The Nightingale (2018)
Stars: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr
Runtime: 136 minutes
Synopsis: Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.
Performances: 3/5
Screenplay: 3/5
Costumes/Makeup: 4/5
Editing: 2/5
Cinematography: 4/5
Verdict: "The Nightingale" is a film I was very much looking forward to seeing. Directed by Jennifer Kent ("The Babadook"), the film is a revenge story that takes place in the 1820s in which a young Irish woman seeks out the despicable men who have taken everything from her.
Despite its interesting premise and quite frankly beautiful scenery, I'm disappointed to say that "The Nightingale" ultimately felt a little empty and unrewarding. Yes, it contained a couple of scenes that were difficult to process, but as far as emotion is concerned, that's about it. The rest is a pretty dull, long, clumsy, and even at times cheesy adventure in which nothing really happens. The film's runtime could've easily been trimmed down to about 100 minutes as the antagonists are surprisingly given way more screentime than needed. In terms of performances, lead Aisling Franciosi definitely gives the most interesting one, but that's not saying much since I pretty much found every other performance to be mediocre at best. The film's aesthetic was by far it biggest asset, as it did do justice to the Tasmanian wilderness in which most of the events take place.
"The Nightingale" was a frustrating slow burn that ultimately never lived up to its premise. It's not a disaster by any means, but it's not something I'll be revisiting any time soon. I'd honestly recommend checking out Coralie Fargeat's massively underrated "Revenge" over it as it deals with pretty much the same themes but in a much interesting and satisfying manner.
Despite its interesting premise and quite frankly beautiful scenery, I'm disappointed to say that "The Nightingale" ultimately felt a little empty and unrewarding. Yes, it contained a couple of scenes that were difficult to process, but as far as emotion is concerned, that's about it. The rest is a pretty dull, long, clumsy, and even at times cheesy adventure in which nothing really happens. The film's runtime could've easily been trimmed down to about 100 minutes as the antagonists are surprisingly given way more screentime than needed. In terms of performances, lead Aisling Franciosi definitely gives the most interesting one, but that's not saying much since I pretty much found every other performance to be mediocre at best. The film's aesthetic was by far it biggest asset, as it did do justice to the Tasmanian wilderness in which most of the events take place.
"The Nightingale" was a frustrating slow burn that ultimately never lived up to its premise. It's not a disaster by any means, but it's not something I'll be revisiting any time soon. I'd honestly recommend checking out Coralie Fargeat's massively underrated "Revenge" over it as it deals with pretty much the same themes but in a much interesting and satisfying manner.
FINAL GRADE: 5/10
Comments
Post a Comment