Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, God’s Creatures (Directors’ Fortnight) is a captivating psychological drama full of mastery, anchored by a remarkable lead actress’ performance.
Halfway to the 75th Cannes Film Festival, when I look back trying to remember all the movies I have already watched, a few of them immediately spring to mind because they left an impression on me. God’s Creatures, directed by Brooklyn-based filmmakers Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, and presented at the 54th Directors’ Fortnight, is one of films that you don’t actually leave when the credits start rolling and you head to another screening on the Croisette. The compelling visual storytelling, the human aspects at stake and the outstanding performance delivered by actress Emily Watson indubitably make God’s Creatures one of my festival favourites so far!
The synopsis lays bare what is at stake in God’s Creatures: in a windswept fishing village in Ireland, a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community in this tense, sweepingly emotional epic.
What comes to the fore in the film is that the environment of the film is a character in itself. The film swiftly presents this small Irish community through a short collection of daily life scenes: the seafood plant, where Aileen (Emily Watson) works as a manager, the seaside, where men go fishing, and the bar, where some meet at night to listen to invigorating and pleasant celtic music. The film depicts several aspects of this small community, in which most residents are acquainted with one another since childhood. Within this community, Aileen is reunited with her child Brian (Paul Mescal) at the start of the film, who is supposed to be returning home following an experience in Australia. The directors subtly emphasize the unique character of Aileen and Brian’s relationship. Their deep bond is poignantly depicted on screen, and one instantly understands Aileen’s unending love for her son.
Yet, the film provides us a sense that something is cooking beneath the surface, which could drastically affect the lives of the ones we are being introduced.
From second one, the directors create an underlying tension that foreshadows serious future events. The film opens with a violent underwater shot, which sets the tone for what is to come: the story is set in a powerful natural setting, and something is growing beneath the surface. An acute sound design develops suspense throughout the film, just as it does in this opening scene.
The picture is also rich and memorable in terms of visuals. Dark, shadows, or moving clouds are constantly present when landscapes are captured by the filmmakers. Things are changing, and nothing should be taken for granted in the life of the coastal town we’re following, until the mother’s son is involved in a serious event.
Without falling prey to sensationalism, the filmmakers effectively communicate the consequences and ramifications of such an incident, which puts the mother in a very uncomfortable position. The mother, like Antigone in Sophocles’ eponymous play, is torn between natural and legal rights. How should she proceed? What should she act? As a mother? As a human being? As a member of the suffering community?
Aileen’s role is well written and could only be carried off by a truly gifted and skilled actress. That is precisely how it is done in God’s Creatures! Emily Watson delivers an outstanding, absorbing and profoundly moving performance. Her protagonist is grappling with a heavy secret that she is trying to keep hidden in order to protect some close relatives. Meanwhile, this behavior is causing harm to others and is slowly killing them. Emily Watson does an excellent job of absorbing the tension and gravity of the situation while also expressing a feeling of complexity, emergency, struggle, and ongoing meditation on what she should be doing. The dilemma she is facing is visible on her face, and the dialogues are only here to emphasize what her delicate facial expressions already tell. Lastly, Emily Watson demonstrates her remarkable palette of skills by profoundly moving you.
Near the end, the tension that has been building throughout the film ultimately bursts into a satisfying, powerful, and gut-wrenching conclusion. The film achieves its goal and demonstrates its title: we are all flawed individuals. The film’s characters are “god’s creatures,” capable of failing, forgiving, or hurting. All we can do is try to find a middle ground between what we believe is right and what we believe is wrong.
Overall, the film’s visuals, ambience, sound design, and faces stay with you. God’s Creatures showcases impressive mastery on behalf of the directors, as well as outstanding visual storytelling skills.
