Bergman Island (15.)
Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve
Starring Vicky Krieps, Tim Roth, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie and Humpus Nordenson. 112 mins.
The Bergman island of the title is Fårö, the place where the forbiddingly serious Swedish filmmaker made his home and shot a lot of his many, many films. The problem with Bergman Island is that there is just too much Bergman on Bergman island: you can stay in the Bergman house, use the Bergman screening room to view 35mm prints of Bergman films, or even go on a Bergman Safari: a coach tour of landmarks and locations. In Hansen-Løve's homage to/ censure of Ingmar B, a filmmaker couple, Tony (Roth) and Chris (Krieps), visit there to do some preparation for their latest projects but respond differently to the location. Roth takes the acclaim at Q&A screenings of his films comfortably in his stride. However, Krieps (looking like a valkyrie Joyce Grenfell) struggles to find inspiration and starts to outline to him a loosely autobiographic story set on that island centred on a fictional counterpoint (Wasikowska.)
The film goes to great length to point out what a lousy human being Bergman was – bullying, self-centred, thoughtless, deadbeat dad and prolific impregnator of women: Boris Johnson really – and to challenge the idea of the difficult genius for whom allowances must be made. But say what you like about Ingmar Bergman, you knew where you were with him – miserable. Hansen-Løve’s response to the angst-ridden Swede is an attempt to make a Bergman relationship drama that, if not light-hearted, is sunny, subtle and female-focused. Where Ingmar exerted rigorous control over characters and situations, she is very easygoing, casual and light-handed. And the space and freedom are agreeable with some splendid performances (especially Wasikowska.) But overall you don't really know where you stand with this film, other than a vague suspicion that Roth's Tony has been found wanting in some way.
Films about filmmakers struggling to come up with ideas, like books about authors writing a book, are generally a bad idea in my opinion. (You can be the smartarse here and bring up Fellini’s 8½.) This is a film about, not one but two film directors trying to come up with ideas for films, that then includes a film within a film about another filmmaker trying to come up with ideas for a film. There are just too many filmmakers struggling to come up with ideas for a film on Bergman Island.
Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve
Starring Vicky Krieps, Tim Roth, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie and Humpus Nordenson. 112 mins.
The Bergman island of the title is Fårö, the place where the forbiddingly serious Swedish filmmaker made his home and shot a lot of his many, many films. The problem with Bergman Island is that there is just too much Bergman on Bergman island: you can stay in the Bergman house, use the Bergman screening room to view 35mm prints of Bergman films, or even go on a Bergman Safari: a coach tour of landmarks and locations. In Hansen-Løve's homage to/ censure of Ingmar B, a filmmaker couple, Tony (Roth) and Chris (Krieps), visit there to do some preparation for their latest projects but respond differently to the location. Roth takes the acclaim at Q&A screenings of his films comfortably in his stride. However, Krieps (looking like a valkyrie Joyce Grenfell) struggles to find inspiration and starts to outline to him a loosely autobiographic story set on that island centred on a fictional counterpoint (Wasikowska.)
The film goes to great length to point out what a lousy human being Bergman was – bullying, self-centred, thoughtless, deadbeat dad and prolific impregnator of women: Boris Johnson really – and to challenge the idea of the difficult genius for whom allowances must be made. But say what you like about Ingmar Bergman, you knew where you were with him – miserable. Hansen-Løve’s response to the angst-ridden Swede is an attempt to make a Bergman relationship drama that, if not light-hearted, is sunny, subtle and female-focused. Where Ingmar exerted rigorous control over characters and situations, she is very easygoing, casual and light-handed. And the space and freedom are agreeable with some splendid performances (especially Wasikowska.) But overall you don't really know where you stand with this film, other than a vague suspicion that Roth's Tony has been found wanting in some way.
Films about filmmakers struggling to come up with ideas, like books about authors writing a book, are generally a bad idea in my opinion. (You can be the smartarse here and bring up Fellini’s 8½.) This is a film about, not one but two film directors trying to come up with ideas for films, that then includes a film within a film about another filmmaker trying to come up with ideas for a film. There are just too many filmmakers struggling to come up with ideas for a film on Bergman Island.
