Serena

Depression-era tale set in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains. At times in inspired direction by Danish Susanne Bier but redeemed by production design. The photography is fine but often slow and lingers longer than necessary. Read the 2008 novel by Ron Rash. Keen film viewers would identify Jennifer Lawrence's film character with Blanche in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.

good movie

Beautiful film.

Good Acting

Some might perceive that there could be a possible spoiler in this review.“Serena” opens with a magnificent shot of the setting for this film – the Smoky Mountains in 1929, which together with beautiful music (acoustic guitar and orchestra) sets up the start of what should be a very good film (for me). I’ve seen and enjoyed some of director Susanne Bier’s other films, and there is a talented cast and it is a film based on a successful novel, but sadly this film just didn’t do it for me.Maybe my expectations were too high but I don’t think so. I haven’t read the novel so I’m not basing my disappointment on that (and I think that it can often be unfair to compare a film with a novel as they can rarely compete equally), but I didn’t get to be particularly interested in the main characters maybe due to lack of character development, the story and it’s narrative weren’t original particularly, some of the lines seem poor “I suppose Mrs “X” pays no interest” as we are shown Serena questioning the sexual orientation of one of the characters – and it just looks so corny, there is a good deal of badly dubbed dialogue (something of a pet-hate of mine), some of the film seemed rushed (possible spoiler to the end of this paragraph) and especially towards the end - for example when someone is being sought and they are found but with no explanation of why anyone knew where they were (this shouldn’t be a spoiler).I could probably go on but I won’t.On the plus side the scenery is magnificent, there is good music and (some of) the acting is good.Two-and-a-half stars out of five.On the DVD you get:“Serena” (1 hour 45 minutes)Scene SelectionSet Up:2.0 Stereo5.1 Dolby DigitalAudio DescriptionOptional English HOH SubtitlesExtras:Featurettes:Interview with Susanne Bier and Christopher Kyle (4 minutes)Trailer

Having read the book I can say that the film lacks the power that the author placed in the story. The acting is good but there are too many things missing that made the book really good. It is segmented instead of having continuity. It breaks your heart to see all the forests being cut down specially knowing that it happens ever day in many parts of the world.The photogaphy gives the idea of what places like that feel like and the sense of destruction both of nature and of men is always present.Of course, the actors are good but are not as described in the book. No their fault. They have done the best with the material thery have been given.It woud be better if the people going to see the film, did not read the book first.

Good buy

Good cast.

Good film.