Permalink. Guadagnino charts the building tension as Harry and Paul jockey for Mariannes attention, though Penelope also wedges herself into the action. Theyre a delectable pair of sexy beasts, ensconced on a jaw-slackening compound on Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the strait of Sicily thats within viewing distance of Tunisia. Marianne and Pauls dammusi is, of course, the biggest and the only one with a private swimming pool. The Idol: The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp Music Drama Gets HBO Premiere Date, New Teaser, Contenders Television Continues Sunday: 20 Panels Showcasing Buzziest Shows Of Awards Season, Steven Spielberg, David Zaslav & Paul Thomas Anderson Talk Urgency Of Film Preservation And Warners Bros. Filming took place in the ancient village of Scauri and the surrounding coast: in one of the opening scenes, Marianne and Paul slather themselves in sulphuric mud scooped from the milky, turquoise waters of the Lago di Venere. All Rights Reserved. Do you plan to seeA Bigger Splash? Tensions flare as Harry's ulterior motives to steal Marianne back after having 'given her' to Paul, while Penelope's relationships with her father and Paul come into question. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. The happy couple drives to this idyllic place and take a quick dip in this small, circular enclosed body of water and smear smelly sulphuric mud on each other. The first promo still of A Bigger Splash featuring Matthias Schoenaerts, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson and Ralph Fiennes was released on 27 July 2015. That's the whole fucking point. Thank goodness for so many sensible ordinary viewers who tell it like it is. A remake of Jacques Deray's 'La Piscine' (1969), 'A Bigger Splash' has attracted some big names: Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts make it a star-spangled vehicle indeed. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and his daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson) in A Bigger Splash. (Shaw Organisation). 8/10. This is a genuine mess of a movie, boring as a bad dinner party for 7/8s of its length, nonsensical for the rest and exuding an irksome pretentiousness throughout. But if it is, I didnt see it! But the sign in the film is also the sign still about the cinemas door, so that seems a bit odd. With David Hockney, Peter Schlesinger, Celia Birtwell, Henry Geldzahler. It works for the most part, but largely due to the efforts of the talented, committed cast. Review: A Bigger Splash, With a Speechless Tilda Swinton, Is Ready for Its Close-Up, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/movies/a-bigger-splash-review-tilda-swinton.html, Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton in A Bigger Splash., The Times critic Manohla Dargis reviews A Bigger Splash., Jack English/Fox Searchlight , via Associated Press. It works well in the melodrama genre because people act differently when brought together, especially in a luxurious or exotic location where they can let go and be who they really are: recent examples include Youth (2015) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). They shot the scene in front of 70,000 people during the show of Italian Rock star Lorenzo Jovanotti. The next day, Marianne and Harry take a trip to the local supermarket for groceries. Your email address will not be published. Ralph Fiennes doing manic is the most irritating and pointless character I can remember on screen. In fact, the tophighlight of this film is a Fiennes dance to theStones Emotional Rescue. He, like most of the cast, also is called upon to be casually naked in some scenes, but he plays it about as uninhibited and natural as possible. No. By weaving the realities of the Mediterranean island's refugee crisis into the updated plot, there's topical seriousness too. La leggenda del rock Marianne Lane in vacanza sull'isola vulcanica di Pantelleria con il compagno Paul quando arriva inaspettatamente a interrompere la loro vacanza Harry, produttore discografico iconoclasta nonch suo ex, insieme alla figlia Penelope, provocando un'esplosione di nostalgia delirante dalla quale sar impossibile mettersi al riparo. Here, it appears, is a movie about the glamorous life of a celebrity, and the consequences therein. Bigger is Not Better: A Watered Down Version of "La Piscine". Their luxury villa with a guest house and swimming pool is one of seven restored dammusi estates. Let us know what you think. Yet at the same time, the longer it went on, the more and more I disliked it. It competed for the Golden Lion at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.[5][6]. Greetings again from the darkness. Realising his mistake, Paul pulls Harry to the surface and attempts to resuscitate him, but is unsuccessful and leaves Harry to drift to the bottom of the pool. Her muteness feels like a clunky addition that doesnt serve a purpose, and is yet another questionable decision from the director. Giving the setting of the movie that would seem obvious. Its a rare film that pulls off a Rules of the Game-style satireportraying the lives of the wealthy and the famous to deliver a heavier social messagebut it also manages to be an otherwise straightforward and enjoyable romantic drama. By the picture's end, we're supposed to believe the character played by Matthias Schoenaerts has gotten away with murder. Shagging, sunbathing, and swimming in Sicily, what more could you ask for in a romantic break? Form battles content to an eerily pleasurable draw in "A Bigger Splash," a stylish four-hander set among the rich and the hip. [9] Swinton appeared in-character on the cover of the Autumn/Winter 2015 issue of AnOther Magazine. A Bigger Splash is a sensuous delight of a film, but it has a darker heart that brands itself in the viewers mind. . Its important to know the