Fridae

The third film adaptation this month, after In Her Shoes
and Geisha, proves to be the weakest of the three. Based
on the bestselling novel by Myla Goldberg, Bee Season follows
a family of seekers, each of whom is looking to God, transcendence,
or love, in their search for something greater than themselves.
Directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee gave us the Tilda Swinton
vehicle The Deep End in 2003, it is unfortunate that their
latest effort does not really match up to its predecessor.

Eleven-year-old Eliza Nauman (Flora Cross in a promising debut)
is on her way to becoming the national spelling bee champion, much
to the delight of her father (Richard Gere). Saul is a professor
of religion who soons discover a link between the ancient religion
of Kabbalah and the miraculous ability of his daughter to spell.
It turns out that young Eliza is a Kabbalah mystic, who is able
to establish a relationship with God with her uncanny knack with
words. I'm trying to keep my mouth straight here.

But if you can get past all the mystical babble, you will be thoroughly
rewarded with some very fine performances. Richard Gere plays the
emotionally distant head of the family to the T. More calm than
charm this time round. Juliette Binoche as his quietly suffering
spouse is equally affecting, if not more so. There is also the added
pleasure of watching Max Minghella (son of Oscar-winning director
Anthony Minghella) in his role of the elder son, oozing loads of
fresh-faced, Abercrombie charm on screen.