The second feature from Francis Lee certainly had me excited.
I remember seeing his debut feature of God's Own Country back at the Leeds Film Festival in 2017. Having the director their for a Q&A afterwards gave me a great insight into his style and the type of stories he is looking for. You can tell he loves his work and it shows on the screen.
So with the added star power for his latest project, expectations were pretty high.
The experience I got from it was something I was not expecting. However, it still managed to meet my expectations. The general vibe it gives off as well as its colour palette and editing makes it a gentle and pleasant watch. Much like the coastal location, it felt like a brisk walk around the beach and harbour.
With a few welcomed added elements later on in the film, there was a solid story developing. All being told in a 'show, don't tell' way made it much more effective. With the ending not quite feeling resolved or satisfying, it did leave me wanting more and not in the usual good way.
But don't worry, there is plenty to like and appreciate.
The story is well developed and paced. Kate Winslet gives another memorable performance. Whenever we think of Winslet, it's usually a strong-willed actor that is never afraid to get their hands dirty. That is exactly what you get in her latest venture. You can feel the confidence in her independence. But also the underlying troubles all told through the face.
Her chemistry with Soairse Ronan was pretty good. However, I have seen more authentic and engrossing on-screen relationships in similar features. Plus, while Ronan was perfectly fine. I have seen her do far much better. Ronan for me has been the master of accents and always give great authenticity in her performances. This one never felt exceptional and it didn't give me a character I wanted to know more about.
As briefly mentioned before, it is gorgeous to look at. The production design and colour in the imagery reflects the location and period perfectly. Like with Lee's previous feature, you can feel the pacing and editing done with great care and attention.
But as well as the connection and development with Winslet and Ronan, the ending for me didn't make the film the complete package. I did enjoy the final shot as it leaves it open and giving the audience something to ponder and discuss. But the journey getting there didn't feel it deserved to end with that shot.
Those drawbacks I feel may make this forgettable for some demographics. However, many will find this a deeply effective watch.
In the end, I'm not far off the latter. A lot of its aspects I appreciated both in its craft and execution. But the story just felt short on giving me that strong pay-off compared with similar films such as Blue Is The Warmest Colour or Portrait Of A Lady On Fire.
It's certainly worth watching on the big screen for the imagery and Winslet's performance. The rest I feel will be up to personal taste.
Rating: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment