A Bigger Splash (2015)
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A world-famous rock singer's secluded holiday on an Italian island is disrupted by the arrival of an old lover and his daughter.
The story
In an isolated villa on the small Italian island of Pantelleria, world-famous rock singer Marianne Lane is on holiday with her filmmaker lover, Paul De Smedt. Marianne is recovering from surgery and has lost her voice, while Paul is recovering from alcohol addiction and a suicide attempt. Their secluded retreat is interrupted by the arrival of Harry Hawkes, an extroverted music producer who was Marianne's former lover. Harry arrives with his daughter, Pen, and begins inviting friends to the villa, creating tension as Marianne begins to fall under Harry's spell once again.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Marianne Lane, a rock singer who has lost her voice, and her lover Paul De Smedt are vacationing on the island of Pantelleria. Their peace is shattered by Harry Hawkes, Marianne's former lover, who arrives with his daughter Pen. Harry behaves as if he owns the villa, causing friction with Paul. While Marianne becomes intimate with Harry, she eventually tells him she cannot leave Paul. Meanwhile, Pen makes a move on Paul. The tension peaks when Harry and Paul get into a fight by the pool; Paul holds Harry underwater, and Harry drowns. Paul attempts to resuscitate him but fails. When the police arrive, Marianne claims she was asleep and suggests an intruder, while Paul lies about his whereabouts. Pen reveals she can speak Italian and is actually only 17. Paul eventually confesses to Marianne that he killed Harry. At the airport, Pen leaves after a final exchange with the couple. On the drive home, they are stopped by a police officer who turns out to be a fan of Marianne, allowing them to escape with their secret intact.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- Italy; France; United States
- Original languages
- English; Italian; French
- Directors
- Luca Guadagnino
- Writers
- David Kajganich · screenplay; Alain Page · story
- Cast and characters
- Tilda Swinton · Marianne Lane; Matthias Schoenaerts · Paul De Smedt; Ralph Fiennes · Harry Hawkes; Dakota Johnson · Penelope "Pen" Lanier; Lily McMenamy · Sylvie; Aurore Clément · Mireille; Elena Bucci · Clara; Corrado Guzzanti · Maresciallo dei Carabinieri
- Genres
- psychological drama; crime; independent; erotic
- Themes
- Obsession; Infidelity; Guilt; Addiction
- Tone and mood
- Sultry; Psychological; Tense
- Premise and plot tags
- Vacation; Murder; Love Triangle; Island Life
- Source material / true-story basis
- Loosely based on Jacques Deray's 1969 film La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) and named after the 1967 David Hockney painting.
- Franchise connections
- Desire trilogy
- Content notes
- Erotic
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, with an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 74 on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · review count: 184; Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Production trivia
- The film is the second installment in Luca Guadagnino's 'Desire trilogy'.; The title is named after a 1967 David Hockney painting.; An extended version titled 'An Even Bigger Splash' exists.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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