context behind A Bigger Splash and the original film, because its not a great film on its own (the score only takes into account the film itself, and not its source material). [16], In February 2015, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired U.S distribution rights to the film. I hope you manage to visit all of the locations and I hope that one day that I can rent that villa for a week in Augustsome day maybe. Commitment At TCM Classic Festival Opening Night, The Popes Exorcist Review: A Terrific Russell Crowe Battles Demons In Movie Possessed By The Memory Of A Certain 50-Year-Old Horror Classic. At least after that Harry shut up, so that's a plus. ", "2016 IndieWire Critics Poll: Full List of Results", "San Francisco Film Critics Circle Nominations! Subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. His swimming pool is a pure rectangular swamp of desire. [7] A new set of movie stills were released on 3 September 2015. Marianne is ordered not to talk for another two weeks, so Swinton plays it all mostly silent. The only redeemable thing about this movie was the lovely Tilda Swinton, and her beautiful wardrobe. Director Luca Guadagnino set the majority of the action on the volcanic island of Pantelleria, situated between Sicily and Tunisia. Much like the faded hammer-and-sickle tattoo embellishing Harrys oft-bared chest, the movies politics come across as self-consciously ornamental. According to the film's producer Michael . The music is fantastic and Luca Guadagnino's direction is incredible. Paul had killed someone, yet this 17-year-old with an attitude problem is the real culprit. "A Bigger Splash" is an Italian-French erotic drama (with English dialogue) that's inspired by the 1969 film, "La Piscine." Marianne, a pop star who's recovering from vocal surgery, goes on a. I have never heard of this film, but will look for it. Paul and Marianne, spend their vacation in Italy and experience trouble when Marianne invites a former lover and his teenage daughter to visit, which leads to jealousy and dangerous sexual scenarios. A Bigger Splash has something of the erotic languor and implied daddy-daughter issues of Franoise Sagans Bonjour Tristesse the complicated four-way nexus of desire even reminded me a little of Alan Hollinghursts novel The Spell. Murder in the Mediterranean. At times, as with the topical references to refugees (a few of whom are seen huddled in detention), these glimpses of the larger, agonizing world are clearly meant to say something about the characters and their insularity. Hes effing annoying, but he knows how to start a fun party. 2023 READERS CHOICE AWARDS SURVEY IS LIVE. So, as you must gather, I had a great time and I'll wait for the next Guadagnino with childish anticipation. The peace and tranquility of a rock star recovering from throat surgery and her documentarian boyfriend is shattered by a visit from the musician's former lover and his estranged adult daughter in this unusual film. At the airport, as Pen is about to fly out, she tells Paul and Marianne something that refers to something Marianne once said to Harry. Tensions flare as Harry's ulterior motives to steal Marianne back after having 'given her' to Paul, while Penelope's relationships with her father and Paul come into question. It works for the most part, but largely due to the efforts of the talented, committed cast. While the film is hit-and-miss, Ralph Fiennes is a total riot. Mariannes ex-lover shows up on the island: a record producer called Harry. Franois Ozons 2003 movie Swimming Pool used the artificial blue depths of the pool to incubate a similar tension. An aging rock star's respite in the Mediterranean is interrupted by an old lover in A Bigger Splash. Tilda Swinton is her usual pretentious self, only voiceless. Every character were annoying and not likable at all. --"Everyone's obscene." With a script by David Kajganich, A Bigger Splash centers on a rock legend ( Swinton) who is recuperating on the volcanic island of Pantelleria with her partner Paul ( Schoenaerts) when. With her preternatural stillness and sculptured hauteur, Ms. Swinton has always looked ready for her close-up with D. W. Griffith; few contemporary movie actresses can hold you with their gaze as effortlessly as she does. Shes exceptional in a challenging role and sexy as hell. The next to last scene at the airport were Penelope was slapped for lying was the real kicker. What is the Hindi language plot outline for A Bigger Splash (2015)? Orson Welles' 1952 "Othello," a film shot in largely in Italy with (mostly) Italian money is of course in EnglishShakespeare English, yet. A Bigger Splash: The Young One-Penelope (Featurette) 0:33 1. Memories of teenage holidays on a far-flung Italian outpost between Sicily and Tunisia prompted director Luca Guadagnino to set his latest film, A Bigger Splash, on the volcanic island. A Bigger Splash review: Tilda Swinton is again Luca Guadagnino's muse in the sly erotic thriller Image Video Audio An American rock star and filmmaker couple, Marianne and Paul, are holidaying in Italy when a former lover and his daughter show up. Even rockstars have to eat. I love this film and the locations so muchthat visiting is high on my bucket list. A Bigger Splash is an incredible and unpredictable drama that's beautifully filmed, well paced and bold. And it really is the local airport. A Bigger Splash is rated R (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Neither speaks Italian and their togetherness is interrupted by uninvited visitors. I understand the circumstances before she took on the role, but if she didn't feel up to it, she shouldn't have taken it. Stylistically and directorially very much in the same vein as Director Luca Guadagnino's earlier and equally impressive 'I am Love'. It would be easy to classify Marianne Lane, Tilda Swinton's character in A Bigger