Movie Review: A Bigger Splash

Adult melodramas are usually hit or miss for a lot of audience members. When played right, they can become absorbing and endlessly engaging. A perfect example would be Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003). That film was able to provide viewers with a compelling melodramatic premise that was elevated by terrific performances from the main leads, steady direction, and sharp writing. The tricky thing is, however, not all adult melodramas have those things going for them, and when they don’t they can be incredibly dull. In order for the film to be a successful addition to the genre they need to be able to have relatable characters, compelling situations, and smart writing that connects with the audience. Unfortunately, A Bigger Splash is a perfect example of an adult melodrama that completely misses the mark and makes a joke of itself by the end of the film.

The film follows rock star Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton), who is recovering from vocal surgery and lives with her boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) on the exotic Italian island, Pantelleria. The two are enjoying their time together until Marianne’s ex record producer and former lover, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), unexpectedly visits with his attractive daughter, Penelope (Dakota Johnson). What starts out as a fun holiday for everyone, quickly turns into a vacation of jealousy, sexual encounters, and loads of uninteresting dialogue.

A film with this talented of a cast, a well-respected Italian director, and a beautiful location should not be dull. But, incredibly, somehow it is. The first half of the film sets up the characters’ relationships with each other, and although they certainly could have been interesting, everyone seems to be faking with everyone else, as the situation is glaringly uncomfortable. Which is certainly fine, but the awkwardness never goes away and everything just feels staged. The film tries to establish a fun tone, especially when Fiennes’ character is introduced. It never seems like it knows what it wants to be as it bounces from attempts at witty dialogue to scenes filled with self-serious and soap opera inspired conversations.

The acting is what makes some of the film watchable as everyone involved does their best to elevate the material. Fiennes in particular tries to steal the spotlight as he plays the eccentric, sex crazed ex-lover trying to rekindle an old flame. The performance is very reminiscent of his turn in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), but is nowhere near as enjoyable to watch because that type of performance perfectly fit Wes Anderson’s vision, while it seems a little out of place here. Swinton and Schoenaerts are fine as lovers dealing with an uncomfortable situation, but it is Johnson who adds to the film’s eye-rolling soap opera moments. She never seems fully interested, and I understand that is partially due to her character, but there are points where it seems she is sleepwalking through scenes. It’s not Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) bad, but it is not enjoyable to watch.

Without giving too much away, there is a twist in the third act that is completely out of nowhere that I think needs to be addressed. I imagine that the filmmakers and writers thought that it would make their film more compelling and blow their audiences’ minds, but it made me hate the film even more. It takes a drastic turn that is completely unearned and plays out in the most unsatisfying way possible that I was both stunned at the turn of events when the screen went black and relieved that it was over.

A Bigger Splash is one of the dullest movies I’ve seen in a while and even though it thinks that the third act twist is something that will compel viewers, it came across to me as a joke and embarrassing. The film does not earn the twist and from that moment forward I was itching to walk out of the theater. The scenery is always gorgeous to look at, but it’s sad that the location is more compelling than anything happening in the story. The actors try their best to elevate the material, and they certainly look like they are having a great time vacationing on a beautiful Italian island, but none of the performances are able to save this complete misfire.

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Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.

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