Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. January 27, 2019 5:45 PM
With two Oscar-winning leads, a solid supporting cast and a filmmaker who has written a script that earned him an Academy Award nomination all on board, you would think that the feature, "Serenity" should be at least entertaining. But Steven Knight, who wrote "Dirty Pretty Things", "Eastern Promises" and "Locke", has attempted to put a modern twist on a classic noir thriller and the result is dull, confusing and completely absurd.
Matthew McConaughey plays Baker Dill, a rugged fishing tour boat captain who sails on his ship named “Serenity” out of Plymouth Island off the Florida coast. Baker is not on steady ground financially and struggling to keep his business afloat. He is also struggling to forget his troubled past involving his former wife and young son but finds some comfort by consuming a large amount of booze. With his trusty first mate, Duke (Djimon Hounsou) by his side, Baker has become obsessed with capturing a large tuna to help solve his money troubles and while he has come close, the fish remains elusive.
Just when Baker thinks his situation couldn't get any worse, it does with the arrival of his ex-wife, Karen played by Anne Hathaway in full blonde, femme fatale mode. She has tracked him down with a small favor in mind; aware that her former husband is in a tight financial bind, Karen offers him millions of dollars to kill her current husband. Loud, boorish and very wealthy, Frank (Jason Clarke) is also physically and emotionally abusive to her and Baker's teenage son, Patrick.
Unable to just leave him for reasons that are not fully explained or questioned, Karen is desperate but Baker turns her offer down. However, Karen is very determined and uses her mind and body to convince him it's a good idea for everyone involved. Baker eventually agrees to do the plan which involves taking Frank out on the boat in a drugged-out state and for him to have a tragic fishing accident where he's dragged out in to the sea.
And then there is a strange man (Jeremy Strong) who has been anxiously following Baker and finally catches up to him on a rainy night. The man simply wants him to test a fish detector but he also inadvertently brings to Baker's attention that what he's been experiencing (and what we have been seeing) is not at all what it may appear to be.
I won't even try to explain what unfolds in the third act because, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that I can. Mr. Knight's attempt to deconstruct the film noir genre could have been interesting and enjoyable yet with "Serenity" he failed to apply basic logic and consistency to his story. The crazy twists and turns of the plot do not connect by the time we reach the conclusion of the film, leaving a hole big enough for a naked McConaughey to easily swim right through (which his exposed body is featured prominently on land and underwater here and may be enough incentive for some to actually see this mess).
With a dark, heavy-handed script which the actors are required to perform with complete seriousness, the film is in desperate need for a few moments of lightness. The only one who comes closest to enjoying themselves is Mr. McConaughey who still manages to deliver a touch of his easy-going, laid-back style to the brooding boat captain. The gifted Ms Hathaway may be able to do many things but she's not exactly persuasive as a vamp. Lacking a sultry confidence that people like Barbara Stanwyck or Kathleen Turner could provide with little effort, the actress appears uneasy and lost most of her time on screen. And once again, poor Diane Lane is wasted in a thankless role. She plays Constance, a horny neighbor that Baker occasionally provides stud service for when he needs some extra cash. Ms Lane should have actually switched parts with Ms Hathaway. She's actually closer in age to Mr. McConaughey and would have been a far more convincing seductress.
"Serenity" may feature committed performances and a great-looking production but it's all wasted on a film that is unsettled on what exactly it's trying to be. There are moments when we are in the middle of a tense, sexy thriller before shifting to a dysfunctional family drama and finally spinning in to a surreal puzzle. Yet ultimately none of it works together, leaving "Serenity" drifting lost at sea.
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