CRACKS – Alex’s Review
“What’s the most important thing in life?”
Don’t answer yet! Think about it very carefully first.
After all, it’s a pretty big question. In fact, do they come any bigger? Probably not and yet for a group of young girls growing up in 1934. The answer might be quite simple. A husband, security, money, a nice house, kids. All the basic things a young woman was told to aspire to back in the 30s.
However, for a group of girls being taught at a school by Miss G these are the very things to avoid.
The glamorous young teacher fills her diving lessons with instructions on rebellion, the wonders of travel, of becoming strong and independent. Have adventures and make sure you answer to nobody but yourself is her message. The group hang on her every word and head girl Di (Juno Temple) is especially hypnotised by her teachers’ charms. Their relationship oozes sexual tension and as an audience member you definitely sense huge surges of lust from both of them.
When the exciting and exotic Fiamma (Maria Valverde) arrives to the school the harmony between Miss G and Di begin to unravel. Fiamma is perfect. She is sinfully beautiful and when it is apparent that Miss G is besotted with her new pupil, Di and the others use their jealousy to plot a scheme that will put Fiamma in her place.
Cracks is the feature debut from Jordan Scott. Being the daughter of Sir Ridley Scott might have obvious advantages but there is undoubtedly a lot to live up to when your dad is one of the most respected directors of his generation. So Jordan does the smart thing and doesn’t try to live up to him at all by making her debut with a completely different genre of film. A Sci-Fi debut would probably have been a bad idea.
There isn’t only one debut here though as this is the first time we see Eva Green in a leading role. Her name confidently above the title her performance is an assured one. She nails all of Miss G’s qualities perfectly. As she struts about the school it’s obvious that this is a woman who wants to be seen. Her flawless beauty helps to convey an image of sexual dominance and power. It’s easy to see anybody falling head over heels in lust for her and you can’t help but wonder what scandals she must have got up to in her past.
Juno Temple is fast turning into a cracking little actress and one to definitely watch in the future. Just like her supporting role in Atonement she has the ability to change the mood of a scene with a glance. The quiet rage and jealous nature that reaches boiling point inside her is quite brilliant. She holds her own very well and it would be nice to see her continue in more serious roles instead of making films like St. Trinians. She definitely has a future as a dramatic actress.
If Jordan Scott has inherited anything from her dad it’s his use of imagery. She populates the entire film with sumptuous visuals that bring the period to life. Joined by John Matheison as cinematographer the film’s colours and tracking shots dazzle. It is easy to see that Matheison frequently collaborates with the Scott family. Supervising the photography on Gladiator, Hannibal and Kingdom of Heaven with Ridley and also on Plunkett & MacLean with Jake Scott they know how to work well together to maximise visual flourishes.
Cracks was first seen as a novel published in 1999 and written by author Sheila Kohler. The film does make some major changes in respects to the book. The film changes the setting from South Africa to a fictional Island off the eastern coast of England. Also while the film takes place in the 30s the book was set in the 60s. I can maybe understand the change in period considering a woman’s role in the 30s but I’m still not sure why they changed the setting. My guess is that the budget could only go so far and with filming taking place in Ireland it made it easier and more viable to switch South Africa for England.
The first half of the film is paced nicely with the script allowing for maximum intensity as the love triangle is formed. The sexual repression that Miss G combats against makes for gripping cinema. Watching all her young fans as they fall for her charms builds exciting tension that you can’t help but feel will end in lusty tragedy.
Unfortunately this is where the film falters. It isn’t so much that the climax isn’t thrilling but just plain obvious. The films major strong point is Miss G’s sexual magnetism and the tension it creates but once all that is removed Jordan Scott is left with nothing to play with. All of a sudden the only thing we are left with is an overbearing score that she desperately uses to keep the film moving. It is here that the cracks in Cracks begin to show. I won’t take anything away from the skilled performances on show here and despite its faults Cracks is still a decent debut from Jordan Scott. It’s very easy for period drama to come across as stuffy and long winded but for the most part it works very well indeed.
The story while not original is engaging with echoes of Lord of the Flies, Picnic At Hanging Rock and Notes On A Scandal. All eyes on Jordan Scott to see if she can build on this promising start to her career and on Eva Green who has proved she can handle a juicy lead role.
So what is the most important thing in life?
‘Desire’ is the most important thing in life according to Miss G and while that may be, true ‘Desire’ can also lead to envy, betrayal and the ultimate destruction of life.
Rating: 
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