Filled with love, lust, suspense, jealously and a bewitching cast, A Bigger Splash truly is a cinematic feast for the eyes with the film taking place on a gorgeous Italian island off the Sicilian coast.
Tilda Swinton plays the part of Marianne a world-renowned rock star who is retreating from the madness of her celebrity lifestyle by vacationing on the island with her lover, film maker Paul, played by Matthias Schoenaerts.
All is serene and blissful, with seemingly endless hours in the day to enjoy each other’s company, make love, swim and sunbathe along secluded beaches.
It’s the ideal setting for Marianne to recuperate from her throat ailment and Paul, who is also a recovering alcoholic, to take a breather from real life.
Then, their own private nirvana is abruptly disturbed by the arrival of Harry, played by the delectable Ralph Fiennes, and his recently estranged daughter and product of a previous fling, Penelope (Dakota Johnson).
Harry is Marianne’s former record producer and lover. His arrival certainly stirs up some old feelings and nostalgia from the wild days that Marianne and himself shared in previous years. There’s not only an underlying sexual tension between Marianne and Harry, but subsequently between Paul and the young and beautiful temptress Penelope.
It’s a wickedly immaculate cast; Fiennes undertakes yet another hilarious character which is much anticipated after his huge success as Mr Gustave H in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Swinton embodies a rock star because, let’s face it, she is a real-life rock star in the acting world.
Johnson brings sexual temptation to the table and Schoenaerts is the perfect brooding gentleman.
Explore the complexity and fragility of relationships in Guadagnino’s psychological drama.
It all sounds like a recipe for success and I predict the film will be a hit. A Bigger Splash is out now.
