A Bigger Splash

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Luca Guadagnino/Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson and Aurore Clement

I usually detest remakes; finding them an unnecessary and inadequate copy of the original but Italian director Luca Guadagnino's A Bigger Splash, which re-imagines Jacques Deray's 1969 La Piscine, establishes its own dramatic identity. Guadagnino transports the original story from the French Mediterranean to a Sicilian retreat, where psycho-sexual tensions motivate the characters actions. Guadagnino's film is a sensual delight. Hedonistic diversions serve as opportunities to not only unshackle the sexual potential of a friendly sojourn, but also crash a couple's almost inviolable marriage.

The premise is something we've seen a billion times before; a small group of people gather together in a scenic retreat presumably to relax and enjoy one another's company. What follows thereafter is also something we've seen many times before; characters dealing with barely suppressed acrimony, sexual tension and past resentments, which eventually erupt. In this case, the end result is extreme and tragic. Though the plot is hardly new, Guadanino's cast makes the story's psychological richness compelling.

Tilda Swinton plays Marianne Lane; a rock star of considerable renown, who, with her documentary filmmaker boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) decide to rent a place in Sicily for a getaway that serves in a large part as a convalescent retreat. Marianne has just had throat surgery, which has rendered her literally speechless--or nearly so. While Marianne recovers from her surgery, Paul recovers from alcoholism. From what we see of their physical relationship, we can safely assume Paul and Marianne are very much in love.

But their blissful state is interrupted by the arrival of Marianne's old flame and Paul's former friend and collaborator; Harry Hawkes (an exuberant Ralph Fiennes) and a beautiful, young woman he introduces as his daughter; Penelope Lannier (Dakota Johnson). From Marianne and Paul's reactions to his presence, we can safely gather they aren't entirely happy to see their manic friend, for reasons partly obvious.

As the parties spend time under one roof, respective back stories come to the fore in flashbacks as we see Marianne and Harry from long ago when their passionate relationship burned stellar hot. We also see Harry and Paul in the past during the making of a music documentary. After Harry asks Paul if he would like to meet Marianne, the documentarian eagerly assents. Harry's act of generosity comes back to haunt him after Paul and Marianne's relationship becomes viable. Interestingly enough, we never see Paul and Marianne interact in a flashback.

Though Marianne seems firmly committed to Paul, Harry slowly makes attempts to seduce her and woo her back. Meanwhile, Penelope begins her own slow seduction of Paul, who resists her in spite of her powerful sex appeal.

The sensual charms of the Sicilian milieu are irresistible not only to the characters but may be to the audience as well. Guadagnino spares none of our senses. The group's naked or half-naked bodies delight the eyes while the island's culinary pleasures tempt our palates. A delectable sight of a large fish cooked and coated in a thick layer of breading is but one of the film's gustatory visuals. A scene where Harry shares a memory from his professional life as a music producer on the Rolling Stones' album Emotional Rescue serves as prelude to his actually playing the song of the same name for the gathering, who fall under the music's enchanting spell. No one is more carried away by the music than Harry, who ends up outside, rapturously overcome by the music.

The contrasts in personality between Harry and Paul are very conspicuous. Where Harry always seems annoyingly "on" and always game for a good time, Paul is more reserved and introspective. As the film moves along and Harry's play for Marianne becomes more aggressive, one might wonder which man is better suited to be her companion. Everything in Harry's nature seems related to his passion for music, which makes he and Marianne the rock star, the more logical pairing.

As the four loll about the pool and wander about the arid surroundings, the tension begins to build. Harry presses Marianne for sex, hoping to rekindle their former relationship while Penelope never tires of assailing Paul's nearly impenetrable wall.

During a village festival, Harry commandeers a karaoke machine in a town bar. Harry's spirited performance begins to draw a large crowd. During one song, he waves Penelope over. She joins him in a sexy, highly inappropriate dance that raises a few eyebrows in the village.

As Harry and Penelope's vacation nears an end, all the pent-up tension detonates, resulting in a tragedy that seems almost inevitable.

