By William Wolf

A BIGGER SPLASH  Send This Review to a Friend

Director Luca Guadagnino’s “A Bigger Splash” is rich in atmosphere and a good cast, but the characters played are basically boring. The interest in them comes mainly from the charisma of the stars who portray them. Visually, the film is arresting, but as the plot heats up, one is hard-pressed to care for those who become embroiled in the march toward tragedy.

“Bigger Splash” is based on the 1969 film, “La Piscine,” which was directed by Jacques Deray. Guadagnino has set the film on an Italian island where Tilda Swinton as Marianne Lane, a legendary rock star, is vacationing with her lover, Paul, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. Marianne is recuperating from throat surgery and can barely speak. When she does, it is in whispers.

Swinton, with her regal bearing and talent, is one of the most unusual looking actresses working today, and her repressed speech adds an aura of mystique to this performance. The island paradise is disrupted when Ralph Fiennes as Harry, Marianne’s former lover, arrives bent on restoring their relationship. To complicate matters, Harry arrives with his sexually provocative daughter, played by Dakota Johnson.

The scene is set for heavy breathing complications and rivalry that, combined with the exotic island atmosphere and the swimming pool lounging, threaten to explode. One may enjoy watching these excellent actors at work, especially Swinton and Fiennes, but will one really care what happens to them? A Fox Searchlight release. Reviewed May 4, 2016.

  

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