by Andy Strycharski

At an important moment in Ronan Day-Lewis’s freshman effort, the surly Ray Stoker (played superbly by Ronan’s father Daniel in the senior Day-Lewis’s much heralded re-emergence), mocks his brother Jem’s (Sean Bean) clichéd reference to all the time that has passed since Ray retired into isolation from his estranged family. Ray throws his brother’s worthless faith back in his face with a jeering reference to Psalm 103’s image of the days of man being as grass that the wind passes over. That wind is a recurring idea, starting with  an image of it shaking the trees in an opening bird’s eye shot that will reveal the tiny patch of home Ray has carved for himself in the lonely northern forest. But it is the unspoken part of this Psalm, the judgment of waywardness yet also the mercy that can offer redemption, that is the core of the movie. In ways, the redemption narrative is the oldest and best story we share. Yet despite some emotionally and physically gorgeous moments, Anemone struggles to tell it in a way that feels new. Continue reading ‘Anemone’ Review: Daniel Day-Lewis’s Return Admirable but Flat →