The story's conclusion leaves the audience with several questions. When Paul and Penelope wander off on a day-long walk, does he finally give into temptation as she stands beside a rocky pool, naked and inviting? Is the father/daughter relationship between Harry and Penelope really a sham? Are they in fact, lovers? Their relationship is called into question when Marianne and Paul discover Penelope is actually 17 though she has claimed all along to be 22. And Penelope's cold demeanor toward Marianne is that of a jealous rival rather than a daughter.

A film like A Bigger Splash relies heavily on its cast to handle its rich psychology, which is not a problem for someone like Tilda Swinton, who excels in roles like Marianne. Schoenaerts' broody performance is a perfect counterpoint to Fienne's Harry, whose emotions and simmering sexuality are never concealed. Harry's sexual power is a bomb blast that spreads in all directions. We even see its subtle, barely perceptible effect on Paul. Fienne's performance is almost over-the-top but he grounds his character enough to make him credible. He certainly makes everyone else look as though they are grossly underplaying their parts. I don't know that Johnson's character is drawn as well as her co-stars but she handles her role well enough.

One would think Guadagnino might indulge himself in visual sweeps of his Sicilian home but he never goes for breathtaking pans or arresting long shots of the island's topographical beauty. Though the surroundings are very much in evidence, he never lets the film become a mere travelogue.
Guadagnino leaves us with unsolved mysteries that he wisely avoids addressing. We come away from the film, having had an intoxicating, sensual experience. Behind the epicurean delights and Mediterranean sunshine is an engaging but ultimately tragic story.

How to Be Single

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Christian Ditter/Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy and Alison Brie

I had misgivings about How to Be Single after seeing the trailer, being that romantic comedies are typically the most inane product excreted from the Hollywood machine. The world really needs one more movie about young twenty-somethings contending with dating and relationships? What's worse is that the movie features Rebel Wilson, whose signature foul-mouthed, promiscuous, best friend-to-the-beautiful-protagonist character had to have been conceived in a tweet. Ditto for her performance. If she ever plays anything else in a movie, you'll also hear about a cure for the common cold.
Unfortunately, nothing else in the movie looked particularly interesting and a chunk of the cast have already served time in other romantic comedies; namely Alison Brie, Leslie Mann and Jake Lacy. Mann could easily mentor any cast-member in the finer points of the romantic comedy craft.

But because I expected little from the movie, or I simply realized the alternate choices were a appallingly bad adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, another Wayans's brothers parody or Zoolander 2; I actually found the movie palatable. I know that isn't exactly a passionate endorsement but it's the most honest response I can muster, given the genre. Director Christian Ditter's flick isn't the worst cinematic experience one will have this year. That distinction may go to the forthcoming Miracles from Heaven (if you haven't seen the trailer, check it out on IMDB or YouTube; it's a howler). It also won't be the most memorable. It's a film that takes leave of some of the romantic-comedy trappings to generate a few moments of genuine charm and impart the main character's hard-earned wisdom, which manages to steer clear of total triteness.

The story, based on the novel by Liz Tuccillo, is standard issue romantic comedy; young woman named Alice (Dakota Johnson) moves to New York City after agreeing to a separation from her long-term boyfriend, Josh (Nicholas Braun). It is understood implicitly that the two will come together again at some time in the indeterminate but near future. She takes up temporary lodgings with her older sister Meg (Leslie Mann), who works as a doctor at a local hospital. She also meets Robin (Rebel Wilson), a co-worker at her new job at a law firm, who wastes little time sharing secrets about the job, like the best places to hook-up on the premises. Robin also assumes the title of Alice's single-life guru; teaching the finer points of bar-life behavior and dealing with men.

