SERENA – The Review

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence costarred in a movie shot between SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and AMERICAN HUSTLE which is finally hitting screens after a couple of years on the shelf and a stint on pay-per-view. SERENA, a gothic tale of greed and ambition run amok, is set amongst the timber industry in the mountains of North Carolina during the Depression. The movie has not received much love from critics and indeed it’s kind of a mess – an overripe melodrama that’s all over the map in terms of tone. It’s full of gorgeous moments alternating with many more that feel literate to the point of boredom, and others where the characters motivations make little sense. But I liked it and think it deserves a better reception then it’s received. If you’re looking for an old fashioned sumptuous costume drama starring two always-watchable leads with proven chemistry (who boldly throw themselves head first into a charmingly preposterous plot), you could do a lot worse than SERENA.

SERENA is the tale of an ambitious timber baron named George Pemberton (Cooper) and his troubled and ruthless marriage to the difficult and remarkable Serena (Lawrence), who emerges as a kind of backwoods Lady Macbeth. After a hasty marriage, Serena sets foot in the mountains and has a strong influence on the workers and employees of the logging company there, including George. In leather trousers and black boots, she strides through the movie with self-confidence, speaking with authority to George’s employees. The daughter of a timber man in Colorado, who died mysteriously along with his entire family, she impresses lumberjacks with her shrewd knowledge of the business, even importing an eagle to take care of rattlesnakes that threaten production. Serena seems too good to be true and it’s soon revealed that she indeed has a big problem – she’s nuts. What sets her off is the news that George fathered a son with a pretty local laborer prior to Serena’s arrival, and when Serena miscarries their own child she grows brittle while George is drawn to the illegitimate baby. By then though, George has already murdered at least one man himself and Serena’s wrath knows no limits. She and her deranged, one-handed henchman (creepy Rhys Ifans) proceed to kill business partners and a little old lady. Then they go after that baby.

Susanne Bier is clearly an intelligent, cinematically astute filmmaker and SERENA, with its gorgeous landscape lensing by Morten Sorberg, looks fantastic. The direction of the opening scenes is superb – the reality and the danger of the huge logs are caught in a way that defines the men and their job better than any dialogue could. The biggest problem with SERENA is that it goes from the story of a strong woman who shows how she can well-handle a man’s job to a throat-slashing thriller with little warning. The script never well-establishes exactly when Serena goes from composed newlywed to scheming cutthroat – it’s like she wakes up one morning a homicidal, baby-killing nutjob. That’s more a problem with the script as Lawrence does her best. She’s always an interesting actress and does period well. Cooper is fine in a less-complicated role and Toby Jones steals a few scenes as a conflicted sheriff. Despite its unconventional journey into theaters, SERENA is worth a look.

3 of 5 Stars

SERENA opens in St. Louis March 27 exclusively at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater