Movie Review - A Bigger Splash

A Bigger Splash **½ (out of 5) (R) Cinematic chameleon (more on that below) Tilda Swinton stars as a Joan Jett-style rock star, forced to recuperate from a severe voice strain in a small Italian village with her film maker beau (Matthias Schoenaerts) in an idyllic break from crowds and touring. She’s on strict medical orders not to speak, which seems just fine for both, since plenty of other pleasures - especially those of the most intimate variety- remain in reach and on the menu.

Weelll, that was too good to last. Ralph Fiennes, playing her producer and former lover, suddenly crashes the retreat, bringing a young hottie (Dakota Johnson) who turns out to be his American daughter no one knew about until quite recently. Fiennes’ character is an overly jovial, non-stop talker who makes most cokeheads seem relatively taciturn. His enthusiastic charm begins to wear thin on his reluctant hosts...and likely much of the audience. Beneath his chatter we sense undercurrents of less pleasant agendas that might be lurking within him and/or his daughter. Among the four, we wind up with a generous display of anatomical features, considerable erotic tension, and several elements of suspense. Numerous unpleasant prospects loom throughout. Some occur.

Swinton again showcases her marvelous versatility. Though the gifted Brit seems almost unhealthily pallid and slender, she can morph into just about any role, from hag to honey, rags to royalty, scary to sexy with minimal reliance on major physical alterations (weight changes, prosthetics, etc.). She deserves to have her salaries padded by a chunk of whatever her acting chops allow producers to save on makeup and effects. She’s always the same, and always different.

The pace is leisurely to tedious, depending on your tolerance for Fiennes’ character’s natterings and machinations. Though he added zest and humor in the early going, I found myself yearning for his time in The English Patient - bedridden, swathed in bandages, and mercifully quiet. Johnson’s surly Lolita-esque presence adds several dimensions of possibility to the buffet of sexual tensions swirling among the coastal villa’s occupants. Much of the tale unfolds in flashbacks and quiet spaces between the lines. The setting is as much a character as are the actors. By US standards, the action is minimal; but contemplative viewers may find the product’s subtleties compelling. Others may just enjoy the “naughty bits”... though they’re less likely to admit it. (5/20/16)