by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
A Rated R 119 min
Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier created visually stunning still shots and close-ups that were so well thought out, each frame of the film could be exhibited in an art gallery. Allan Loeb’s screenplay is a masterful exploration of grief, drug addiction, loneliness and recovery after a tragedy. The scenario involves Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) who has just lost her husband Brian (David Duchovny) in a senseless murder.
Viewers learn about Brian in numerous flashbacks. The key to understanding this story is Steven’s unusual friendship with his childhood buddy, Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro). The two grew up together and, although Brian went on to achieve success as a real estate developer, he still stayed in touch with Jerry, who had hit rock bottom as a heroin addict. Audrey hated Jerry because Brian confided in him, telling him things that he wouldn’t tell Audrey. Brian showed remarkable compassion for his friend and tried to help him.
Loeb’s script is a study in character-driven story lines, revolving around Brian’s murder. He had intervened when he observed a husband beating his wife to death. The murder and the subsequent aftermath leaves Audrey devastated. When Jerry shows up at the wake, Audrey has ambivalent feelings toward him. However, Jerry is her only link with her dead husband, so she puts aside her anger and nurtures a fragile friendship with him.
Bier, who is internationally renowned for such films as Open House, Brothers, and After the Wedding, was given carte blanche by DreamWorks to make the film in her original style, making no concessions for American audiences. The resulting final cut is quality cinema that is neither pretentious nor aimed at selective viewers. Everyone can relate to the core premise–the sudden loss of a loved one by random violence. How Audrey gradually lifts herself up from her crippling grief is a hopeful inspiration to those who have been through it.
Ah yes, Halle Berry is drop dead gorgeous even toned down to look haggard. She skillfully portrays Audrey as a lost soul trying to make sense of her husband’s murder and still a good mother to her two children. Bier uses her actors to show emotions by affecting various facial expressions instead of dialogue. The meticulous orchestration of her scenes focuses on Benicio Del Toro’s ragged heroin-addled face, juxtaposed with Audrey’s anguished expressions. Del Toro’s penetrating performance may win him another Oscar. (Del Toro won an Oscar for Best Supporting Role in Traffic.)
Bier’s style of hand held camera work utilizing available lighting greatly enhances the noir-ish tone of the story. She uses closeups of Berry’s eyes and Del Toro’s grizzled junkie face to drive home the characters’ plight. Audrey feels an inexplicable closeness to Jerry, but she’s jealous of his past relationship with Brian. She invites Jerry to stay in her house and finish rebuilding a spare room, which was the garage that burned up in a fire. He reluctantly accepts her offer. Audrey doesn’t want to be alone and leans on Jerry, but his drug addiction gets in the way. For Audrey, this shaky relationship brings out a cascade of repressed emotions. In the realm of friendship, Brian was closer to Jerry than he was to Audrey–a fact that drives her up the wall.
Halle Berry digs deep into Audrey’s soul, affecting hidden emotions and pain. It’s a showcase performance. In the midst of all this tragedy, Berry even brings out Audrey’s bitchy side when she gets angry that Jerry has knowledge of events that Brian never told her about.
This film is an Oscar contender that speaks volumes about tolerance and friendship. Bier took the time to setup her shots to convey a feast of visual images set against exemplary characterizations by top tier actors.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
