DISOBEDIENCE (2018)
Love is an all consuming thing
Love is an all consuming thing and this film goes some way in demonstrating the strength of that powerful four letter word. Anchored by two astonishing female leads, ‘Disobedience’ isn’t as resolute in that power and feels slightly lacking of consequence.
After a family tragedy, Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz) flies from New York to London tothestrict Orthodox Jewish community of which she’d left behind. As she stays longer, her past is unbottled and Esti Kuperman (Rachel McAdams) is a reason for why she was estranged and distanced from her father and his religion.
What this film has going for it, is a good sense of tenderness. Sebastian Lelio ensures that the central pairing of his stars are the focus, their developing connection one that feels soft and lovely around the edges. On the other hand, it is this tender quality that can make the film feel somewhat wishy-washy. The burning nature of love and passion should be unmistakable and though you can tell the two ladies want each other, it’s the aftermath of their connection that never really hits. A darker kick-back to what they do would make this film more engrossing to watch.
In fact, the film doesn’t totally sell us on the build up to their elicit rendezvous, there’s just a smidge enough to know there’s something going on but it doesn’t feel like the movie has enough gusto to sell us on the fact and suddenly what happens, happens. It’s the softly softly approach which makes for good detailed performances but doesn’t help the screenplay feel dynamic.
Weisz is superb and you can see it in her face and the way she fiddles with her scarf that she’s juggling feelings of grief, frustrationand love. McAdams is just as sensational as her counterpart, if not more so. The complicated state of her marriage and the reappearance of Ronit are all carefully balanced by the actor, she is captivating to watch.
‘Disobedience’ has some nice qualities and the background of the Jewish community feels well handled, Weisz and McAdams are the perfect lovers. If only the film didn’t disobey it’s own powerful rules on love, when it should have instead, committed to a more vivid tension in the relationship.
6/10
