Directed by:
Max MinghellaScreenplay:
Max MinghellaCinematography:
Autumn DuraldComposer:
Marius De VriesCast:
Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Burić, Agnieszka Grochowska, Millie Brady, Elizabeth Berrington, Jordan Stephens, Mark Stobbart, Ruairi O'Connor (more)Plots(1)
Seventeen-year-old Violet (Elle Fanning) lives with her mother (Agnieszka Grochowska) on a small farm on the Isle of Wight. Her days are spent doing chores, waiting tables, and attending secondary school, where she keeps to herself. But in her free time - spent alone in her room, in the fields with her beloved horse, or at an under-attended open-mic night - Violet surrenders to song. She's a naturally gifted singer for whom pop stardom might not be mere fantasy. This lovely film, the directorial debut of actor Max Minghella, tells the story of how Violet gathers the courage to come out of her shell with a bang. This is also the story of a friendship. Vlad (Zlatko Buric), a once-celebrated opera singer, hears Violet and knows she's something special. He declares himself her manager and trainer, accompanying her as she tries out for a popular televised musical talent program called Teen Spirit. Vlad is a bear of a man with a tendency to drink away his sorrows, but if he and Violet can stick together as her star rises, they might just make each other better people. (Toronto International Film Festival)
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Reviews (3)
If Elle Fanning didn’t act as a corpse bride, it might have been better. She can sing; in his debut, the director was able to lend great dynamics to the musical scenes, so I was looking forward to each of them. Even though they were cover versions, which Elle managed to perform with flying colors. Everything around her was unfortunately quite boring and didn’t rise above the average, so I kept my rating as average as well. Too bad.
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Max Minghella impressed me as an actor in the series The Handmaid's Tale, so I was quite curious about his directorial debut. Sadly, it was no miracle. I felt like I was watching a TV movie and not a movie intended for movie theaters, and it all seemed so uninvolved and emotionless. On the other hand, the musical numbers were quite good and it was worth watching thanks to them. Elle Fanning surprised me by the fact that she can really sing, and she could even sing for a living if she wanted to. But that’s probably the end of the list of positives. (45%)
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An indie film seemingly drowned in the grayness of ordinary life that tells a story that has been chewed over a hundred times. And thanks to the decent power of the subtly peeking happy moments, it works for the first time. Thanks to the phenomenal visuals of all the musical performances, the precisely crafted covers, and the editing of the dance scenes, that fairytale etherealness of Elle Fanning finally shines through, including her beautifully veiled voice. Max Minghella takes after his father, and I am immensely happy about that.
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