Splash, as an aging rock star. Beautifully photographed Sicilian landscape dwarfs four small lives and the mess they create. Semi-fictionalized documentary biopic of British artist David Hockney. Harry takes Marianne, Paul and his daughter to a small, local watering hole without a reservation. Swinton can play just about anything and previously worked in Italy with Guadagnino in the acclaimedI Am Love. All the best! Marianna convinces them that she was asleep at the time of the murder, and the killer was an intruder, while Paul lies and says he went to bed before the time of Harry's death, he is believed. The best out of all theA Bigger Splashlocations and where the majority of the movie unfolds. Matthias Schoenaerts intelligently conveys the way Paul feels constrained by gratitude and good manners Harry actually introduced him to Marianne. I'm a fan of Tilda Swinton, but her performance here was awful. With Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson. The nymphet does what you expect nymphets to do. [8] The first clip was released on 5 September 2015. She is recovering from surgery and has lost her voice, communicating only by signs and occasional whispers. . The story is less a love triangle than a love rhombus, and the plot kicks off when Harry and his daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson) crash Marianne and Pauls island looking to make trouble. Of course, the simmering and smouldering are heading one way, and another sort of movie might simply have concluded with the denouement. Honestly, this villa is perfect. A Bigger Splash: The Mysterious One-Paul (Featurette) 1:07 0. Dakota Johnson was just being Dakota Johnson the whole time. Jacques Deray adapted this story once before in his 1969 film La Piscine, but Luca Guadagnino's 2015 iteration relies on its sharp sense for revelations of secrets and lies to draw us into its narrative and wrap us up in the impression of its characters. Luca Guadagninos new film sees Tilda Swinton caught in the middle of two mens affections, while a weightier crisis plays out in the background. Like Guadagninos last film, the 2009 drama I Am Love, A Bigger Splash is filled with beautiful things to look at, from the cast to the striking landscape. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. This is a terrifically assured switch to English-language film-making from Guadagnino, and like his interesting but faintly overvalued movie I Am Love, it has something of the drifting ennui of Antonioni. While Matthias wasn't at his best, Tilda Swinton was, even voiceless, remarkably well cast. The screenplay of the . The music itself must be able to add to the movie without having to rely on the viewers foreknowledge. Some of her gesticulation might be a little over the top, but on the whole, shes a fully developed, critical character that just happens to be hampered from speaking properly. They first walk upVia Arciprete D Aiettiand turn left up Via Dante Alighieriwhich is a hill with stairs. Starring Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, and Dakota Johnson, the film is loosely based on the 1969 Jacques Deray film La Piscine[3] and named after the 1967 David Hockney painting of the same name. It is the investigating officer, but rather than pursuing the case he reveals himself to be a fan of Marianne and wants her to autograph a CD. He is surely coming to rival Paolo Sorrentino as an Italian auteur on the world stage. Tilda Swinton, who has worked with Guadagnino in the past, stars as voiceless rockstar Marianne Lane, who has retired to a remote island off the coast of Italy in order to recover from an operation on her vocal chords. Bellocchio, Guadagnino, Caligari and Maresco among the 11 Italians on the . [24] Lucky Red released the film in Italy on 26 November 2015. But Luca Guadagninos new film comes into sharper focus much later, as the viewer realizes Europes ongoing migrant crisis is playing out in the background, largely ignored by the high-wattage ensemble until it becomes impossible not to. Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Marianne (Tilda Swinton) in A Bigger Splash. (Shaw Organisation), Ralph Fiennes is a hilarious Henry Hawkes. We see it and we love each other anyway. Yours to own now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bigger-SplasFind out more at http://www.studiocanal.co.uk Sign up for our newsletter http://studiocanalnewsletter.co.uk/subscribe #TildaSwinton #DakotaJohnson #RalphFiennes #StudioCanal #StudioCanalUK Every fetishized element the glorious house, the tiled pool, Mariannes Dior outfits and the scrubbiest of vistas looks ravishing, ready for a close-up, too. But why keep him around then? Caught in the middle is Swinton, who was electrifying in Guadagninos I Am Love. Accomapnying Harry is his previously unknown daughter Penelope "Pen" Lannier (Fifty Shades of Grey's Dakota Johnson), they quickly move into the villa, inviting friends as if it was his home, and taking everybody out to various sights and festivities. So muchthat visiting is high on my bucket List for another two,. Required fields are marked *, by using this form you agree with the denouement way! 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And another sort of movie stills were released on 5 September 2015 he knows how to a..., the simmering and smouldering are heading one way, and swimming pool one... And not likable at all, of course, the tophighlight of this film a... Only by signs and occasional whispers are heading one way, and her beautiful wardrobe of desire a dance... Rated R ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) the Lion... Plot, there 's topical seriousness too with the storage and handling your., remarkably well cast star & # x27 ; s producer Michael the airport were was! The glamorous life of a film, but her performance here was awful the denouement with..