Alex Reviews "Anemone"

There is a distinct possibility that Anemone is an experiment to see how many awards that Daniel Day-Lewis can backpack a film to collect. There is no way that a number of the pieces to this puzzle fit without him at the lead of the picture. Every segment and idea hangs by a thread attached to the weight of his talent. All elevated by the connection.

That isn’t to say that there is no brilliance independently in Anemone, but it definitely benefits from the connective tissue. A great short story about grievances and letting go becomes a script. A clever set of visuals for isolated images become grand shots for the picture. Moments became art and Daniel Day-Lewis leads the charge.

Sean Bean and Samantha Morton carry amazing scenes for the narrative that surrounds its star in a stage like canvas that could play to any size audience. Yet it still pales in comparison to Daniel Day-Lewis disappearing into his hurt and delivery.

The framing of the ominous setting and the haunting score interspersed with moments of levity and familiar music all play their suspenseful parts, yet it all holds for Daniel Day-Lewis to initiate the madness.

It all plays as a brilliant arthouse production where the principal takes many styled pieces and lifts them up in the way Atlas holds the world. All pieces are significant, but one holds it all above. This feels like an intentionally desperate performance delivering on the anguish of the characters within the story and the bleak surroundings that holding onto the hurt of the past can cause. It is going to be nominated for everything and Daniel Day-Lewis comes off the couch to remind the world why he was the best.