Synopsis
“Adore,” a 2013 Australian-French drama film directed by Anne Fontaine, is based on a novella by Doris Lessing, a Nobel Prize winner. The movie focuses on two female friends and their sons and their relationships that are controversial and complex in emotionally charged ways. It is set in the coastal scenic region of New South Wales, Australia.
The film follows the story of Lil played by Naomi Watts and Roz played by Robin Wright, and their childhood friendship which has remained unbroken till today. They live in beach houses adjacent to one another and enjoy warm family relations centered around swimming, surfing, and spending time together, along with raising their sons Ian (Xavier Samuel) and Tom (James Frecheville). Insightful narration showcases both women as profoundly integrated and intertwined through their friendship, identity, and admiration for one another balanced with fierce grace.
An unexpected and forbidden chain of happenings disturbs what seems like the perfect balance of their lives. Emotional vulnerabilities begin to “emerge” after Roz’s spouse Harold Ben Mendelsohn relocates to Sydney for work. One night, Roz’s longtime admirer, Ian, “makes a move,” and she reciprocates. This initiates a steamy affair. In what seems like retaliation, confusion, Lil, out of mirrored emotional needs, finds herself entering into a similar affair with Tom.
This film takes a different approach, depicting deeply entwined relationships as multi-faceted rather than one-off blunders. Such relationships, filled with significant emotion, extend for many years. With the “progression” of the relationships, especially between Lil and Roz, they encounter new social and self-imposed dilemmas. Their sons come of age, and as is normal for young adults, they pursue ‘orthodox’ courtships with peers their age. This naturally poses a threat to the unconventional bond forged with their mothers.
The tribulations these relationships bring to life are explored in greater detail when Ian starts dating a woman his age. This development leads to both Roz and Ian having to face the growing covert tension in their relationship. Simultaneously, Tom’s attachment to Lil is strained as his desperation for a family increases. In the end, the film weaves a narrative that is open-ended yet bittersweet, leaving audiences without clear morals or solutions portraying instead the complex, and at times painful, essence of love and longing.
Cast & Crew
Naomi Watts as Lil
Watts captures a fiercely realistic portrayal of Lil as a woman showcasing the nexus of empathy, yearning, and emotional dependency. She is fierce and vulnerable at once which strengthens the court’s boundless apex while her performance showcases the spiral from vulnerability into taboo.
Robin Wright as Roz
Going the other way, Robin Wright adds an otherworldly sense of tranquility to Roz when in fact almost everything about her is in conflict. Astonishingly, Wright shows the deep struggle encumbering a woman balancing the self-inflicted scorn of societal norms with her own aspirations.
Xavier Samuel as Ian
Samuel as Ian adds youthful exuberance to a character that is deeper than it initially appears, showing the audience that his emotions towards Roz go beyond simple infatuation to something more primal–though misguided love.
James Frecheville as Tom
Frecheville portrays Tom as more hesitant and introspective, dealing with the emotional consequences of his coming-of-age romance with Lil and trying to make sense of it in the context of the extraordinary circumstances they are in.
Ben Mendelsohn as Harold
Mendelsohn’s performance, though brief, is striking as Roz’s husband. He captures the weight and banalities of everyday life that Roz seems so desperate to escape from.
Director: Anne Fontaine
Fontaine is best known for Coco Before Chanel and here, like in her other works, sheathes provocative subject matter with a gentle, almost ethereal touch. Her direction avoids sensationalism, instead opting for the emotional core and the many words left unsaid between the people.
Screenplay: Christopher Hampton
The script, written by eminent screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), has little dialogue and even less explanation, trusting the story to be conveyed through the characters’ actions and silences laden with meaning, which in this case is abundant.
Cinematography: Christophe Beaucarne
In as much as her contemporaries, Beaucarne, through his work in cinematography, gives the film a golden light that enhances the paradisiacal feel of the setting while evoking a sense of timelessness and unreality, reflecting the emotional bubbles of the characters.
Music: Christopher Gordon
The score is understated and bittersweet, accenting emotional undertows and contemplative elements without overpowering the film’s tone.
IMDb Ratings
As for the film’s reception, or “Adore” as listed on IMDb, it currently holds a rating of approximately 6.2/10. This indicates a mixed yet thought-provoking reception, with viewers parting with divided opinions.
Critics highlighted the performances from Naomi Watts and Robin Wright, who both offer nuanced and authentic portrayals of women on morally ambiguous predicaments. The cinematography and setting were appreciated by many, as they created enchanting and dense landscapes which supported the surreal nature of the film.
On the other hand, reviewers raised other issues pertaining to the movie’s perception, particularly its controversial subject matter. Some felt that the filmmakers were more concerned about superficial beauty than emotional depth, while others argued that the film’s narrative could not reach an adequate resolution regarding moral and ethical dilemmas. Sources noted that the pace of the movie felt sluggish, elapsing too much time on minimal dialogue, which bothered some viewers who felt disconnected from the character’s intentions.
Nevertheless, many viewers consider Adore to be a striking and deeply insightful exploration of complex themes including love, longing, growing old, and defiance against society.
Conclusion
“Adore” is a film that defies easy genre classification. It is not simply a romance, or drama featuring a peculiar relationship; rather, it is introspective of the primitive human need for love and the ensuing love and attachment that comes with it.
At the centre of Adore is the prime riddle, can love, when true, ever be wrong regardless of the moral conventions it traverses? Lil and Roz’s relationships with each other’s sons clash with almost all norms, but the film does not portray them glamorously or condemningly either. Rather, Anne Fontaine takes us to a painfully gentle place where the only reasonable truth is the intensity of sentiment among the characters.
As the movie progresses, its stunning visuals are set against an Australian seaside landscape which reinforces the blue waters and sandy beaches as an Edenic world beyond time. Within such stunning, remote aesthetics, societal boundaries recede in the face of betrayal, lending a contradictive appeal of shocking taboo, and yet sane.
Another main aspect of the film is the cast. The greatest strength of this film is the performance. Structurally, Wright and Watts give us sympathetic characters that balance on complex and controversial partitions. Samuel and Frecheville also bring genuine emotional conflict to their roles which adds fuel to the inherently provocative narrative.
Nonetheless, Adore is not a film that aims to soothe its viewers. It poses hard questions without providing simple solutions, forcing viewers to consider the complicated and often contradictory reality of human emotions — how love is simultaneously nurturing and destructive, freeing and imprisoning, soothing and injuring.
To summarize, “Adore” is a breathtakingly beautiful film that is emotionally rich and intricate, one that resonates powerfully within the minds of the audience who understand the nuances of forbidden love, vulnerability, and the tender yet harsh complexities of human relationships. While it may not please all helpless viewers, those who are willing to appreciate the film’s themes are bound to have a deeply haunting and unforgettable experience.
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