But the film comes with a wide panoply of characters; all who represent singledom in its various incarnations. We have the young and handsome Tom (Anders Holm), who runs a local bar and is happy to share his non-commitment guy secrets with any woman he seduces into his apartment. Tom is attracted to Lucy (Alison Brie); a young woman who lives in neighborhood who uses Tom's bar as a place to pursue her on-line dating though it doesn't take a genius to figure they might end up together. Another character is the youngish Ken (Jake Lacy); Alice's co-worker, who eyes her older sister Meg (Leslie Mann) at a company party. Though their obvious age difference is hardly a deterrent to Ken, Meg is put off by what she sees as a temporary infatuation. The fact that she has also been impregnated via artificial insemination leaves her wary of his pursuit.
Other characters are Josh, who disappoints Alice when he announces his engagement to another woman but confuses her by periodically showing up for friendship and affection. Alice spends most of the film pining for Josh and making her happiness contingent on his coming back. And we also meet David (Damon Wayans Jr.); an African-American man with whom Alice begins a relationship, only to run afoul of his issues with his deceased wife. The idea of Alice and David being together takes the usually timid rom-com narrative someplace different; inter-racial romance is too bold a concept for Hollywood.

It isn't difficult to figure how the various threads will cross and entwine though I was surprised that a few end messily for one character or another. I also didn't anticipate the empowering choices Alice makes. Usually, in films of this stripe, the protagonist finds his or her love at the end after overcoming contrived crises but not here. I can at least give the film credit for not hewing snugly to the genre's narrative norms. The film offers a few more surprises but not many.

Other than the Alice/David pairing, which could have been the most exciting development in the story, I found the Ken/Meg story-line to be touching. It isn't often we see a young, studly, twenty-something pursue a pregnant forty-something in any romantic comedy.

By the time we reach the end credits, we see Alice has formulated some ideas about the virtues of being single, which is yet another way the movie breaks from the genre conventions.

In spite of the movie's attempt to shake the dust from romantic-comedies, I can't say I was wowed by the story. Several scenes stumble badly, such as Lucy's meltdown during a children's book reading at a local bookstore, which leads to a meeting with her future significant other. Most of Rebel Wilson's antics also just seem to be a reprise of everything she's done in other comedies and it isn't surprising when we learn she is committed to her single life. David's story-thread could have been given more time and space to become fully realized but it never happened.

I'm pleased that some of the loose ends were left loose and things didn't work out perfectly for some of the characters. So why didn't the film leave me feeling like I had seen something new? Because it was only a little better than my unbelievably low expectations, which were so low as to be despairing.

In spite of her penance in 50 Shades of Grey, Dakota Johnson is a charming presence. I don't know that she has any comedic bones in her body but she did give me a chuckle in a scene where she mimics Rebel Wilson. Her small role in Black Mass tells me she is willing to reach for more challenging roles so I'm hoping her turn here means she is only browsing in the romantic-comedy section. She shouldn't tarry here long, for the genre has claimed the careers of so many actresses, to wit: Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin (well, she only did two but she hasn't been heard from since) and Katherine Heigl, who couldn't get arrested now if she were caught with kiddie porn and a hundred kilos of heroine.

If the film doesn't celebrate being single, it at least doesn't treat it as a fatal disease. Alice finds liberation in it; which took me by surprise. How to Be Single isn't a bad movie. It's like a chocolate chip cookie sparsely sprinkled with chips. You wish it had bigger chunks of chocolate but at least it goes down easily.

Black Mass

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Scott Cooper/Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jesse Plemons, Julianne Nicholson, Adam Scott and David Harbour

By now most people should be fairly familiar with the story of James "Whitey" Bulger; Boston's one time crime kingpin and leader of the notorious White Hill Gang; who operated with impunity in the 1970s' and early 80s'. His capture in 2011 made national headlines while a documentary by Joe Berlinger garnered critical acclaim in theaters in 2014. So, I pose a question once reserved for filmmakers who have seen fit to flood theaters with flicks about Steve Jobs: do we need another film about Bulger and if so, what more do we need to know? Director Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace, Crazy Heart) must think the story is incomplete, for here we are again with Black Mass, based on the book of the same name by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. But Cooper's film isn't a biopic or even a character study. Though Bulger is the cynosural focus, it is his unholy alliance with the FBI that serves as the film's narrative center.

