Directed by:
Luca GuadagninoScreenplay:
David KajganichCinematography:
Arseni KhachaturanCast:
Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Gordon Green, Jessica Harper, Francesca Scorsese (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
A story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter, as they meet and join together for a thousand-mile odyssey which takes them through the back roads, hidden passages and trap doors of Ronald Reagan’s America. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness. (United Artists)
(more)Videos (3)
Reviews (4)
Luca Guadagnino fills a gap in cinema. An intimate analysis of the outsider life of people who are dependent on human flesh and depicting the existence of desperate individuals on the margins of society, like a paraphrase of the fantastical theme of vampires. Bones and All is about the necessity of concealing one's own personality, the search for a family history in order to understand oneself and one’s place in the world. At the same time, however, it is a delicate romance about the importance of finding a soulmate. The film contains more terrifying and gory scenes than you would anticipate from the expected global distribution with artistic exposition and Timothée Chalamet. For mainstream viewers, it will be repulsive to the point of being unwatchable, despite having the plot of a classic road movie with a relationship element and a clichéd climax typical of the genre. I’m giving it a weak fourth star for the courage it took to examine the biggest social taboos in an artistic way and for the brilliant casting of Mark Rylance. In terms of emotion, however, the film left me completely cold, as I was unable to sympathize with the characters in any way.
()
I think most vegans who accidentally wander into the cinema to see this unconventional romantic road-trip will pass out and have nightmares for the rest of their lives. Marel (Taylor Russell) can't contain herself on a girls' sleepover and chews on her friend's finger. Her dad has had enough, so after a quick move he gives her money, an explanatory audio tape and disappears. The "innocent" girl goes in search of her lost mother and meets other eaters of human flesh. The almost meditative, relaxed atmosphere, underlined by Trent Reznor's haunting piano, is interspersed from time to time with gore with an unnerving soundtrack. The performances are top-notch, with Mark Rylance as the lonesome Sully leading the pack, but unfortunately, there is punishingly little. Chalamet does his quality standard, but he's no match for the old man. A surprising one-off with several very intensive scenes and a bit of an awkward ending. The question is whether it is the fault of the book or the filmmakers.
()
The first Guadagnino film that I really liked. A slow, thoughtful and heartfelt road-movie with cannibal characters that can be mistaken for vampires or even regular humans, it simply works as it should. Just dive in and spend a pleasant two hours. The allusions to Kiss and the music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are awesome!
()
Luca Guadagnino has made a cannibalistic road trip romance through the American backwoods and it has its charms. It's clear that the director is a drama buff, but he probably also enjoys horror and likes to combine the two genres, though drama always takes precedence. His Suspiria, however, had its charm (I remember the dance scene vividly!) and I'm very curious how he'll handle the Scarface remake, because I have no idea how he'll handle the action scenes. We have two likeable young actors, the nifty Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, who has already shown his acting skills a few times and only confirms them here. I enjoy road trips in films as they don't stand still, new places and people are explored and despite the slower pace they manage to keep my attention. Bones and All also benefits from the world of cannibals and it has to be said that this insight is really interesting and creepy enough. The two leads travel through America, have a taste for human flesh and can also sense their equals. Each encounter with a new cannibal is one of the highlights of the film. Mark Rylance is once again perfect, his dialogue is uncomfortable and gives you chills. But I must also praise the huge weirdo with the Bones and All story, the guy oozed evil and I wouldn't be surprised if he was a cannibal in real life, a really nasty unpleasant guy. There was a bit of gore as well, which was nice, though another director might have pushed the envelope further. The filmmaking is good, the atmosphere is bleak, and you could say it's one of the top in the cannibal-themed romantic horror genre (though the competition here isn't huge). Bones and All is the imaginary pinnacle of cannibal cinema and I would love to see it in action. 7/10
()
Ads