Film Review: "Submergence" (2017).

"Separated by fate. Bound by destiny." This is Submergence. This romantic thriller film directed by Wim Wenders, adapted by Erin Dignam, and based on the novel of the same name by J. M. Ledgard. Clinging to life in a cell in Africa, James is brutally interrogated by jihadis. Worlds away, Danielle prepares to descend into the Arctic Sea. Facing life-or-death ordeals, they must rely on their deep emotional connection.

By early April 2016, Alicia Vikander, and James McAvoy were cast in a film adaptation of Ledgard's novel of the same name penned by Dignam and Wenders set to direct. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in Berlin, Germany; Faroe Islands; Madrid and Toledo, Spain, as well as throughout France and Djibouti.

The film stars Vikander and McAvoy. James and Danielle's paths will cross repeatedly over the ensuing years, but this is not the story of an unlikely couple drawn together by tragedy. Rather, it is a multi-pronged exploration of the things we keep inside thanks to McAvoy and Vikander's performances. However, both Vikander and McAvoy can't enliven this muddled and lumbering melodrama. The passing years find the characters unmarked and undeveloped; incidents follow with little inner necessity and virtually no insight into both of their passions or processes.

The film takes place in two different parts of the world, here utterly boring and uninflected with anything beyond a few trying landscapes. Wenders is clearly phoning it in. Maybe he didn't even show up for work. It's a well-photographed story with an intriguing setup, but soon we're mired in a meandering, stilted story with forced dialogue and some surprisingly subpar performances from the talented cast. A small but taut drama in which the beautiful physical details jumping off the screen only serve to emphasize an ill-defined setting and major insufficiencies in the script and performances. More charitable viewers may struggle along with it, giving it the benefit of the doubt, expecting it to at least stick the landing. Despite assurances to the contrary, Wenders' film turns out to be a frustratingly distancing drama that fails to capitalize on its source material. You need a particular alchemy of mood and character to make so much nothing feel so urgent, an alchemy missing from the film. Wenders is trying to do new things within the confines of a pretty standard European art-film scenario, and the viewer can see he's not approaching the material as though it's rote. It's possible that the film is understated to a fault, that excavating its deeper meanings is deliberately impeded rather than enabled by its gently casual vibe. There are some lovely compositions both indoors and outdoors (including a use of split-screen), but the film still lacks the poetry or even fundamental interest of the film of his it most closely resembles, Paris, Texas. With backing from various producers and director of the gravitas of Wenders - not to mention a solid cast - you'd think the film would be more impressive than it turns out to be.

Simon says Submergence receives: