Paul Schrader prides himself on having little concern for how likable he is or his work. For his fans this is part of the joy, finding pleasure in his prickly Facebook posts and reveling in the twisted black heart that beats at the center of much of his work. After the recent existential nightmare of "First Reformed" and last year's unbelievably cruel psychodrama "The Card Counter," which also premiered at the Lido, Schrader returns to Venice to receive an Honorary Golden Lion award and treat audiences to another grim redemption story. .
Joel Edgerton stars as Narvel Roth, a reserved and meticulous gardener who manages the grounds of the large Gracewood estate alongside a small but committed team. The estate is owned by Norma Haverhill, who appears in every scene wearing a perfectly styled headpiece of hair and a wasp style. Her concerns may seem minor, talking about preparations for a gala and orchids they plan to auction off, but the Oedipal tension between them is immediately disconcerting.
Director: Paul Schrader
Writer: Paul Schrader
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell
Outside of the opening credits, which show time-lapsed flowers blooming vividly against a black backdrop, the gardens themselves appear cold and colorless. Even trips to supposedly spectacular gardens feature dusty-hued hedges and the golden stems of conspicuously pruned roses against a cloudy sky.
Our protagonist's botanical passion is revisited in (occasionally clumsy) metaphors when Narvel writes heavily in his journals that "gardening is a bridge to the future," "the seeds of love grow like the seeds of hate," or "I found a garden life, how unlikely is that? But meditative contemplation on botany aside, life truly begins anew for Narvel when Norma asks him to take care of her estranged great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell), whose parents have died and she needs a job and an opportunity. to change her life.
Following Maya's arrival at Gracewood, Schrader leans into a fascinating time travel aesthetic. Gracewood's exact location is never explicit, but it appears to exist in its own dimension, with the action only leaving the grounds once until its final act. The house itself is a giant neoclassical structure, the gardens tended to by a largely non-white workforce, suggesting antebellum rot in the foundation. Meanwhile, the palatial home's interiors have a surprisingly spartan modernity, complete with eye-catching jellyfish wallpaper that looks like it's ripped off the walls of a cutting-edge hotel.
Norma herself looks distinctly from the 1950s, in glamorous dresses with cinched waists; a concern for good manners; and a strong Manhattan cocktail permanently at her fingertips. Narvel appears to reside in the 1930s with stiff side-parted hair and utilitarian clothing, living in a small Depression-era shack on the grounds. Meanwhile, Maya feels ripped from the 1970s counterculture, arriving in bright tie-dye, round sunglasses, and ripped jeans.
This only gets more intriguing as the movie progresses, even though it's technically set in the present day, each character seemingly rooted in the perspective of different eras in American history. When finally removed from the Gracewood bubble, Schrader makes them appear as unwanted trespassers, sitting bemused in front of men wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "We should all be feminists" and never able to keep up with the contemporary world.
For those of us who have been paying attention to the work of Australian actor Joel Edgerton, it's no surprise that he is absolutely phenomenal in the role. Schrader's knack for complicated antiheroes, which arguably peaked in the 1970s when he wrote "Taxi Driver" and made his directorial debut on "Blue Collar," is an archetype Edgerton was clearly born to play. Schrader has gone on to give contemporary stars like Ethan Hawke, Oscar Isaac and now Edgerton the chance to showcase the wide range of his abilities, able to remain fully human while drawing deep wells of inner turmoil and hard-won redemption.
Edgerton's face has a particular knack for appearing haunted with sharp almost skeletal cheekbones and deep blue eyes. Even as he confidently delivers horticulture lessons to a captive audience, Edgerton keeps one finger digging in the trauma.
Watch Master Gardener 2022 Movie Trailer
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