Review of A Bigger Splash (2015) by Warwick B — 13 Mar 2016

Director by Luca Guadagino, best known for Academy Award nominated I Am Love, reduces the world to sensual pleasures: music, food, drink and sex. Sexy and glamorous A Bigger Splash has nothing but sex on its mind, the actions of its characters almost entirely motivated by carnal desire.

Marianne (Tilda Swinton), a rock star recuperating from a throat operation and Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) her young filmmaker boyfriend and recovering alcoholic, are holidaying on the remote island of Pantelleria. The couple are paid an unwanted visit by Marianne's record producer ex Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and not unglamorous daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson). What was supposed to be an ideal getaway turns into a whirlwind of jealously, passion and danger for everyone in the group - with ultimately disastrous consequences.

Swinton, Schoenaerts and Johnson are all superb but it is Fiennes who steals every scene as the fabulously foul mouthed, gone to seed producer proving once again his skill as a physically and verbally dexterous comedian. There's a standout scene in which he gets down to the Rolling Stones' Emotional Rescue in one of the contenders for dance sequences of the year.