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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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 Posted - 12/29/2009 : 15:05:05
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Cracks
I can't think why Ridley Scott's daughter Jordan should not only choose this adaptation for her feature debut, but transplant Sheila Kohler's novel from 1960s South Africa to 1930s England.
Nothing is gained in this transparent tale of the homoeroticism that blooms and eventually festers within the confines of a girls boarding school. In many ways you can guess from the film that its original setting gave the story more resonance.
I've only read excerpts from the novel, but Kohler makes herself a third-person character, so it's anyone's guess how autobiographical it was.
Scott's film avoids any point-of-reference, which is one of its many flaws.
One thing literally shines from the screen, though, and that's the cinematography of award-winning John Mathieson, presumably borrowed with permission from dad Ridley. I'm guessing he'll be adding to his trophy shelf with this.
Sadly, and despite some feisty performances, the film is carried by its visuals rather than its melodramatic and predictable story. There are a bunch of pubescent schoolgirls whose self-imposed hierarchy is threatened by the intake of a supposed Spanish princess. The girls are in thrall to their Miss Brodie-ish swimming teacher.
And now it's time to explain the title. Well, in South Africa crack is a synonym for a crush -- most importantly this is the one meaning that's lost in the translocation. We've also got cracked for crazy, crack as in an Irish good time, and crack as slang for vagina. Set in its era, crack was never going to be about cocaine.
Eva Green does a creditable job of exposing the mental health of the teacher, but the character is sketched rather than written and comparisons with Muriel Spark's Brodie only serve to point up the weakness of the script.
But the brief appearances of Sin�ad Cusack as the headmistress are little gems of understated command and confusion.
The two main girls - Juno Temple and Mar�a Valverde are okay. Temple, particularly - as she does in Glorious 39 - never really allows us beneath the surface. And neither she nor Valverde are up to scenes of real demand. Temple, as director Julien's kid and with her quirky looks, won't lack for work; indeed according to the imdb she's already got four films on the go. Valverde is more experienced, and has gained acclaim in her native Spain. Actually, when you analyze Scott's film, this catalyst of jealousy and mayhem isn't really asked to stretch her skills.
Hard to tell whether Scott has a directorial future. Nepotism only lasts so long.
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Cracks
