A Bigger Splash (2015 film)

''A Bigger Splash'' is a 2015 psychological drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and with a screenplay by David Kajganich from a story by Alain Page. Starring Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, and Dakota Johnson, the film is loosely based on Jacques Deray's 1969 film '' La Piscine'' (''The Swimming Pool'') and named after the 1967 David Hockney painting.

The second installment in Guadagnino's self-described ''Desire'' trilogy, following '' I Am Love'' (2009) and preceding '' Call Me by Your Name'' (2017), the film competed for the Golden Lion at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

Plot

In an isolated villa on the small Italian island of Pantelleria, world-famous rock singer Marianne Lane is on holiday with her filmmaker lover Paul De Smedt. She is recovering from surgery and has lost her voice, communicating only by signs and occasional whispers. He is in recovery from alcohol addiction and a suicide attempt. Neither speaks Italian and their togetherness is interrupted by uninvited visitors.

Harry Hawkes is an extroverted music producer who was Marianne's lover until he passed her on to his protégé, Paul. With him is his daughter, Penelope "Pen" Lanier, who says she is 22. Moving into the villa, Harry starts inviting friends around as if it were his home and taking everybody out to various sights and festivities. His arrogant manner bores Pen and annoys Paul, but Marianne starts falling under his spell again; however, when Harry and Marianne begin to become intimate, Marianne stops Harry. She tells him that she does love him, but that she cannot be with him and that she is with Paul. The sultry Pen then makes a play for the unhappy Paul; it is not shown, but implied, that Paul succumbs to Pen's overtures.

After drinking on his own, Harry comes back very late and starts a fight with Paul beside the pool. Both fall in, and the fight continues. Paul holds Harry underwater to subdue him, but Harry drowns. Realising his mistake, Paul pulls Harry to the surface and attempts to resuscitate him, but is unsuccessful and leaves Harry to drift to the bottom of the pool. In the morning, his corpse is seen by the maid, who calls the police. They have more urgent business with refugees landing from North Africa, some floating ashore dead, but take the occupants of the villa in for questioning. Marianne convinces them with the truth that she was asleep, and suggests that the murderer was an intruder. Paul lies, saying he went to bed before the time of death, and is believed. Pen eventually reveals that she can speak perfect Italian, but chose to let her hosts struggle, and her passport reveals that she is only 17. Paul is concerned that Pen may have witnessed his fight with Harry in the pool, but is unable to determine how much she knows, if anything. Paul tearfully admits to Marianne that he killed Harry but tried to save him. At the airport, as Pen is about to fly out, she tells Paul and Marianne something that refers to something Marianne once said to Harry. Visibly disturbed, Marianne slaps Pen. Pen maintains her composure until she is shown boarding the plane in tears unseen by Marianne and Paul who depart in their car. On the ride back to the villa, they are stopped by the police. It is the investigating officer, but rather than pursuing the case he reveals himself to be a fan of Marianne and wants her to autograph a CD. She obliges and returns to the car where she and Paul share their relief and drive away.

Cast

* Tilda Swinton as Marianne Lane
* Matthias Schoenaerts as Paul De Smedt
* Ralph Fiennes as Harry Hawkes
* Dakota Johnson as Penelope "Pen" Lanier
* Lily McMenamy as Sylvie
* Aurore Clément as Mireille
* Elena Bucci as Clara
* Corrado Guzzanti as Maresciallo dei Carabinieri

Marketing

The first promo still of ''A Bigger Splash'' featuring Matthias Schoenaerts, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson and Ralph Fiennes was released on 27 July 2015. A new set of movie stills were released on 3 September 2015. The first clip was released on 5 September 2015. Swinton appeared in-character on the cover of the Autumn/Winter 2015 issue of ''AnOther Magazine''. In a work of fiction co-authored by Swinton, Glenn O'Brien, Luca Guadagnino, and Dave Kajganich, Marianne Lane gave an interview for the magazine based around events in the film.

The first international teaser trailer was released on 1 October 2015. The second trailer was released on 5 January 2016. The second clip from the film was released on 15 January 2016. Fox Searchlight released the first U.S. trailer on 10 February 2016.

Release

In February 2015, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired U.S distribution rights to the film. The film made its world premiere at the 72nd Venice Film Festival on 6 September 2015. It was also selected to screen at the Busan International Film Festival on 2 October 2015 and at the London Film Festival on 9 October 2015. Lucky Red released the film in Italy on 26 November 2015. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2016 by StudioCanal. It was released in France on 16 April 2016. Originally scheduled to open in the United States on 13 May 2016, it was brought forward to 4 May.

For its theatrical release ''A Bigger Splash'' earned $2,024,099 in North America and $5,521,659 in foreign receipts for a total world box office gross of
$7,545,758.

An extended version running for 195 minutes, titled ''An Even Bigger Splash'', screened at the Gothenburg Film Festival on 5 February 2022.

Reception

Critical response

''A Bigger Splash'' received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 89%, based on 184 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Absorbing, visually arresting, and powerfully acted by an immensely talented cast, ''A Bigger Splash'' offers sumptuously soapy delights for fans of psychological adult drama." On Metacritic the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

References

External links

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''A Bigger Splash''
at The Numbers
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Press Book

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigger Splash, A
2015 films
2015 crime drama films
2015 independent films
2010s erotic drama films
2010s psychological drama films
2010s English-language films
English-language French films
English-language Italian films
Films about vacationing
Films produced by Luca Guadagnino
Remakes of Italian films
Remakes of French films
Films directed by Luca Guadagnino
Films set in Sicily
Films set on beaches
Films set on islands
Films shot in Italy
Films with screenplays by David Kajganich
French crime drama films
French erotic drama films
French independent films
French multilingual films
French psychological drama films
Frenesy Film Company films
Italian crime drama films
Italian erotic drama films
Italian independent films
2010s Italian-language films
Italian multilingual films
Italian psychological drama films
2015 multilingual films
2010s French films
English-language independent films
English-language crime drama films
English-language erotic drama films