Film Review: "Serena" (2014).

"Some loves can never let you go" in Serena. This drama film directed by Susanne Bier, adapted by Christopher Kyle, and based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Ron Rash. In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when he marries Serena.

The screenplay for this film was featured in the 2010 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year. The film was originally to be directed by Darren Aronofsky, with Angelina Jolie as the title character. Ultimately, however, Bier replaced Aronofsky as director and Lawrence was cast in the title role. Lawrence recommended Bradley Cooper, with whom she had worked previously on Silver Linings Playbook; they had got along so well that they often spoke about working together in the future. When Lawrence read the script, she sent a copy to Cooper and asked if he would do it with her. He agreed and was ultimately cast. By late March 2012, Rhys Ifans, Sean Harris, Toby Jones, Sam Reid, David Dencik, Conleth Hill, Ned Dennehy, and Kim Bodnia rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in mid June. Filming took place at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic. The production was supported by the Czech Republic's State Cinematography Fund under the Film Incentives Programme. According Bier, the film was mired by a complicated post-production period due to the need for dialogue dubbing, due to airplane noise during the shoot in Prague. Lawrence was unable to show up for dubbing sessions. The producers of this movie tried to buy Lawrence out of filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) for one day, but that proved to be more expensive than the budget of this movie.

The film stars Lawrence, Cooper, Ifans, Harris, Jones, Reid, Dencik, Hill, Dennehy, and Bodnia. The cast, especially Lawrence and Cooper acted with heartbreaking efficiency. Lawrence is brilliant here, as good as she’s ever been. With this performance, Cooper may have managed to top even himself. The film shows that Lawrence and Cooper are Hollywood most charismatic actors right now. Their scenes are scenes equal, but in a split second they can dramatise the canvas to make the throat lace itself. Also they is good as love-stricken but conflicted individuals.

Serena is a well-acted, beautifully filmed reflection on love, loss, and power from life's obstacles. It is an impeccably constructed and perfectly paced drama of domestic and internal volatility. The film will probably be most American moviegoers' version of the Dogma-flavored direction of Bier. Newcomers probably won't be as irritated by Bier's more restrained hand-held camerawork, desaturated colors and odd obsession with random close-ups, especially of characters' eyes. For the rest of us, Bier's new directorial tics will begin to wear thin. The film makes some missteps, most of them in pacing and length, and the story veers occasionally into melodrama, but it is saved by the powerful performances of Lawrence and Cooper, who are hypnotically watchable.

Simon says Serena receives:

Also, see my review for Love Is All You Need.