19 August 2022.
By Neptune
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SINGS **1/2
If you’re into old-fashioned melodrama, this film based on the best-selling novel by Delia Owens has it all and more.
It has a little abandoned girl growing up (Daisy Edgar-Jones) all alone in the marshlands of North Carolina, ostracised by the neighboring town. It has a highly publicised murder, of which she is accused, and a heavily biased courtroom trial, but with a kind, clever lawyer (the always decent David Strathairn) who takes her case. In the midst of all this drama, she also falls for two attractive fellows who will be crucial to her life. And of course, there is a wonderful black couple who are her guardian angels throughout her trials and tribulations on her journey into womanhood.
She learns how to protect herself through her understanding of nature and all its creatures, which later in life becomes her expertise and passion. This is a film entirely by women – a coming-of-age tale written by Owens, directed by Olivia Newman, produced by Reese Witherspoon and acted by Edgar-Jones.
There’s a lot going on there, some of it engrossing, some of it too obvious and overdone, especially with all the soaring music and the birds swooping over the marshes…
The end is satisfying though, but you must pay careful attention to the conclusion of this murder puzzle. It’s a fleeting moment, so be aware.
And beyond the movies, if you are a music lover, the bucolic and sophisticated VARIATIONS MUSICALES DE TANNAY, a bit outside Geneva on the right bank, is back with a rich selection of fine artists, including once again the famed Capuçon brothers, to tempt you with melodies from Beethoven to Villa-Lobos, from Mozart to Dvorak, from Schumann to Rachmaninov.
From 18-28 August – Check out their full schedule here.
For more reviews click here.
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By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
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