Madame Bovary (2014)

Directed by Sophie Barthes, this is a superb adaptation of the 1856 novel by Gustave Flaubert. 

Emma Bovary (Mia Wasikowska) finds her marriage to a village doctor stifling and lifeless. She seeks more exciting distractions, with disastrous consequences.  

Wasikowska is excellent, as is the supporting cast. My only criticism is that Emma's character seems to change too quickly, with her downward spiral beginning rather suddenly after years of quiet restraint. This sort of character development can be handled more subtly across a novel but can seem rushed in the 118-minute running time of a film.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

A fairly intelligent rom-com – a silly but charming on-off love story boosted by a strong soundtrack and some funny lines. 

Violet (Emily Blunt) and Tom (Jason Segel) are a happy couple living in San Francisco. They get engaged and hope to marry. But when Violet begins a post-doctorate psychology course at the University of Michigan, the couple move away from their friends and family. Tom’s career as a chef suffers as Violet’s academic prospects improve. This puts strain on their relationship and their wedding is repeatedly delayed.

Emily and – in particular – Alison Brie, who plays her sister Suzie, are pretty good. Segel is less convincing, but then again it may just be that his character’s persistent unease makes him a little uncomfortable to watch.

The Five-Year Engagement starts with Dexys Midnight Runners singing Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said”, which puts you in a good mood from the beginning. In fact, most of the soundtrack is made up of Van Morrison songs – a smart choice. I was especially pleased to hear his “Sweet Thing”, as it’s not every day an Astral Weeks track gets used in a film.

One continuity point: Violet’s character’s childhood bedroom wall is covered in Wham! posters, but she would have been a baby when Wham! were popular. Did someone overlook this? 

Another oddity is a thread of violent humour running through the story. Tom’s boss at the restaurant slices part of her finger off. Violet is shot in the leg by a crossbow. And Tom jumps on a fire hydrant obscured by a snowdrift. I’m not sure why this was introduced, although it does add a sense of “real life”.

While it’s all fairly flimsy and forgettable, it does make you feel better about life for a couple of hours – which is presumably what rom-coms are for.

Serena (2014)

Gripping drama that becomes progressively more hair-raising. 

It’s 1929 and George Pemberton (Bradley Cooper) runs a timber business in North Carolina. When he falls in love with a forthright young woman named Serena (Jennifer Lawrence) and brings her into the company, everything changes. She’s haunted by a tragedy in her past and also by the existence of George’s child with another local woman. He is haunted by a crime she encourages him to commit. Before long, everything falls apart. 

This film got heavily criticised for various reasons, none of which I would recognise as being flaws. The characters are perfectly drawn and their motivations are made clear. The storytelling is lucid, thanks to Susanne Bier’s solid direction. The remote location looks great, too, despite the use of the sort of filters I usually find distracting. The film does become melodramatic, it’s true, but that seems entirely in keeping with their situation as their problems swiftly escalate.