The story is told mainly in flashback, as we see respective members of the White Hill Gang sitting before an FBI agent, offering confessionals and relating their stories.

The film begins in mid-seventies South Boston. A south-side tough named Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) guards the door to the bar which serves as Bulger's headquarters. When three men try to gain entrance, a brutal round of fisticuffs breaks out, which necessitates Bulger's intervention. Impressed by Kevin's scrappy defense, Bulger appoints the young man to his muscle detail.

As Bulger's gang makes incursions into Italian mob territory, an FBI agent assigned to rid the city of organized crime, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) decides to enlist Bulger's help. What makes the idea particularly fascinating is Connolly's relationship with Bulger (a scary Johnny Depp), who was once a chum from his old south-side neighborhood. When the two meet, Bulger is wary of John's agenda. John proposes an alliance that would ensure the defeat of the Italian mobs in exchange for Bulger's complete freedom from arrest and FBI harassment. Seeing the deal as self-advantageous, Bulger agrees to an alliance in spite of his reluctance to help the FBI. Bulger's other ally is his younger brother Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch), a member of the Massachusetts state senate who turns a blind eye to his brother's illicit affairs.

John's deal with Bulger draws heat from his superiors; particularly his boss Charles McGuire (Kevin Bacon), who would like nothing more than to bring the kingpin to justice.

In early scenes, we see just how brutal Bulger can be when he and Kevin drive an Italian mobster to a secluded location before beating him savagely. Bulger's lack of concern about reprisals is consistent with his fearlessness and his disquieting volatility. Watching Bulger dispatch a fellow gang-member days after being challenged in the bar, we are never sure how he will behave or respond, which keeps associates (and the audience) in a constant state of anxiety and fear.

We also see some of Bulger's personal life. Bulger visits his girlfriend Lyndsey (Dakota Johnson) and his son Douglas. During a meal, Bulger is reprimanded by Lyndsey for giving their son advice on how to avoid being punished for hitting someone in the face. In another scene, we see Bulger having dinner with his brother and his mother; a momentary glimpse into his family life.

But mostly we see Bulger at work; encroaching on Italian mob territory and executing those who get in his way.

As time passes, Bulger provides the FBI with little in the way of useful information though John pressures him to honor his deal. McGuire begins to lose patience and begins to wonder why the FBI is letting Bulger operate with impunity.

In time, Bulger becomes more ambitious. His involvement in the business of the sport Jai-alai; a Latin-American sport that briefly gained popularity in the U.S. in the 1970s evolves from mild interest to active partner. Before long, Bulger wrests control of the business from its founders by intimidation and murder, drawing more of the FBI's attention and ire.

Connolly's wife Marianne (Julianne Nicholson), like her husband's FBI superiors, sees his partnership with Bulger for what it is; a dangerous and immoral conflict of interest. Connolly invites Bulger and a White Hill gang member to dinner where he and another agent named John Morris sit across a table. When Bulger asks John about his wife, he mentions that she is upstairs, feeling ill. Bulger excuses himself from the table to visit her, which becomes a study in dark, psycho-sexual seduction and intimidation. Bulger is both menacing and creepy when he runs his hand over Marianne's face; her revulsion and fear palpable.

Before long, both McGuire and Fred Wyshak (Cory Stoll); an aggressive, results-oriented district attorney who is also eager to see Bulger behind bars pressure Connolly further. Wyshak's integrity is such that he refuses Connolly's bribe of two Red-Sox tickets; giving him a dressing down instead that leaves him speechless.

Where Bulger's ambitions lead is hardly a mystery. As I mentioned earlier, the story is so familiar now after Berlinger's film, and Scorcese's The Departed; another drama based on Bulger's life. I return to my earlier question: was this film necessary? I suppose it was if only to see Johnny Depp play something other than pirate Jack and Willy Wonka. His performance, though interesting, isn't really infused with any psychological depth or psychic backstory that might shed light on the man's mind. Maybe it's unfair to ask that of an actor playing someone who probably has no depth anyway. I think I've seen more than my fair share of mob films, like Goodfellas, set a nigh-impossible standard to overcome--which makes me ask what new ground does this film claim? There were facts about his life of which I was unaware, like the Jai-alai business, but the film merely fills in more details and facts. This is one time I would have liked to learn something of his upbringing as a "Southey" and his experiences in Alcatraz and Leavenworth that might have shaped his thinking and behavior, as well as his ambitions.

