Serena (Susanne Bier, JLaw & BCoop)

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFHiZHZVaU

This film has been "in production" for about 2 years now. It was actually filmed between Silver Lining's Playbook and American Hustle but is only now seeing the light of day. I'm sure I read it was supposed to show at a few of the festivals this year but I haven't seen any mention of it actually doing so.

It's based on the book by Ron Rash which is excellent but the trailer doesn't really seem to give a good idea of what it's actually about. I'm wondering if they've gone way off from the book or if the trailer is just not giving anything away. Either way I've been waiting for this for so long I'm glad it's finally appeared.

Out October 24th.

Looper007

I enjoyed it (its far better then many critics are given it credit for) yes it's very Melodramatic (especially the 3rd act) and I do think personally (Mark Kermode also mentioned this in his review as have a few others) that studio bosses more then likely went behind Director's Susanne Bier back or forced her hand and recut the film to make sure Cooper and JLaw got more screen time cause of the success since the film was finished. You can get the feeling when Cooper and JLaw characters meet, it seems rushed and very choppy.

The underused great support cast (Toby Jones and Sean Harris are completely wasted and their parts seem to have been cut down in the edit) while Kim Bodnia is in the film for 1 scene (non speaking), he said in a interview that his character

Gets killed off by Ifans character

. Rhys Ifans does a lot better as mysterious and dangerous Galloway.

Jlaw is brilliant as Serena, and she is the reason do go watch this (it's her best out of the other films with Cooper for me) along with a very good first and second act, it does go a little melodramatic in the end

Serena, going a little crazy and Galloway going all out and wanting to kill George's baby son from the local girl. George dying and Serena burning down their home committing sucide

. Bradley Cooper unlike J.Law isn't at his best, I still think Silver Lining Playbook is his best out of the three he's done with Jlaw.

I'm really surprised in Cineworld they have this on one of their smaller screens seen as who's in it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Looper007 wrote: »

Serena, going a little crazy and Galloway going all out and wanting to kill George's baby son from the local girl. George dying and Serena burning down their home committing sucide

.

That's different from how it ends in the book. It's not really a spoiler if they've changed it but just in case...

she leaves him to die in the woods, moves to South America and is hugely successful. Then she gets murdered by Pemberton's son.

Personally I didn't think much of the book ending.

Looper007

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

That's different from how it ends in the book. It's not really a spoiler if they've changed it but just in case...

she leaves him to die in the woods, moves to South America and is hugely successful. Then she gets murdered by Pemberton's son.

Personally I didn't think much of the book ending.

It would have taken away the whole Serena would do anything for her husband's love and her character in the film version really as she says at the end of the book

She regrets nothing meaning it must have all been about the money

while in the film they changed it that

she couldn't live without him once he died

. The way the film went the ending in the book wouldn't have been anywhere near as strong unless they hinted that it wasn't always about George that she did all her deeds.

cloud493

Well I liked it a whole lot