A small ensemble film, set in a convent, coupled with a cycling competition: Oh My Goodness! is a chaotic mix of tropes and chuckles.
★★★☆☆
Oh My Goodness! follows an eclectic group of nuns from St. Benedict’s as they attempt to mentor a nun-in-training. They stumble upon a cycling contest that may help their newest recruit showcase her charitable nature. Competing for €25,000 in winnings, they’ve got steep competition in the likes of athletes and, worst of all, a rival nunnery. With a race ahead and a head nun with an agenda to meet Pope Francis, nothing will stop this chaotic bunch.
Starting with scenic shots of rural France and some whimsical instrumentals, there’s some nods to another little film set to the east of Oh My Goodness!—The Sound of Music. The bulk of the action takes place at the nunnery itself and across the roads leading to it. Conjuring an intimate feel, coupled with the on-site shooting, allows the comedy to flourish, maintaining a level of visual interest. Despite the low budget, the tracking shots of cycling give a stylistic, high-quality feel, and provide some extra excitement when the narrative becomes a bit repetitive and dull.
The composer, Mathieu Lamboley, utilises some lovely instrumentals to keep the tone and energy high—no wonder, with a varied filmography stretching to Netflix’s Lupin. But by far the most important feature, like with most comedies, is performance and building of character. Mother Veronique’s (Valérie Bonneton) less than honourable ambition conjures some laughable moments, and gives her continual motivation for stoking the flames of the competition.
With funny flashbacks, you gather an idea of each nun’s backstory, building on the knowledge of our small ensemble. With potential for the narrative to head into the master and novice route (with Gwendoline, the trainee, and Mother Veronique), supporting characters Sister Augustine (Camille Chamoux) and Sister Béatrice (Guilaine Londez) have enough of their own oddities to keep you chuckling throughout. Between the well-constructed characters and Mother Veronique’s ambition, the expected trope isn’t fulfilled. And without these performances, Oh My Goodness! could easily have gone downhill.
Following a few key characters is always more fulfilling for a comedy, ensuring the audience can make the most of recurrent comedic moments and not get lost.
Though France may be known for its major sporting event, the Tour De France, don’t expect any displays of athlete-level talent—though there is definitely some flourish exhibited. Thankfully, throughout this cycling competition there is actually minimal cycling on screen, up until the final race. This definitely works in the film’s favour. After all, is it exciting to watch anyone below Olympic-level cycling? Probably not.
The Verdict
Oh My Goodness! succeeds in providing some quick comedy moments with rivalry, found family, and physical distress.With a fulfilling, if slightly more sedate ending than expected, Oh My Goodness! proves you don’t need a big budget for a comedy to hit. Authentically funny performances, a believable setting, and a decent script to wield make it worth the watch.
Words by Annabel Smith
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.