Rebecca
netflixBen Wheatley has been on a meteoric rise since his 2009 debut Down Terrace, and has climbed up the directing ladder with a series of influential and well-regarded independent features in the last decade. After 2017's Free Fire, working with the largest Hollywood cast-list to date with Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer and Sharlto Copley to name a few, the call from Hollywood was a matter of inevitability.
Reported contractual deals to headline both Tomb Raider 2 and The Meg 2 are seemingly on the cards, but Wheatley's first stop into Hollywood stardom is an adaption of Daphne du Maurier's famed mystery classic Rebecca. It is a feature that, while on the surface is a seemingly strong fit for the director, in actual fact showcases both little flair and entertainment value on the material itself.
First and foremost, it is quite shocking to report that Wheatley's vision for Rebecca is entirely flat both visually and thematically. The production design, from start to finish, is devoid of life and characters. It is never able to flourish or brood as a living breathing entity, to evoke mood or even thematic weight for that matter. The life of the still is dire, and while granted, Wheatley does use colour to his strength; the film’s green screen, on occasion, effectively takes over and a sheer lack of captivating visuals are in full force.
The performances are worse. Once again, the exact same criticism levelled at the visual element can be referred here. Lily James, as the unnamed protagonist, is in a world of her own – a whimsical and unknown one at that. Granted, the contextual nature of the character is one that is intensified in the pedantic and existential. However, James never quite grasps the internal damnation and physiological parameters of such a role.
Armie Hammer, on the other hand, while on the surface is well cast – at least on physical stature alone – offers a glimpse of something quite interesting. However, the sheer lack of character and one-note ‘on the nose’ character queues become equally as tired and bespoken before the inevitable skeletons are shown in the metaphorical closest. Hammer does not quite nail the desire and audaciousness the character demands. The actors’ more emotional monologues are equally as lost. They disappear into a vortex of lack of character building and an accent that can’t decide what side of the Atlantic it belongs.
Brief appearances from Sam Riley, Kristen Scott Thomas and Keeley Hawes have snippets of inventive fun and character brooding but, as quick as these roles are presented, they are as quickly dashed away for the film’s flat genre conventions. If anything, in an unironic manner, it is quite a spectacle to see such a substantial array of performances wasted this much in such viable and robust material.
That being said, the film does have an interesting angle on toxic masculinity, desire and vilified press within society. All these themes are clearly on display, but the nuance and subtlety of such displays are handled far too heavily which speaks volumes for how the genre as a whole is treated. The iconography, writing and tropes are so evidently lazy and uninspiring; it again becomes quite a spectacle to see how misled this property truly is.
All in all, it is straightforward for anyone who is familiar with Wheatley's work that the central issues here are the absence of spouse and writer, Amy Jump. The lack of the writer's talents regarding nuance, comedy and charisma is evident to a point in which well-regarded screenwriter, Jane Goldman cannot touch on such audaciousness. Ultimately, Rebecca stands as the first dip in what is otherwise a stellar filmography from director, Ben Wheatley. At this point, the advised grassroots direction would be the due course of action. However, the endless pit that is Hollywood seems to have taken the voice of another outstanding creative.
