Serenity (2019)

Serenity (2019)

This film has been both loved and hated! Its overall rating is below average. I will try to analyse the two opposing camps.

Before reading the reviews, it’s a good idea to watch the film and not just base your opinion on negative reviews, because everyone has their own opinion and you can easily miss out on a gem.

Admittedly, there is a strong psychological dimension here. Those who found it excellent or even a masterpiece saw this:

A very good film with a very original, well-executed script, whatever anyone who didn’t understand it might say! But what didn’t they understand? Is this film subtle? For me, subtle films are more like The Sixth Sense (1999), The Truman Show (1998) or Jacob’s Ladder (1990). But here, there is a poetic side and a spectacular scene at the end, but also quite a few scenes that ultimately serve no purpose. The sex scenes, for example, are totally unnecessary here. And so is Diane Lane‘s character.

So, yes, one could simply say, “How do you make a bad film with good actors? Nothing is credible. The ending is awful, completely absurd. The tuna version of The Old Man and the Sea is distressing. A dud!” But I like to go further than that.

The film begins with a great scene on a small boat out at sea where we see a huge tuna, and I wondered if it was really as big as a shark! This is followed by a very long tuna fishing scene (again) with Matthew McConaughey completely obsessed with catching his big fish. At that point, I wondered if I was watching a ‘tuna’ version of Jaws.

After this half-hour-long ordeal, the script takes its first turn and turns into a thriller with the appearance of our dear Anne Hathaway, dyed blonde, who would like her husband to be eaten by sharks after getting drunk, in exchange for £10 million. Not bad, eh? Would you have refused?

From the outset, I unfortunately sensed that this could go off the rails, as there were a few clues, notably the fleeting appearance of a kid programming something on his computer. So it all ends up turning into a sort of poor man’s Black Mirror… without spoiling the ending for you.

It honestly seems like one of the most idiotic scenarios I’ve ever seen, and I hope I won’t be condemned to think about it every time I open a tin of tuna to mix into my salad, which is already full of tomatoes.

This story could have been really good, but in the end it was quite a failure. I understand people who pray, saying, ‘Netflix, please make an effort to improve the quality of the films you produce!’ or ‘Netflix: stop trying to make cheap blockbusters!’

I don’t know if I can personally say that this feature film is incredibly bad, but it seems hard to believe that these three, or even four, main actors agreed to collaborate and create such a nonsensical film. One review even said: ‘Even after a night of drinking, dozing off on your sofa, avoid it!’ I also read: ‘An obsession with tuna fishing! That’s the big pitch here!’

As I said, people who hated it wondered, ‘Who wrote this script? What kind of illegal substances did they take?’ But Matthew really did his job right to the end, with the grandiose final scenes showing the guy’s real face as he asks himself questions like, ‘How much tax do I still have to pay? Why is there so much hatred in the world? What was the name of the fish I was supposed to catch? Oh yes: Justice!’

The photography is well done, but this film may put you off tuna. I don’t think it will make you appreciate it if you don’t already like it or don’t like it anymore.

The beginning is slow to get going, but once it gets going, it takes off in a direction you would never expect, especially if you haven’t read the synopsis! This summary may seem misleading, because I didn’t get the one thing I really wanted from this film. It’s like writing in a summary, ‘The story of two men who want to see a volcano,’ but no one goes to see a volcano, or it remains just a dream or a plan.

Serenity could have been excellent if the story hadn’t been so poorly constructed. I always watch until the end, and I didn’t really like it. Despite a good cast, this film holds very little interest for me. I don’t like to say that it’s rubbish, that it’s worthless. The basic idea is quite original (although…), the setting is great, the idea of the tuna fisherman à la The Old Man and the Sea (1958) is appealing, a five-star cast… and yet…

Some people found the camera effects questionable and the music poor. Yes, it’s a shame, because there was potential. But then again, there will also be people who say that the actors are bad! Of course, if you’re looking for a suspenseful film, don’t waste your time, read a book instead!

But now, I’m going to talk about one or two positive points! All the things that eternally grumpy viewers overlooked. Are you ready?

The photography is good, as I’ve already mentioned. The production is modern and well done. And for those who haven’t understood: the story is mystical! It’s about an irrational relationship between a father and a son who was separated from his dad at a young age and who lives a terrible life with his mother’s violent, alcoholic new partner.

So, no, this film is not for overly rational or Cartesian people! Move on, because you won’t understand it!

If you’re a fisherman and you want to see a film about fishing, this isn’t for you either. It’s a bit like watching the film Beethoven (1992) if you want to learn about the life of the composer… without realising that, in this film, Beethoven is the name of a dog in a family comedy. This certainly happened in real life, as I remember having to stop my uncle and aunt from going to the cinema for this very reason! I can’t imagine how disappointed they would have been otherwise…

Serenity was released very quietly on Netflix with an uninspiring synopsis. It’s a much more complex film than it appears, but not as complex as it would like to be. While the cast was a guarantee of quality, with the touching Anne Hathaway, the disturbing Jason Clarke, the sexy Diane Lane and the excellent Matthew McConaughey, the overall quality was not limited to their performances.

Apparently, the story is deliberately confusing at first. The film unfolds its plot by revealing a few clues here and there about its true focus, often hinting at one of the films I have already mentioned. But I won’t say which one, so as not to spoil it.

Not very intriguing or captivating, the film nevertheless has excellent audio editing.

To take the idea further, it can be seen as a biblical film in which a creator has imagined a perfect world, but where temptation and evil are always present, as well as purgatory, referred to here as Justice. Somewhat complex and quite intelligent, this film can be interpreted on two levels. As a result, we can say that the actors made the right choice in starring in it and knew what they were doing. It’s a shame that the audience (myself included) didn’t embrace it more.

It is often a pleasure to see Djimon Hounsou again (Gladiator, Shazam!, Blood Diamond, Tarzan (2016), The Vatican Tapes, Constantine). I don’t know if this actor has ever had a leading role in a film. He seems to be very much at home in supporting roles.