Liev Schreiber

Matilda De Angelis

Josh Hutcherson

Laura Morante

Danny Huston

Giulio Berruti

Enzo Cilenti

Sabrina Impacciatore

Alessandro Bressanello

Stuart Baird

Kate Baird

Ken Gord

Daxing Zhang

Camilla Carniello

Peter Flannery

David Beckingham

Benjamín Fernández

Anne-Charlotte Bradfer

Andrea Biscaro

Tiziana Kinkela

Fran Cruz

William J. Immerman

Franco Della Posta

Filomena Cusano

Paula Ortiz

Danny Dimbort

John Smallcombe

Juan Varela Duarte

Maria Costanza Asta

Javier Aguirresarobe

Luca Lachin

Ernest Hemingway

Brian Murray

Arantxa Ezquerro

Krista Wegener

Justin Ardalan-Raikes

Fabrizio D'Arpino

Maria Rubi Mazarias Perez

Bob Bellion

Florin Niculae

Stefano Imperi

Marta Fenollar Mendez

Lv Jianmin

Birgit Rothörl

Cristiano Donzelli

Amy Fritz

Laurent Boyé

Daniela Merlo

Robert K. MacLean

Kirstin Roegner

Maralyn Sherman

Bruce Moriarty

Edward Shearmur

Michael Paletta

Drama

Across the River and into the Trees

Tribune Pictures

BMovie Italia

Rabbits Black

United Kingdom

Brent Marchant

As death approaches, how should we handle it? Is it something to be feared? Something to which we’re stoically and unemotionally resigned? Willingly embraced as the logical outcome of our corporeal existence? Or is something to be met with grace and measured acceptance, as expressed in the dying words of Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson: “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees,” a sentiment reflected in the title of this film, an adaptation of the 1950 Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name. Director Paula Ortiz’s screen version of this work tells the story of Col. Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber), a US Army officer serving in Italy during the waning days of World War II. The Colonel is dying from heart disease but faces his circumstances like the committed, consummate soldier that he is. He resists all efforts at treatment and instead chooses to visit Venice before embarking on a day of duck hunting. But, before carrying out this plan, his attention is diverted by an array of developments, including introspective reflections of his troubled wartime past (having served in both of the Great Wars), the beauty of the city of canals and the company of a young contessa (Matilda De Angelis) who’s trapped in a loveless arranged engagement governed more by family financial considerations than genuine romance. These events give the Colonel pause to think about his life, his regrets, his loves, his missed opportunities and his future (or what there may be left of it). The result is a quiet, poetic and often profoundly sad tale characterized by a series of deep conversations that give him (and all of us) much to ponder. Unfortunately, though, the presentation of this material is at times in need of greater finesse and clarity, remedies to counter its tendencies toward becoming overly talky and somewhat unfocused. That’s regrettable given the nature of the circumstances at hand in this narrative, with their treatment frequently resulting in more diluted muddle than insightful, forthright articulation. Sadly, this shortcoming also detracts from the positively superb performances of the two leads, who portray their characters with a heartfelt earnestness, depth and sincerity, along with a carefully calculated vulnerability. To its credit, the film’s gorgeous production design and absolutely stunning cinematography (especially of lesser-known Venice locales) provide a genuine feast for the eyes, truly remarkable in virtually every passing frame. It’s a shame, however, that the remainder of the film doesn’t measure up to these other fine qualities. Perhaps that’s attributable in part to the source material, which, despite commercial success at the time of its publication, was not as critically acclaimed as the author’s other works. It seems that there’s a meaningful message lurking somewhere in this material (and in this film) that just never quite surfaces to the degree that it needs to, given the thoughtful subject matter that it was trying to express.

English

Across the River and into the Trees

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