Director: Susanne Bier

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Toby Jones, Rhys Ifans

Running Time: 109 minutes.

Jennifer Lawrence. Bradley Cooper. A stunning backdrop. High drama and rustic glamour. SERENA certainly looks on paper to be one of the biggest films of the festival and yet it was so well hidden that you’d be forgiven for having missed it entirely.

The film has been a long time coming, caught up in post production hell for far too long while the kinks were ironed out. At the post-film Q&A, the director, Susanne Bier, even admitted she wasn’t sure it would be ready in time for the festival (but was clearly delighted that it was).

Jennifer Lawrence makes a surprise appearance to introduce Serena to the LFF audience.

Jennifer Lawrence (Serena) – who surprised everyone by showing up to introduce the film – certainly has great on-screen chemistry with friend and co-star Bradley Cooper. One look of adoration from his cool blue eyes and you believe he loves her so much that he would tell her they should be married on their first meeting. It’s no surprise either to see Lawrence’s brave, woman-in-a-man’s-world persona. We already know she can hold her own.

The film is a very small production in that much of the action takes place within the small community in which they live and revolves around only a handful of characters. However, despite this, the vast forest and stunning backdrop really give SERENA room to breathe.

It’s easy to see why Bier was so drawn to the project too. The story really is a fascinating examination of the darker side of love, not just between the Pembertons themselves but also those around them. Similarly, there is a long-running love/hate relationship between Cooper’s character and the puma he so desperately wants to kill. He loves the animal and holds it in the highest respect, it would seem, but ultimately wants it dead.

The supporting cast manage not to disappear into the abyss around the two stars; it really is a team effort, with everyone playing their part. All the actors do a good job with their respective roles but somehow the film is an oddity in that the audience is so very aware of the actors behind the characters. It’s difficult not to think during the sex scenes that this is Lawrence and Cooper acting rather than the Pembertons being passionate and in love. It’s also hard not to wonder why Rhys Ifans is being so moody.

There are many things right with SERENA: the film is beautifully shot, well acted and never boring. The really bizarre thing about it then is that, though there’s nothing exactly wrong with it, it somehow still manages to inspire little passion in its audience. For a film that seemingly ticks every box, SERENA is surprisingly lacking. It’s worth a watch but nothing to get too excited about.

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