IFFR 2020 - The Trouble with Nature
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAMMaking both his directorial and screenwriting debut, Illum Jacobi kicks off his filmmaking career with The Trouble with Nature. In his quest for the mysterious and seductive sublime, philosopher, Edmund Burke (Antony Langdon) and his servant, Awak (Nathalia Acevedo) travel to the French Alps, becoming increasingly desperate for a breakthrough to give the novel he is working on a much-needed boost.
From the very first scene of the film – which features Burke laying alone in a bush in a field of grass – the beauty of The Trouble With Nature immediately stands out. Especially due to the cinematography from Frederik Jacobi, The Trouble with Nature comes across as an honest piece of art with stunning uses of landscapes and shot composition. This sense of quality and craftsmanship is also evident in the music from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans. It mimics the traditional period piece sound but with clear inspiration and life behind it.
Where these strong technical elements might make The Trouble with Nature impressive, what makes it memorable are the emotions and feelings the film explores. Burke essentially experiences a midlife crisis as he desires to reach something of true substance and importance. This carries deeper emotions that can be shared by many. Few might expect these emotions on a trip to the French Alps, but the idea and inner fear that we should be amounting to more than what we are is a universal one. The way that this film is able to contextualize that fear really stands out and connects to something deeper. So much of this success is due to the performance from Antony Langdon. Where Langdon's performance tries to be over the top and fun, it also carries real weight to it. Clearly Langdon knew what he was doing as he crafted his performance mixing genuine emotion with comedy in a way that really pays off.
If it wasn't clear already, The Trouble with Nature stands out as one of the best films of the year so far. Its blend of charismatic and over the top comedy mixed with genuine touching emotion creates an experience that is fun at first but quickly becomes haunting and memorable. The Trouble with Nature is a film that will stay with audiences in the best of ways. It really stands out when compared to most other films released in 2020 so far and establishes Illum Jacobi as a filmmaker to watch out for.
