Film No. 77. POISON (Palace Aust. British Film Festival) (2024). 15th Nov.

 

Film No. 77 (2024) November 15th. 4:00 PM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1, Leederville.

"Don't you think it's bizarre, after all these years, meeting each other here again?" (Edith asks Lucas the question that encapsulates an ultimate irony in a later scene).

 WINNER: Peripheral Vision Award (Desiree Norsbusch) Galway FF.

What was the last play, adapted for the screen, that succeeded at the box office? Okay, excepting musicals (CHICAGO)! FENCES, and the pull of Denzel Washington, made a moderate profit. POISON, on the other hand, will not break even.

The fact is, screen adaptations, no matter the quality of the script and cast, are a hard sell. POISON, however, is an acting masterclass. Tim Roth (Lucas) and Trine Nosbusch (Edith) play ex-husband and wife. They meet 10 years after a dreadful tragedy, the aftermath of which drove them apart. The setting, which is a graveyard, and the resting place of their young son, is adjoined by a chapel alongside a small weir, brimming with water. The scene is bleak, but apt. The tension that ebbs and flows between Lucas and Edith as they reflect on what could have been, is palpable in this setting.

As a lover of both film and theatre, I feel POISON (GIF) has it all. Roth and Nosbusch were hypnotic. Portraying such raw grief must have drained them as artists. So, it is not entertainment, and it is a hard sell. I recommend it as a powerhouse, cinematic adaptation of theatre.  10GUMS.