The Beguiled 2017
By
Sofia Coppola
This film could have been set in any period and at any place. Thomas Cullinan’s novel of the same name sets it in Virginia 1864 at a time when the Civil
War was being fought.
A wounded soldier (Colin Farrell) finds care and refuge in a Southern girls’ school, run by a stiff
headmistress, Nicole Kidman. There is a second in command, Kirsten Dunst, along with five pupils left in the school, rest having gone home. Farrell recuperates soon
and tries to work his charm on a student, on Kirsten Dunst as well as on Kidman, until his plans go horribly wrong.
There has always been an aura of mystery around Kidman. She runs her school with an iron fist and makes up for her mistake of taking in the soldier by display of sheer strength towards the climax. Colin Farrell is usually
a reliable actor, although he does lose his timing here a bit towards the end. Sofia Coppola manages to
set a perfect mood with brilliant use of lights and costumes. The film runs at a
relished pace for an hour or so, but the denouement seems a bit rushed. I wish it
would have been a tad scarier, and the resolution might have been arrived at a
slower pace. The script gives the soldier no chance of a comeback. Once he is
down, he doesn’t rise.
I expected a lot more from the film. Coppola won the Best
Director at Cannes for this film. I am not sure if the film is that special. But
then she is a Coppola, sure knows how to win!
#sofiacoppola #colinfarrell #nicolekidman #thebeguiled #kirstendunst #civilwar
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