is raped by her cousin. Bernadette, who is living in an orphanage, loves getting the attention of the boys passing by the courtyard. Rose, finds herself giving birth to a healthy son, much to her parents'...

Pros: Powerful story that needed to be told.
Cons: Heavy. Not for a light evening.

Margaret is raped by her cousin during a family gathering. Rose has a baby out of wedlock. Bernadette is a flirt and way too pretty for her own good. The cure for these “sinners” is the Magdalene Asylum for wayward women. It’s hard to believe that ...

Pros: Shines light on an ugly situation; strong, believable performances from a little known cast
Cons: Difficult to watch the disturbing and inhumane victimization of these Irish girls. One-dimensional villain.

Before you and I get too very self-righteous about the misogyny of some of the Arab and African cultures, we ought to remember that some Western societies have also manifested a full share of repressive treatment of women, at one time or another. With ...

Pros: The story and characters are compelling
Cons: Very difficult to take

The title of this review is what I heard someone else say in the bathroom after the showing. That sums up my reaction pretty well and is just how I felt after watching it. The Basics The Magdalene Sisters is a haunting movie about a M ...

Pros: The revelations.
Cons: The revelations.

Peter Mullen’s controversial The Magdalene Sisters is an astonishing film that opens the mind and bleeds the heart as it exposes a true modern day horror. It reveals the shocking story of the Catholic Church’s Magdalene Asylums, and the appalling...

Pros: Strong, brutal story with powerful images; a sensational cast of actresses; deeply moving finale
Cons: May feel like a Dateline expose to some; may feel quite distressing

Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff) is enjoying a wedding reception in 1964 when she accepts an invitation from a young man to come upstairs, where she is raped. Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone) lives in an orphanage where she bides her time making eyes with the neigh ...

Pros: Stunning portrayal of injustices we thought Womens' Lib had curbed.
Cons: Unremittingly harrowing. Violence - physical, emotional, psychological - and violation.

Director: Peter Mullan

Cast List
Geraldine McEwan - Sister Bridget
Anne-Marie Duff - Margaret
Nora-Jane Noone - Bernadette
Dorothy Duffy - Rose/Patricia
Eileen Walsh - Crispina

...

Pros: A riveting and harrowing true story based on factual research.
Cons: This movie is harsh, bleak, and stern. But, it is so worth it.

This is the true story of essentially the equivalent of concentration camps aimed at persecuting women under the righteous façade of nuns Irish Catholic orders. Also, these camps thrived as business enterprises running a corporate laundry business. It ...

Pros: Excellent production values, acting, writing, etc., and a compelling true story.
Cons: The true story is a real downer.

THE MAGDALENE SISTERS is a dramatization of true events, events that occurred repeatedly for more than three-quarters of a century throughout Ireland until the mid-1990s, and left thousands of lives ruined. This film was nominated for just about ...

Pros: The humanity; the reality
Cons: Never thought I would have so much sympathy for Ulster Protestants

I have to start out this review with a disclaimer because this movie will cause people who haven't studied the Republic of Ireland to compare it to Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia (yes, the shower scene was a little irresponsible). We should remember t ...

Pros: Great performances by Geraldine McEwan, Nora Jane Noone, Ann Marie Duff and Dorothy Duffy.
Cons: This is not a feel good movie, you may feel disturbed after watching it.

This is a movie which follows three girls who have been committed to a convent in Ireland during the 1960's. I must warn that this film is important to see in the way that Roots, or Armistad are important. It does not leave one upbeat, happy or ...

Pros: Superbly acted and directed.
Cons: Very difficult to watch at times.

As horrible as the current-day scandals of sexual molestation (mostly of young boys) by Catholic priests are, all such events pale by comparison to that which occurred routinely throughout the past century at various Magdalene Asylums throughout Ireland. ...