Film No. 96 MASTER GARDENER (2023). 23rd Dec.

 

Film No. 96  (2023)  December 23rd.  4:00 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 7, Leederville.

 

"The smell at certain times of the year gives you a real buzz - like the buzz you get - just before pulling the trigger" (Narvel's voice over as we meet him as a gardener and deduce something dark has occurred in his past).

NOMINEE: Best Screenplay (Paul Schrader) Dublin Film Festival.

Paul Schrader (Director) has found his niche writing and directing stories about strong characters with a dark past. Audiences meet these characters, mainly men, at a time when their past tests their resolve. THE CARD COUNTER (2021) gave us an ex-military interrogator, William Tell (Oscar Isaac) making a living via random black-jack tables. Here Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is a once extremist, turned head horticulturalist, working on a rich widow's estate. 

How does an extremist become a quiet natured gardener of extraordinary talent? I won't tell you that. The tale of Narvel's past is masterfully unravelled by Schrader. CARD COUNTER fans won't miss GARDENER, and will know what I mean. Performances by Sigourney Weaver as widow Norma Haverhill, and Esai Morales as Narvel's handler (an FBI Marshall) give some hint as to why these figures help to keep his past at bay.    

Schrader completes his trilogy (FIRST REFORMED, THE CARD COUNTER) with MASTER GARDENER. His accomplishment with these stories places him in the highest echelon of working directors. REFORMED and COUNTER are more rounded films than GARDENER. The six hours I have spent with all three, over the last six years, have been particularly worthwhile. 

Narvel is revealed to us gradually through a gentle calm, made so via Edgerton's talent. His voice-overs set us up and, never impede intellectually. Weaver creates the most complicated character of all. Norma leaves us with the most to think about, well after the screen has gone to black. I haven't even mentioned Maya, (Quintessa Swindell)  Narvel's "project", who has a few missteps (writing wise) but TV star Quintessa may be the next "big thing" on the large screen.  9GUMS.