Disc Reviews

Fossil Review

fosilFossil is a new film from new director Alex Walker, who wrote, produced, directed and edited the film. His only previous credit had been his 2008 documentary called We Dreamed America about the British country music scene. Fossil is something of a departure into feature films with the influences leaning heavily towards contemporary French cinema. The story and the pace of the film is one that would be commonly seen in French films with some nods towards films of the modern classic era (I am thinking of such films as Plein Soleil (1959) or La Piscine (1969), both of which starred Alain Delon). There are only four characters in Fossil and each of them intertwine. The film opens with a British couple arriving at a rented holiday home miles from anywhere in Sete in the South of France. There is clearly tension between them as the jabbing Psycho-like soundtrack by Patrick Burniston alludes to making the viewer as feel on edge. Something has happened in the couple’s relationship to send it to this place. 6 months earlier Paul and Camilla had lost a baby and the pair seem to be struggling with the relationship. Maybe a vacation will help them find some peace. But the cracks begin to show and the arguments from Paul and the icy coldness from Camilla rise to the surface. Following one such argument Paul goes out on his own for a walk to clear his head he stumbles and cuts his head open on an old fossil ammonite that he finds and brings back to the villa. Once back at the holiday home he finds an American wanderer and his much younger French girlfriend bathing in their swimming pool. He is angry, but Camilla is welcoming and invites to stay with them and grows close to the American man, Richard (who looks and behaves like Jeff Bridges’ Dude) and sees their stay as an excuse in not having to deal with Paul. Needless to say that there is antagonism within the quartet as Camilla and Richard flirt and Paul seems to become more resentful. This will lead to disastrous results that will change all their lives forever.

 

The drama of Fossil grows in intensity as the film develops and is well crafted by director Walker who clearly has watched plenty of modern French cinema to have an understanding of their slow build up and atmosphere. This is helped along by Burniston’s very modernist score while the references to the likes of the much under seen Harry, He’s Here to Help (2000) and the tense eroticism of François Ozon’s Swimming Pool (2003) starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludovine Sagnier are obvious, as Fossil clearly meshes both films. Like the latter film, Walker has captured the intense maddening heat of the South of France that produces an almost white light (it was shot on a RED one camera), but the film is sometimes let down by the mannered acting, particularly by the British couple, but then again maybe this adds to the stiffness of the British pair. Again like many French films, Walker builds an intense last half hour that will leaves for a satisfied and open ended conclusion without going for the instant gratification of most mainstream films.

Other than a trailer there are no extras on the disc but there are hopes that Alex Walker will be an emerging director of some style with more expected from him. Maybe he has the potential to become a more straight drama version of the likes of Ben Wheatley. Here’s hoping for more from this director.

Chris Hick

Share this!

Comments