David O'ConnellGenova
November 4th 2009 04:12
Michael Winterbottom is constantly in motion; this most prolific of directors - you could see him as the British equivalent of Steven Soderbergh - continues to churn out a fascinating and enviable diversity of films. From the bleak, icy lamentations of The Claim (2000) to the gritty mise-en-scene of Wonderland (1999); from the dour literary stylings of Jude (1996) to the divisive, unedifying pointlessness of 9 Songs (2004), Winterbottom continues to both delight and perplex his audiences, with barely a backward glance before moving on to his next project.
Genova must surely rate as one of his best; it's a deceptively complex drama pulsing with a vaguely unsettling tone - one that's able to cut through the familiar gestures of domestic stress caused by the death of a mother, Marianne (Hope Davis). Her passing, the result of a child’s game gone horribly wrong, opens fissures in the family unit. Academic husband Joe (Colin Firth) finally decides, after an obviously unsuccessful five month period of transition, to uproot to Italy where a university position awaits courtesy of an old Harvard acquaintance Barbara (Catherine Keener). His two daughters, resentful, flowering teenager Kelly (Willa Holland) and the sensitive younger Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) are reluctant passengers.
Winterbottom’s approach is to subtly pare back the core relationships whilst stirring intimations of unfulfilled wanderlust through his fleeting exploration of the Genovese landscape, and its cloying, ancient architectural splendor. Though the city proves to be an intimidating presence, recalling the labyrinthine perplexity of Venice with its narrow, twisty laneways which must seem unfathomable to an outsider, it becomes apparent that young Mary is the story’s most crucial character and its enigmatic centerpiece. She soon becomes a vessel for the seemingly benign supernatural presence of her mother, a source of reassurance in an alien world.
The screenplay, co-written by Winterbottom and Laurence Coriat (responsible for the director’s masterpiece Wonderland) stirs up interesting ideas about the correlation between grief and faith as they manifest themselves in the thoughtful but troubled Mary.
As the apathetic Kelly, drowning herself in the excesses of an exotic night life and conveniently deadening lust, becomes a grotesque counterpoint we find hard to excuse, Mary becomes Genova's soulful nucleus, racked by memories unavoidably tainted by guilt. Though she seems to process the world with a startling maturity at times - often forced to trek homeward through the maze-like construction of the city alone - the absence of her mother hits hardest in regular nocturnal episodes which signify the dissipation, whether real or imagined, of these initially calming, angelic visitations.
Bearing all the hallmarks of a film conceived by craftsmen used to making decisions based on economic necessity and shooting ‘on the fly’, Winterbottom makes consistently interesting creative choices; light on artifice, the film bears visual traits of a freeform, almost Dogme-style, experimentation at times. There are scrambling, hand-held digital shots complimented by sharp, intensive close-ups as well as the use of natural light to cast an ominous, gloomy spell that accentuates the haunted possibilities offered by a city steeped in historical richness.
Firth casts his formidable long shadow with real authority; there may not be a false note in his performance, but young Haney-Jardine, with her pensive, at times heart-breaking turn as the vulnerable Mary is destined to garner the most attention.
Though it may be low-key with a surprisingly thin premise once you strip it back to its essential parts, in Genova Winterbottom has somehow crafted a miraculously compelling film that lingers with a disquieting power and a unique aftertaste - one that instantly has you yearning for a second viewing. Not surprisingly, since the original British release date of this film last year, the indefatigable director has completed work, or nearly so, on three more projects.
Trailer can be found here.
Genova must surely rate as one of his best; it's a deceptively complex drama pulsing with a vaguely unsettling tone - one that's able to cut through the familiar gestures of domestic stress caused by the death of a mother, Marianne (Hope Davis). Her passing, the result of a child’s game gone horribly wrong, opens fissures in the family unit. Academic husband Joe (Colin Firth) finally decides, after an obviously unsuccessful five month period of transition, to uproot to Italy where a university position awaits courtesy of an old Harvard acquaintance Barbara (Catherine Keener). His two daughters, resentful, flowering teenager Kelly (Willa Holland) and the sensitive younger Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) are reluctant passengers.
Winterbottom’s approach is to subtly pare back the core relationships whilst stirring intimations of unfulfilled wanderlust through his fleeting exploration of the Genovese landscape, and its cloying, ancient architectural splendor. Though the city proves to be an intimidating presence, recalling the labyrinthine perplexity of Venice with its narrow, twisty laneways which must seem unfathomable to an outsider, it becomes apparent that young Mary is the story’s most crucial character and its enigmatic centerpiece. She soon becomes a vessel for the seemingly benign supernatural presence of her mother, a source of reassurance in an alien world.
Perla Haney-Jardine as Mary
The screenplay, co-written by Winterbottom and Laurence Coriat (responsible for the director’s masterpiece Wonderland) stirs up interesting ideas about the correlation between grief and faith as they manifest themselves in the thoughtful but troubled Mary.
As the apathetic Kelly, drowning herself in the excesses of an exotic night life and conveniently deadening lust, becomes a grotesque counterpoint we find hard to excuse, Mary becomes Genova's soulful nucleus, racked by memories unavoidably tainted by guilt. Though she seems to process the world with a startling maturity at times - often forced to trek homeward through the maze-like construction of the city alone - the absence of her mother hits hardest in regular nocturnal episodes which signify the dissipation, whether real or imagined, of these initially calming, angelic visitations.
Bearing all the hallmarks of a film conceived by craftsmen used to making decisions based on economic necessity and shooting ‘on the fly’, Winterbottom makes consistently interesting creative choices; light on artifice, the film bears visual traits of a freeform, almost Dogme-style, experimentation at times. There are scrambling, hand-held digital shots complimented by sharp, intensive close-ups as well as the use of natural light to cast an ominous, gloomy spell that accentuates the haunted possibilities offered by a city steeped in historical richness.
Firth casts his formidable long shadow with real authority; there may not be a false note in his performance, but young Haney-Jardine, with her pensive, at times heart-breaking turn as the vulnerable Mary is destined to garner the most attention.
Though it may be low-key with a surprisingly thin premise once you strip it back to its essential parts, in Genova Winterbottom has somehow crafted a miraculously compelling film that lingers with a disquieting power and a unique aftertaste - one that instantly has you yearning for a second viewing. Not surprisingly, since the original British release date of this film last year, the indefatigable director has completed work, or nearly so, on three more projects.
Willa Holland as Kelly
Trailer can be found here.
| 60 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
This however will appeal to a slightly broader audience even though it has some definite non-commercial idiosyncrasies.