Chromophobia
I’ve just read this review about a film I saw this week called Chromophobia. Rather than write my own review, I will link to this one because it sums up my own feelings towards the film. Anyway, you can save yourself two hours and a little disappointment by reading this opening paragraph from Screendaily.com instead:
The second film by Martha Fiennes, sister of Ralph and Joseph, is a multi-linear choral drama that aims to tell contemporary Britain like it is. But although there is some sophisticated writing here, and some enjoyable performances from the mostly British ensemble cast, Fiennes’ attempt to do a kind of London Magnolia is over-ambitious and over-long.
Only in the central storyline – in which Damian Lewis plays a laddish lawyer from a wealthy background and Kristin Scott-Thomas his neurotic wife – does the film occasionally touch the emotional complexity of directors like PT Anderson or David O Russell – both cited by Fiennes as influences. Elsewhere, especially in the schmaltzy Penelope Cruz – Rhys Ifans subplot, cliche wins out over observation.
Chromophobia could have been a decent film, but I didn’t warm to the pofaced, neurotic characters taking themselves far too seriously and the editor should have cut at least half an hour off the runtime. It is also a bit of a cliche to run half a dozen interconnected threads that tie together at the end, especially when other films have done it much better before.