There was a time when the much-maligned period drama Serena featured the likes of Angelina Jolie and Darren Aronofsky. That would have been quite the pair; the kind of talent that would put the film in awards discussions and possibly fill a multiplex or two. It wasn't meant to be, but certainly a trio of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier would suffice? Actually, one can argue it's a step up. But if there's anything to take away from the mediocre Serena it's that all the Hollywood A-listers in the world can't make up for zero chemistry and a story that's campy in places it shouldn't be.
Serena had the stink of disaster written all over it. Completed more than
two years ago, it was the first reteaming of Lawrence and Cooper following
their much-loved collaboration in Silver Linings Playbook. Nothing was
heard about it for months. American Hustle came and went with barely a
peep, and then whispers started to emerge that the film might be a piece of
junk. Premiering at London late last year, those reports were largely
backed-up, but festival crowds can be a picky lot. Serena isn't quite
the total disaster it appeared to be, but it's far from what it should
be.
Based on the novel by Ron Rash, Serena is an old school, golden age
Hollywood melodrama set in the heart of the Depression era. It looks great, and
has the grand sweep of many of Bier's serious-minded dramas. Atmospherics
aren't the problem: script and casting are. Cooper plays timber magnate George
Pemberton, who runs a successful logging operation in North Carolina. When we
first see him he's out hunting a panther that may or may not actually exist, so
right away this darn movie is unintentionally silly before it even gets going.
George is a man used to getting what he wants, and when he first lays eyes on
the beautiful Serena (Lawrence) during an equestrian event, he must have her.
Fortunately she's a pretty easy catch. They're quickly married, and Serena
returns with him back home and becomes a forceful part of the business.
George seems to have everything, but as they say, "Mo' money mo'
problems". Serena rubs George's best friend and business partner Buchanan
(David Dencik) the wrong way, and a quiet power struggle ensues. George has a
bastard child with a local girl, and Serena fears she may start asking for
money. The local sheriff (Toby Jones) is looking to build a park and wants to
buy George out. Plus, there are all kinds of various shady business dealings
that George is always on the verge of getting caught on. The first hour of the
film vaguely resembles the aggressively entrepreneurial spirit of There Will
Be Blood, and George has enough unscrupulous practices to be his own Daniel
Plainview. Serena proves herself tougher than any man, chopping down trees to
shut up her doubters, and making close friends with a dangerous woodsman (Rhys
Ifans) to keep others in line. Mess with her, and you'll go down like just
another tree in the forest.
Truth be told, there's a lot that works about the film while exploring
Serena's hard fought struggle for respect in a male-dominated industry. There's
a great deal of mystery surrounding Serena and the tragedy in her past, while
there's always something potentially lethal about her lurking beneath the
surface. But Christopher Kyle's screenplay doesn't do much to make George a
very interesting guy, and that isn't helped by a performance by Cooper that
feels out of place. He doesn't quite fit in the old timey setting, and clearly
isn't at ease with the dialogue. Not that the role demands an accent but Cooper
tries to sound like what he thinks a 1920s rich guy would sound like. Half the
time he sounds like plain old Cooper; the rest like an Al Capone flunky. The
crackling chemistry he's had with Lawrence is nowhere to be found, partly due
to their performances and partly because of the lousy screenplay. There's no
doubting Lawrence has grown into a phenomenal actress, but she's outclassed
here. It's a role that was simply too big for her at that stage of her career.
She's not awful; but she doesn't have the passion we've seen from her since.
Certainly she's not capable of capturing believably the transition Serena takes
from strong-willed businesswoman to murderous psychopath. Say wha?
Like the title character, Serena eventually sheds its beautiful
wrapping and reveals a twisted horror underneath, and the transformation is
utterly ludicrous. There are axe murderers, fulfilled prophecies, killer
panthers, and all sorts of nonsense that comes from absolutely nowhere. Where
did this psychological thriller crap come from all of the sudden? Was it
dropped in from another movie and nobody told us? Bier isn't used to handling this
kind of material and it shows; otherwise she would have laid some crazy
groundwork along the way. But that's simply not the kind of director she is.
Having built her career on complicated but respectful family dramas, handing
the wackadoodle tone of Serena is out of her league. Fortunately for her
and the leads, the film is being rolled out so quietly that few will ever get
to see just how lousy it is.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
