Having read, and enjoyed, Ron Rash's novel I am not sure what I saw on the screen. I don't know who is to blame -- the director, the editor or the screen writer. They did not stick to the book so if you liked the book, this film is not it. I blame the screen writer; what made him think he could write a better story and Susanna Bier for taking on this project and then dropping it for 18 months?
They added people not in the book or changed roles of those in the book and changed other details attributed to different characters, using up time that could have been better spent on real character development. Spent too much time on the back story when it could have been explained, as in the book, when Pemberton brings Serena home he tells of how they met and married. There did not need to be a scene.
The important theme -- jealousy -- was not developed. Jennifer Lawrence changes from one scene to the next, with no development of her descent into madness. The dramatic escape by Rachel and baby was hardly there and in the book it was gripping how she struggled to stay one step ahead of Galloway.
Surprisingly, there was little to no attempt at a southern accent except by Tobe Jones and by Rhys Ifans, no one else even tried -- Lawrence being excused.
Sean Harris, who is known to be real intense on a film set, acted like he could have phoned in his lines, making no attempt at channeling one particular accent and mumbling (probably too embarrassed to say the lines). He looked like he did not want to be there any longer than he had to be there. Cooper was not comfortable in the role and also looked like he would rather be any place else. When first cast, some predicted this would happen because neither Cooper nor Lawrence had any experience with a period piece.
I gave it a 2 because the actors showed up. It truly was awful, and I think they knew it. Why would they have not given Lawrence the screen time to slowly slip over the edge? The film's denouement is not what Ron Rash wrote at all. Read the book -- it is so much better.
This film cost $25-30 million to make (a decent sum) for a film with no set, barely. Obviously, no one who worked on the film read the book -- the screen writer certainly did not.
They added people not in the book or changed roles of those in the book and changed other details attributed to different characters, using up time that could have been better spent on real character development. Spent too much time on the back story when it could have been explained, as in the book, when Pemberton brings Serena home he tells of how they met and married. There did not need to be a scene.
The important theme -- jealousy -- was not developed. Jennifer Lawrence changes from one scene to the next, with no development of her descent into madness. The dramatic escape by Rachel and baby was hardly there and in the book it was gripping how she struggled to stay one step ahead of Galloway.
Surprisingly, there was little to no attempt at a southern accent except by Tobe Jones and by Rhys Ifans, no one else even tried -- Lawrence being excused.
Sean Harris, who is known to be real intense on a film set, acted like he could have phoned in his lines, making no attempt at channeling one particular accent and mumbling (probably too embarrassed to say the lines). He looked like he did not want to be there any longer than he had to be there. Cooper was not comfortable in the role and also looked like he would rather be any place else. When first cast, some predicted this would happen because neither Cooper nor Lawrence had any experience with a period piece.
I gave it a 2 because the actors showed up. It truly was awful, and I think they knew it. Why would they have not given Lawrence the screen time to slowly slip over the edge? The film's denouement is not what Ron Rash wrote at all. Read the book -- it is so much better.
This film cost $25-30 million to make (a decent sum) for a film with no set, barely. Obviously, no one who worked on the film read the book -- the screen writer certainly did not.