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Presented by award-winning writer/producer/director Susanne Bier and based on the novel by Ron Rash, the story takes us to the Smokey Mountains, North Carolina in 1929, during the Depression, and into the business and personal life of timber baron George Pemberton (Bradley Cooper), whose ambitions may have exceeded his means. Leveraging his current land for a gamble of further ownership abroad, finances and the pressure from local and federal government bankers to buy his property for a national park are taking a toll. He then meets a young woman, Serena (Jennifer Lawrence), whom he immediately falls for and soon, they are married and trying to navigate his business together, given a past within the timber industry she has as well. Though she is more than capable of running things and the pair’s deep passion for one another burns bright, a past dalliance by Pemberton begins to slowly disrupt his life, and soon, along with the land sale deal at an impasse, an atmosphere of distrust and betrayal is created on top of it all. Trying desperately to hold a secret and still keep a company and marriage intact, Pemberton soon discovers that past mistakes have consequences and that making one bad choice to try and correct it does nothing to alleviate the growing chain of events. It soon becomes clear that the love Pemberton and Serena share may be deep, but what price are each willing to pay to make it all work out?
An ultimately heart-wrenching and intense affair, “Serena” is willing to delve into those dark places within us to try and answer that very question, and does so tragically and effectively throughout the film. Cooper and Lawrence are truly made for each other as actors, given the success of the pair in “Silver Linings Playbook“, which carries on here and their chemistry is undeniable in this context as well. Pemberton being completely swept up in the sweet, but quietly menacing, Serena is a thrill to watch, and again, thanks to the magic of independent film, the story allows the two characters to shine together and apart as they attempt to fix the situation that has been set in motion. Lawrence especially is amazing here, continuing to demonstrate why she is one of the preeminent young actresses in Hollywood, channeling both the subtle intensity of “Winter’s Bone” with the emotional bombast at times of “American Hustle“. A great supporting turn by a virtually unrecognizable Rhys Ifans adds to the drama as well. The beautiful yet haunting setting of the cloud-enshrouded Smokey Mountains is a character in itself here, and a quiet soundtrack adds the necessary touches along the way. This reviewer has not personally read the novel, but if this effort is any indication, it may very well move up on the reading list.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