The supporting cast was quite terrific, particularly Joel Edgerton, Julianne Nicholson and Dakota Johnson, who showed more range here than 50 Shades.

High marks for the production design, which captured the gritty look of 1970s' Boston; aided in part by the use of city locales.

I enjoyed the film and Depp's Bulger, but as more time is displaced between me and the screening, it seems less impressive, in spite of the excellent performances. The photos of Depp in his blue contacts and slicked hair are something from a horror film rather than real life. His appearance is an exaggeration of Bulger's, which becomes more a distraction than an attempt at physical accuracy.

I wouldn't dissuade anyone from seeing Cooper's film. I might even recommend it but my recommendation would come buried under a pile of reservations. See it to see some fine acting and Johnny Depp or, if you can't get enough of Whitey Bulger, you might be inspired by that reason alone. Otherwise; I can't think of other reasons.

50 Shades of Grey

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson/Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle and Marcia Gay Harden

At long last, Hollywood has made a pseudo-erotic movie for the Hobbit/Hunger Games demographics; one that's sure to offend no-one, even Muslim jihadists. Minor pre-release hysteria gripped parts of the the world, where Malaysia and Kenya banned the film, though after watching it, I find myself furrowing my brow in puzzlement. I can't imagine even a randy teenager would be titillated by such a timid, mechanically-plotted slog that makes your average, interminable wait at the DMV seem like a Bacchanalian orgy.

E.L. James novel, an international sensation (though I have yet to meet anyone who has read the book-or will admit to it), has sold over a 100 million copies. I have no idea what the book is like, but if the print version is anything like the potent soporific director Sam Taylor-Johnson's film adaptation has proven to be, then I'll politely pass on it and devote my finite time on Earth to reading something more engaging.

It almost seems pointless to synopsize the story but what the heck. Dakota Johnson plays Anastasia Steele; an English literature major at Washington State, who agrees to fill in for her ill roommate Kate (Eloise Mumford) to interview the young, telecommunications titan Christian Grey for the school paper.

When she arrives at Grey's building, we see that her dowdy get-up contrasts sharply with the Gestapo-like, sartorially-precise female staff, with their tight pony-tails and creaseless, no-nonsense business skirts.

Anastasia's first contact with Christian begins with a tumble (too contrived) when she first enters his office. Even worse is the interview that follows. Even though we're supposed to recognize the immediate attraction between them, it is more suggested than depicted. A bland exchange follows which is supposed to give us a hint about Christian's dominant personality when he says "I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele." One would hope for a little more darkness and menace from someone who will later reveal his outre taste in foreplay but Christian mostly comes off as an uptight CEO rather a person with secrets.

In days following their initial meeting, Anastasia finds her mind preoccupied with everything Christian as the two begin volleying e-mails.

Christian begins to shower gifts on Anastasia, like rare, first edition books and helicopter rides and as what seems like a Cinderella-romance burgeons and intensifies, she learns he has no interest in a conventional relationship. And in what is supposed to be a pivotal moment in the film and in the relationship, he shares his putative, dark secret; his passion for sado-masochistic sex (though for Christian, it's more the Sado part). His taste in controlled, violent sex is supposed to consistent with his need to control people.

Let's face it, the real reason anyone is interested in the film and these characters is Christian's sexual chamber of horrors, which aren't horrors at all but just a room full of S&M appurtenances and a bed. To director Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel's credit, Anastasia doesn't recoil in fear and revulsion at the sight of whips and ropes; instead, she shows a healthy curiosity. But the mystery and the hint of danger the moment needs is sorely lacking. For all the scene's tepidness, he may as well be showing Anastasia his Lord of the Rings figurines. Maybe Taylor-Johnson wanted the scene to play that way; to make Christian's secret seem mundane, but that plays as boring onscreen. I was hoping (unrealistically so) for a moment more like the secret society scenes in Eyes Wide Shut; something forbidden, or at least something to give us a jolt.

