The film revolves around our own impulses and giving in to the desires that we in our hearts know that are wrong, and it’s in that concept where Guadagnino’s script feels very scintilating, but unfortunately the focus is quickly lost in a field of incoherrence, and a screenplay that is far too stretched to adaquately meet its two hour run time. What keeps it above water are some gifted performances from some of Hollywood’s current and up-and-coming stars, who really demand the attention of the audience watching at home. Make no mistake about it, “A Bigger Splash” isn’t a terrible film, but its influence on Italian cinema certainly doesn’t translate well enough to make this a memorable sit.
Luca puts a lot of the focus on Italian films of the 1960’s, so everything from the cinematography to the luxurious locations are given their respective time to shine. Some of the camera work and angles really bring together a very experimental side of filmmaking, mainly in the following of our characters through many rooms in each scene. I have also always been a fan of point-of-view expositional scenes, and this movie focuses more than once on characters looking into the camera while talking to another character. This puts the audience in the shoes of the actors, and it all really feels authentically rich. I also greatly dug the landscapes and rich tastes of the land revolving around the Mediterranean Sea in the film. Guadagnino really puts time and effort into his setting and how important visual ecstacy can play to one’s carnal desires. It all gives the movie style, but is there really any substance?
For the first half of the film, the movie focuses on two different timelines; one for the current story playing out with our four protagonists, and one for the past mostly between the romantic relationship between singer and producer in Fiennes and Swinton. I have always been a fine of this kind of storyline exposition, and was happy to see it used in such a brilliant manor in this film. My problem with it however, comes in Luca practically abandoning it in the middle of the second act where the juicy details of the story really start to take shape. It’s in this part of the movie where we could’ve used more backstory, as I feel a lot of the history between this love triangle wasn’t quite documented, and instead quickly mentioned in passing. In fact, a lot of the third act of this film struggled to communicate to me the very play-by-play of what was going on with our characters. I give the film great credit for keeping us guessing, despite a trailer that leaves the very meat of this story quite predictable, but the incoherrence bug really bites Guadagnino’s script during the third act when too many things happen at once. It doesn’t allow the audience enough time to slow down and really take everything in, and because of that, I feel that a lot of non-critic audiences will go home with a sour taste in their mouths, or checking their watches every ten minutes like I was doing. It’s a shame that this film became boring, but with reasons like the ones I mentioned, the film’s once intriguing concept leaves heavy-eyed in execution.
As for the performances for the film, there is nothing left to be desired, as each of these four actors leave it all out on camera. Dakota Johnson continues to elevate her acting legs by taking on a character who is a silent storm of sly sexuality. Johnson is asked on more than one occasion to hold her own against the big name cast, and it’s in the growing tension between her and Swinton where the film really felt edgy. Tilda Swinton displays so much charisma despite the fact that she doesn’t speak for a majority of this movie. As a singer, her character has to go through vocal surgery, but that doesn’t slow down one of the best actresses in Hollywood today, as she really communicates facially the kind of moral struggle that her character is going through with two different men who really love her. But the rivalry between Matthias Schoenearts and Ralph Fiennes is what really steals the show. There’s a quiet competition between them, and each little word is used as a psychological jab at the other one. Fiennes really lays it all on the line mentally and physically with this performance, and I’ve certainly seen more of him in this film than I really cared to….Emphasis on GRAPHIC NUDITY
Overall, “A Bigger Splash” isn’t quite the creative cannonball into the proverbial pool of entertaining watches, but there’s enough here to warrant a rental for fans of overinflated sexual suspense films. For me, the movie barely even treads water, and it’s seduction is about as shallow as its finale.