“The Beguiled,” (Focus Features) is a film directed by Sofia Coppola; cousin to Nicolas Cage and daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola. She is the same director that brought you "Somewhere" (2010), "Lost in Translation" (2003) and "Marie Antoinette" (2006).
Why 'The Beguiled' disappoints
I was very enthusiastic about viewing her newest film, “The Beguiled” until after I saw it. It is set during the Civil War; about a wounded soldier who is rescued by a young girl who found him in the woods while she was taking a walk. She convinces the headmaster of her all-female boarding school where she resides to take him in and nurse him.
The pace of the film remains very slow— but that’s Coppola’s artistic-cinematic style. There’s no action or suspense in it at all. There are some scenes where the sexual tension builds between the girls and the wounded soldier and that sets the tone and the mood of the film, but just when you think all hell is going to break loose—it gets disappointing and boring. This is one of those films where the trailer tricks the audience and is better than the actual film.
It’s very depressing and confusing. It put me in a bad mood. There was no pleasure in it at all and no humor. It's supposed to be a dark, mysterious and serious film—but the plot kept jumping back and forth and made no sense. On a positive note, I appreciated the cinematography and how it was filmed was very interesting; taking the audience back to a difficult time in our nation's history, but that was it.
Sofia Coppola: The Director
Sofia Coppola is a very talented director, but this film is not her best. Her earlier works are better. She won the award of "Best Director" for this film at The Cannes Film Festival. The young actors in the film waste their time and energy. For example, when the young lady is using the telescope on the balcony, where is that scene leading?
Absolutely nowhere!
I think Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst and the rest of the cast should be embarrassed for agreeing to take part in this film. The story isn’t developed enough and it's misleading. I feel that there was a rush to get this film released. The cast and crew weren't focused on their roles.
They seemed like they wanted to get it over with. There are some sexy and guilty-pleasure scenes included where you think the film will get more interesting, but unfortunately, it only gets worse.
I hope we see better films from Ms. Coppola soon. I rate this film a C-.
