'Gentle Monster' Gets Lost in its Subplot

You might as well face it: you’re addicted to love. Gentle Monster deals with the people we don’t really know. What happens when the person we thought we loved is actually terrible? The movie tackles heavy issues with grace and a bit of clumsiness. Its main narrative is largely undermined by an unnecessary subplot that derails an otherwise powerful story. When the picture focuses on its protagonist, it's nuanced and engaging; when it cuts to its other character, it becomes dull and cumbersome. The movie makes its points effectively. It leaves the audience with a lot to ponder. But its jumbled narrative keeps it from landing an effective punch.

Lucy Weiss (Léa Seydoux) is an acclaimed pianist. She uses her music to express herself. Lucy has her mental faculties intact. When her husband Phillip (Laurence Rupp) arrives home one day in a desperate mental state, she’s able to care for him, then go back to work. The sweet memories the movie’s slow opening fifteen minutes begin with turn into a nightmare. The police confront Lucy with a terrible truth, causing her to question everything about Phillip. Without giving it away, the police want to look into Philip’s hard drive. You can probably guess what for.

For once, it’s refreshing to see a movie that has an intelligent protagonist who’s also blindly in love. Immediately, when hearing what the police are searching for, Lucy completely breaks contact with Phillip. The fact that they have a child makes Phillip seem even more monstrous. Did he really love them? Even if he did, why would he do it? Even if it wasn’t for obvious reasons? Lucy knows immediately how to react. Yet, she sticks with Phillip to a certain degree. Trying to still trust him. Lucy wants the pain to go away. And have everything be the way it was again. But that’s not possible. You’re forced to live with heartbreak, trying to become a person again. Learn how to smile again. And actually have fun with your kids again. What happens is traumatizing, yet the film draws parallels that don't match what Lucy is going through.

Detective Elsa Kühn (Jella Haase) works cooperatively with Lucy as her world unravels. There’s not much she can do to make things better. Even if her husband does turn out to be innocent. The movie's insistence on cutting to the cop’s family life isn’t good enough. When Lucy has to move out of her house to live with her mom until she can figure things out, we cut to Elsa living with her parents. Whatever subtle comparisons there are between the plotlines don’t carry enough weight for the movie to cut to this dull character. This movie should be exclusively Lucy’s story because that’s where it shines.

Léa Seydoux is amazing in this picture. Not just because she has to cry and scream a lot, but because she has to show the portrait of someone experiencing trauma in real time. The entire narrative explores what happens to our memories when they become something terrible. The early moments in the movie are recontextualized, turning what was once joyful into something horrifying. Seydoux has to react a lot. The scene in particular, when Elsa tells her what her husband is being accused of, is a marvelous showcase of reactionary acting. By not saying anything, you can tell the parade of thoughts that are going through Lucy’s head.

If you’re undecided about whether to see the movie early in theaters or wait for it to drop on Netflix, it’s best to wait to stream it. Gentle Monster has the strengths and weaknesses of most foreign cinema. However, more than half of the movie is in English. The film is not driven by musical montages or quick cuts like American cinema. There’s not even a score. Just basic shots and long takes.

The plot is dialogue-driven rather than style-driven. The slow cinema approach works in the picture until it doesn’t. The film flashes back and forth through time at various points. It’s meant to put things in perspective, yet it could have been more effective if told sequentially. All it does is disengage the audience through some unnecessary setups.

Writer/Director Marie Kreutzer asks, "What is love?” When you get hurt enough, you have to deal with separation. Love isn't something Lucy can just stop having for Phillip. Falling out of love and finding joy in your life again isn’t a light switch; it’s a dimmer. If not for the more linear structure and the unnecessary cop subplot, Gentle Beast could have been really good. Instead, its structure leaves a lot of potential on the table.

Gentle Monster is currently playing in select theaters and will be available on Netflix on November 18.