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    A Bigger Splash

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    “A Bigger Splash” is a change of pace at the movie theatre, but a welcome one for me. It’s a slow burn erotic thriller that feels very European in its segments of intrigue and character exploration. For a long time you’re just seeing the principal characters play out an atypical, but not particularly noteworthy weekend until it suddenly takes a turn. It takes a while to get there, but in a good way.

    Rockstar Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton) is recovering from an operation and relaxing with her boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) in a secluded little Island off of Italy. Suddenly, her larger-than-life record producer and former lover Harry (Ralph Fiennes) drops in to visit with his daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson) While everyone appears to be friendly towards each other, a storm of emotions is churning beneath the surface.

    There's no easy way to tell you why this film works. Either you say too much and you give away the big developments, or you don’t accurately convey what makes the film interesting.

    If you’ve seen the trailer, a big plot point that comes late in “A Bigger Splash” has been revealed to you. I need to emphasize that it’s a late development. For the most part, this film is about the unspoken emotions and the drama between these people. Nothing’s really explicitly said, but you can feel it simmering. There are strange attractions between the men and the women. When the women speak to each other, there’s a strange tension, maybe even jealousy as Marianne looks over to see a father that is maybe a bit too close to his daughter. As for the guys, there’s undeniable animosity between them. Without knowing all of the details exactly, you can sense their history thanks to the strong performances. Paul, Harry and Lane have a history and kind of dislike each other… but only in the way that people who have been through thick-and-thin, who share an intimate bond can.

    The movie is uncomfortable, but in a good way. It’s like sitting at an after school party with your fellow teenagers where everyone is mad at each other but no one wants to address the fact. Nobody can prove that Bethany and Eric slept with each other even though her best friend called “dibs” on him and he kinda has a girlfriend. No one can make any outright accusations. But you know. You know something happened. Graduation is just a week away. Nobody wants to rock the boat, but everyone is being way too careful when they speak NOT to have done, heard or said something. It’s like one of these weird traps you sometimes get with real people, where your instincts are telling you to leave, but you’re way too curious to go. Thank goodness “A Bigger Splash” is just a movie, meaning you get to see it all without any chance of actually getting caught up in the incoming storm.

    The tension between these people is plenty to keep you entertained. You forget all about the spoilers that were until the trailer… and then suddenly something big happens. I won’t say what it is, but I thought it was a terrific twist. You thought things were uncomfortable before? At least then they seemed manageable, like everyone could just have a big fight and go their separate ways. Not so much now. I was surprised at the turns “A Bigger Splash” took and very happy to be along for the ride. It excels at building tension, at generating this atmosphere and keeping you guessing without throwing in some larger-than-life developments. I think it very much works in the film’s favour. It makes it that much more difficult to predict what is going on and allows you to take the time and examine all of these very interesting characters.

    Give “A Bigger Splash” a chance. I know it starts off kind of slow because “nothing happens”, but look at the performances. Everyone here is so good in their roles, you forget these aren’t real people. Ralph Fiennes in particular, he’s terrific. Singling him out feels unfair; they’re all excellent. It manages to build tension in a completely believable way. You don’t know what’s coming up next. “A Bigger Splash” is a smaller film but, it’s worth seeing. Those big blockbusters will be in the theatre for weeks so give this one a shot. (Theatrical version on the big screen, June 4, 2016)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  7.6.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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