I hate gardening and it's not going to get better with this film... The very beautiful image that punctuates the film is the main character Narvel Roth, sitting at his desk at night, writing in his diary, mentioning in voice-over some key sentences. Unfortunately, the film does not go beyond this level of introspection and remains very flat in its mise-en-scene, with the exception of too few flashbacks and inserts. We understand Paul Schrader's metaphorical desire to create a character who tries to regain control of his life as he controls the garden for which he is responsible, but he is completely incapable of transcribing it in stylistic terms. A thousand miles from a hieraticism that could have been inspiring, the filming is just flat and bland. The only element that elevates the film to excellence and fascination at times is Dev Hynes' sublime electronic score, but it's not enough to save the film.
Review of Master Gardener
Master Gardener
(2022)
I hate gardening and it's not going to get better with this film
28 March 2024