God's Creatures

Emily Watson should be your sole reason to see this movie. You feel her in every moment she's on screen A masterclass in acting.

Paul mescal once again gives a brooding performance as her angry/repressed son.

The movie presents the idea of choices one makes when faced with a difficult scenario.

Do you put on a mask and protect a loved one, Even though your instincts say otherwise?

Or do you finally accept their true nature and do what is right or in her case, What's necessary, when they are immune to consequences.

It's a slow burn. I feel it could've been stronger in the script department and more depth on character motivations, perhaps a bit more detail on what may or may not have happened. The way Last Duel handled that subject matter.

The dad son conflict is sort of there. A fight happens and then oh well next.

Wonderfully dark and moody though . Good for a rainy afternoon/evening.

God's Creatures has an atmospheric setting and a great cast. But one huge flaw in the script fatally holes this ship below the waterline.

Brian returns from an extended sojourn to Australia and his mother Aileen is overjoyed. In fact, she is so happy that she fails to consider why her prodigal son was considered prodigal in the first place. In the scene where Brian appears, it is pointed out that he made no contact while in Australia, and no one even knew what city or town he was in.

Now, that is fine for that scene, but the question of what Brian did during his time in Australia is never re-visited. He meets old schoolmates, a bartender who is enamoured with him, but absolutely no one broaches the topic of Australia. This bizarre omission undermines all the work done to create an authentic sense of place and people. And it would be an easy fix, by, for example, having Brian tell contradictory versions to two people.

Whether it was not discussed in script development, or written but not shot, or shot but left out of the final cut, I do not know. But that egregious misfire in the creative process ruins what could have been an immersive, enjoyable cinema outing.

This is one of those stories that is simple, but executed brilliantly. A crisis of identity and of faith as the patriarchy dominates an allegation of sexual assault in a small fishing village. Examining the individual responses of the villagers, creating in-group out-groups that soon meet a flashpoint, yet trundle toward people wanting to normalize and go back to normal. And willfully forget the damage done and ongoing.

I think it's sad/hilarious that so many reviews call it shallow simply because they're triggered the dude is being maligned. It's a story. And it's not his story, nor does it need to be because it's not operating at the concrete level, for the most part.

Emily Watson kills it in this, as does the up-and-comer from the Normal People adaptation. Smart script, not too long, great shots, fantastic soundtrack. Starting my 2023 watch season out right. Excellent stuff.

What would you do, if you had to be untrue, to yourself and all you know, to retain the status quo, stop the waves from crashing down, keep from letting those close drown, hold the tidal swell at bay, what would be, the price you'd pay?

It's a very slow burn and if you're not in tune with the setting and the circumstance (maybe you don't like oysters) then you'll more than likely struggle to keep your head above water for more than half of it, but the performances are sound, especially Emily Watson who seldom disappoints, and it may leave you asking a few questions about what you would do in a similar scenario to the one presented, or indeed whether you accept the events played out as a possible reality at all.

I suppose, correct is the honest definition of this film. A film about two worlds, so differrent and, in some measure, painful familiar.

A provocative subject explored in honest terms.

And beautiful work of Emily Watson, proposing a powerful, moving portrait of Aileen, a Paul Mescal interesting for the manner to be out the images created in Normal People and Aftersun, the seductive effort of Aisling Franciosi to explore, in subtle - precise manner, the universe of Sarah - the scene of Sarah front to her door , with so powerful Rennaisence touch is just magnificent -.

In short, one of familiar stories near us. A son and his abusive gesture , blamed by laws. A mother front to the option to help him , including for status of prodigal son. Beautiful images, correct exploration of dilemma and the perfect , in this case, for this subject, slow rhytm. And the fair end.

In many senses, a question - film to the audience. Great acting, nice music and a simple way to build the subjective truth, in many cases- situations, the only significant one.

In short, fair work. Emilz Watson.