Stress-inducing ‘The Novice’ disturbingly turns work ethic into obsession
IFC
The other side of the cliche about leaving it all out on the field is that, if you really do that, then you have nothing left.
Rather than a “Whiplash” rehash, though, “The Novice,” about freshman college rower Alex’s (Isabelle Fuhrman, excellent) furious determination to rise to team prominence as soon as possible, serves as a social examination of how teams function -- while also warping coming-of-age into addiction and persistence into body horror.
And Alex is not in denial about her ruthlessness; she knows that she finished second in her high school class because of work ethic, not intelligence, and the lesson seemed to be that anything is possible if you want it enough. The debut feature from writer-director Lauren Hadaway suffers from a degree of familiarity, as well as a few clunky scenes and metaphors. But what’s different here, besides for the inclusive way “The Novice” depicts sexuality, is the grappling of fairness and obsession in a world where women often must work harder and compete with each other for a limited number of spots.
As the wounds in Alex’s hands grow deeper and she commits to majoring in her worse subject and can never quite tell if fellow novice Jamie (Amy Forsyth) is an ally or foe, “The Novice” becomes a crisp and beautifully shot thriller about the futility of perfection. At what cost, and for what result does that become worthwhile? Though the movie is better directed than written, Hadaway is wise not to overwrite Alex’s motivation. There is no late reveal about a trauma that fuels her. Rather, as sacrifice is mandatory and what might be seen as admirable becomes disturbing to her teammates, Alex must reckon with what so many have to at one point or another: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
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