Review of Cracks (2009) by Abba A — 23 Dec 2009

Sexual obsession amongst school teachers and students? Yup, it's awards season again! This ground has been well stomped before, but debut director Jordan Scott (Sir Ridley's daughter, Tony's niece) takes potential clich�©s and transforms them into an edgy and eerie film.

The senior girls at a 1930s English boarding school idolise their swimming instructor, Miss G (Eva Green). When a new Spanish student, Fiamma (María Valverde) arrives at the school, Miss G takes her under her wing, much to the chagrin of the other girls. As paranoia, sexual energy and obsession swirl around Miss G and the girls, it is only a matter of time before events take a turn for the worse...

This could have been a rehash of so many other similarly-themed films, so rather than compete with Picnic at Hanging Rock or Notes on a Scandal, Scott takes the standard elements of these films and polishes them to near-perfection. For the enigmatic yet alluring Miss G, Eva Green is perfect. She possesses the mysterious aura and beauty required for this role, yet hints at undercurrents of deep emotion; she plays the role beautifully. Likewise, the cast of young British female talent (including Juno Temple and Imogen Poots) imbibe their roles with the necessary blend of bitchiness and fragility. Valverde probably has the trickiest role, balancing the bad girl act with a great deal of innocence, but pulls it off with aplomb.

Scott delivers an impressive image of life for these girls. The school, shot in cool greens and dusty browns, is appropriately oppressive, highlighting the repressed beauty of the girls, and making the tension palpable and understandable. The few scenes of more overt sexuality are handled with maturity, leading to an ending which, while not groundbreaking, is still emotive and appropriate. It may get sidelined during awards season by bigger-name projects, but the performances make Cracks well worth a look, as does the confident direction. Clearly, talent is genetic.