by Frank Calvillo
A couple of years ago, I wrote about how while the summer movie season had disintegrated into more or less a tentpole factory of mind-numbing sequels and remakes, the independent side of things appeared to be thriving more than ever with such high-profile offerings as The Congress, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Hellion, and The One I Love packing art house theaters while inching their way closer to the mainstream. Thankfully, this is a trend that has shows no sign of stopping, with the release of such anticipated fare as Diary of a Chambermaid, Weiner-Dog, Genius, and Cafe Society showing that there is indeed still life in the summertime. This new found summer indie movie season kicks off with a memorable start thanks to the Tilda Swinton-starrer A Bigger Splash, an intense character study that blends old fashioned romance and quiet, yet powerful suspense.
The Oscar-winning actress reunites with her I Am Love director Luca Guadagnino for this tale of a rock icon named Marianne Lane (Swinton) who is recovering from throat surgery in a summer estate on the Italian seaside with her documentary filmmaker boyfriend Paul (Matthais Schoenaerts). As the two are basking in their idyllic time together, enjoying the sea, sand, and especially each other, in comes Harry (Ralph Fiennes), a record producer, who also happens to be Marianne’s ex. Accompanying him is a beautiful young blonde named Penelope (Dakota Johnson) who Harry introduces as his long-lost daughter. As the days pass, tensions among the four rise, including both old ghosts and new desires.
Despite Swinton being cast as the female lead, there’s no question at all that the setting of A Bigger Splash is the true star of the film. Shot on location at Pantelleria Island, every part of the film looks like it takes place in a dreamy paradise untouched by time and modernity. In some ways I was reminded of this 1968 movie called A Place for Lovers starring Marcello Mastroianni and Faye Dunaway, where the two play strangers who fall in love while the latter is vacationing by herself at an Italian villa. The story played out like the appropriate weepie that it is, but it was anchored by the lush Italian setting which took everything to a richer emotional level. From the cobblestone streets to the rocky cliffs, the tiny Sicilian island in A Bigger Splash gives the same glorious effect. It’s virtually impossible not to fall in love with the sun-drenched world of this tiny Italian island and all the bliss it contains, allowing for a truly enlivening backdrop for people to face their desires and dark thoughts.
At the heart of A Bigger Splash is a character study shrouded in both mystery and sensuality. Everyone in the film is lusting after somebody else, whether openly or secretly. There’s a fantastic amount of emotional build-up as the audience is forced to piece together what exactly makes each of these four characters tick as their true selves are slowly revealed. It’s interesting to note the subtle ways that suspense is used throughout A Bigger Splash, as the questions of who secretly wants what, who really loves whom. and what has happened in the past bring these four individuals together. Even when some of these questions are answered, there is still plenty of emotional suspense on hand, particularly in the final dinner scene in which every character has something to hide.
By this point in her career, casting Swinton as a seasoned rock icon is not a stretch. While there are only a handful of moments which capture her in that specific world, there’s never any doubt of her belonging there. Because of her character’s condition, the actress’s role is largely dialogue-free, yet she still perfectly embodies a woman who finds herself battling conflicting feelings with regard to both her past and present. As her romantic partner, Schoenaerts gives an impressive turn as a man deeply in love, yet trying to fend off the various forces trying to pull him away from Marianne.
Johnson may have the film’s trickiest role, mainly because Penelope remains largely a mystery throughout most of the film until the final act. This doesn’t limit the actress by any means. Watching her hold the key to who Penelope is through an array of mysterious looks and gazes results in Johnson’s strongest performance to date. Finally, Fiennes enjoys the flashiest role of his career as the somewhat maniacal Harry, whose boundless energy and zest for life mask a bevy of regrets. It’s a kind of role the actor has never attempted before, and one which he nails from the minute he is on the screen. If there’s any justice left in the industry, the actor will be receiving an Oscar nomination for his showstopping work.
In many ways, the whole plot of A Bigger Splash reads as if it were a blurb on MTV News or a chapter in some rock legend’s autobiography. However, complex characters being embodied by such strong actors, in a setting most people only dream of losing themselves in, elevates the more trivial aspects of the film to make the whole film an enrapturing experience to savor.
