MOVIE: GENOVA

The exquisitely shot Genova is the latest addition to Michael Winterbottom’s diverse repertoire. A widower, Joe (Colin Firth) succumbs to escapism and relocates his daughters (Willa Holland and Perla Haney-Jardine) to Italy following his wife’s death, with the help of an old friend (Catherine Keener). Echoing a travelogue, the film transports viewers into a glorious Italian summer, while the labyrinth Genovian streets are an apt, at times disturbing, metaphor for the bereaved family’s dislocation. Performances too, are terrific. Catherine Keener is a standout – her depiction of stifled heartache is surprisingly poignant in a film defined by heavier themes of grief and guilt. But while hand-held camera work may douse the film in realism, Genova feels too constructed – supernatural elements are intersected with teenage drama to unconvincing effect, and the action-packed climax seems contrived, jarring with the film’s naturalistic style and slow pace. Genova is hauntingly atmospheric, but it also feels somewhat weightless.