THINGS GET HOT AND HEAVY FOR ARGENTINE 'HOLY GIRL'.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

A LOW-KEY tone poem about the passions of sex and religion, ``The Holy Girl'' also captures the worlds - moral, temporal, inside their heads - in which a variety of incomplete people live their lives.

Following her acclaimed debut feature ``La Cienaga,'' ``Holy Girl'' confirms writer-director Lucrecia Martel as the breakout artist of the hot new Argentine cinema. Employing odd sounds and snatches of strange, isolated visual information to reveal her characters, Martel achieves a distinctive marriage of realism and spirituality. ``Holy Girl'' seems to be simultaneously taking place next door and in another dimension.

The title tartlet is Amalia (Maria Alche). Just coming into adolescence, she lives with her divorced mother Helena (Mercedes Moran) and uncle Freddy (Alejandro Urdapilleta) in the downscale, provincial hotel that they own. Amalia spends a lot of time in choir practice and religious classes, where she gossips with her best pal Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg) about their pious teacher's romantic adventures. She's also big on siestas, which may contribute to her dreamy demeanor.

A medical convention comes to town, and the doctors are entertained by demonstrations of eerie, otherworldly theremin music. At one of these shows, Dr. Jano (Carlos Belloso) rubs himself against Amalia in a very inappropriate way. More excited than horrified, she spends the rest of the movie trying to reconcile her erotic feelings with her Catholic idealism - and trying to convince the handsome, if pervy, doc that she has ways of absolving his guilt, too.

Complicating matters is the married Jano's sorta flirtation with Helena. Adding complexity to the whole scheme of Martel's film are fascinating scenes in which Helena and her brother prove to be far closer soul mates to one another than either ever were with their long-gone spouses. And a general atmosphere of puritanical hypocrisy hangs over the sleepy town like a humid blanket, so it's no wonder Amalia is confused about her desires.

Played with scrupulous emotional honesty by all involved, ``The Holy Girl'' is a morality tale that calls the very concept of moral judgment into question. The influence of pantheon filmmakers such as Bunuel and Bresson is evident, but for the most part Martel carves out her own, distinctive landscape of cinematic soul.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

THE HOLY GIRL (LA NINA SANTA) - Three and one half stars

(R: sex, nudity)

Starring: Maria Alche, Mercedes Moran, Carlos Belloso, Alejandro Urdapilleta, Julieta Zylberberg.

Director: Lucrecia Martel.

Running time: 1 hr. 46 min.

Playing: Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Laemmle Sunset 5, West Hollywood; Laemmle Monica, Santa Monica; Edwards South Coast Village, Santa Ana.

In a nutshell: Impressionistic sexual and religious awakening story in a provincial Argentine town illuminates half a dozen well-etched, mostly unfulfilled characters and the cultural mores that frustrate them. In Spanish with English subtitles.

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Photo:

Julieta Zylberberg, left, and Maria Alche play best friends in ``The Holy Girl,'' a tale of spirituality and eroticism.