But it isn't Christian's sexual interests that trouble Anastasia; it's his need to control her whole life and to be a presence in it at all times of the day.
When Anastasia informs Christian that she is to visit her mother in Georgia on the day following a party he's thrown at his place (strange that she would wait until the day before to share such an important fact with him), he surprises--and annoys her--when he flies out to see them.

Frustrated with the lack of normality in the relationship, Anastasia tries to fathom the reasons behind his need to control. His zeal is such that he even asks her to sign a document--a contract of sorts--agreeing to be his submissive, to which she agrees, albeit with misgivings.

In exploring Christian's psychological make-up, the story (and the character itself) stumble into eye-rolling silliness. Though the fact that Christian was abused as a child (which explains the mysterious scars on his torso) might reasonably account for his desire to control, it is too pat a psychological explanation for his lifestyle. The explanation also stigmatizes it inadvertently. I was hoping for something less explicitly stated or more original than what seems like a psychological default setting in films.

When Christian and Anastasia finally partake of the pleasures of his secret room, it all plays exactly as one might expect. There is nudity, though it is all bashfully filmed (shots of private parts are discreetly avoided--mostly). For a film that is supposed to be so erotically charged, it never strays beyond diffidence. Instead of being a story about the transition from innocence to experience and all the complicated psychological demands that come with it, the film is more about just getting naked and being tied up a bit. And though it is supposed to be the film's major selling point, the nudity we see is hopelessly confused with eroticism. That distinction is key.

Eventually, Anastasia tires of Christian's refusal to engage in the even the most minor aspects of relationship-building and even what's supposed to be steamy sex doesn't help. Though Christian tells Anastasia at one point that she is changing him, we never see any evidence to substantiate his claim. He remains stubbornly devoted to control and his character becomes a one note, discordant hum. Anastasia isn't much better. After being introduced to the more mysterious, exotic side of human sexuality and personal control, it's only impact on her is revealed as a need for self-determination. That's fine, but will she carry any trace of the S&M experience in her psyche? We don't know; her own personality and psychology remain as thin as a nickel.

The casting choices have long been criticized and the complaints are valid. Were Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan the best the casting director could do? I'm sure every young A-List actor and actress in Hollywood shied away from what they probably felt might send their careers into cardiac arrest. I don't blame them. But maybe the actors shouldn't shoulder all the blame. The script and story cry out for provocation and risk. But Dornan and Johnson bring too much plainness to the table. And what of Jennifer Ehle and Marcia Gay Harden? I don't know, their respective characters demanded that they be smiling mommies, nothing more.

Two years ago, the erotic French film Blue is the Warmest Color won the top prize at Cannes and garnered lofty, critical praise. It earned it. The French aren't so tentative about sex and the fascination of relationship psychology. Blue was ferociously sexy, passionate, daring and it's no accident that the relationship it examined was rich and worthy of exploration. I thought a lot about Abdellatif Kechiche's film while watching 50 and believe me, Taylor-Johnson's film suffers in any comparison.

The film is such is an easy target, so what did I expect? To answer my semi-rhetorical question, not much...but as always, I hoped.

I was also hoping for a lot of unintentional laughs but it failed there as well. You may or not be interested to know I actually dozed during one of the film's sex scenes. So it goes.

SPECIAL NOTE TO PARENTS: If you were thinking about taking your Girl or Boy Scout troop to see the film, I won't dissuade you. The film certainly won't shock them. In fact, the film might serve as useful--and educational--instruction in the mechanics of human reproduction.*
But it's up to you to explain the whips and ropes.

*I'm only kidding; I won't be held accountable if you're dumb enough to take Boys and Girls Scouts to see the movie.