The spirit of Michelangelo Antonioni lives on in this fun European art house drama, and at times pulpy thriller, which centres around beautiful people sunbathing by swimming pools, waiting for the inevitable release of death. It involves a David Bowie-esque rock star (Tilda Swinton) whose holiday with boy-toy Matthias Schoenaerts is interrupted by the arrival of an old flame (Ralph Fiennes) and his apparent daughter (Dakota Johnson), whose loud stirring up of feelings, past and present, threatens to make everyone more miserable than ever.
There's an irresistible appeal in its sumptuous Mediterranean location, there's existentialism by the bucketload, and there's even a bit of Michael Haneke-style judgement of the middle class in the backgrounding of the migrant crisis - but really, the appeal of this film boils down to its stars, who ricochet off each other like pinballs. Johnson and Schoenaerts (god, that name) are given the best roles they've had in a while, but it's Swinton and Fiennes who shine brightest as a mute rock star and a likeable dickhead, respectively. Fiennes, in particular, is superb, continuing on a rich series of comedic roles that stretch back to foul-mouthed Harry in In Bruges - though Swinton, at times, channels the spirit of Charlie Chaplin in a brilliant gesture-based performance. It's luxuriant in every sense - including its running time - so your mileage may vary, depending on your individual level of patience with that Italian kind of self-indulgence. I liked it.
★★★★
Also, MOVE OVER OSCAR ISAAC, THERE'S A NEW KING IN TOWN:
