Cracks

Adapted from a 1999 novel by Sheila Kohler, Cracks is set in a British boarding school for girls in 1934. A dormitory of girls are ruled over by head girl Di (Juno Temple), and are collectively in awe of rebellious and enigmatic young teacher Miss G (Eva Green), who presides over the girls’ diving lessons. Di, particularly, is enraptured by Miss G, but is displaced as the teacher’s favourite by the arrival of new Spanish pupil, Fiamma (Maria Valverde) – the beautiful and serene daughter of a Spanish aristocrat. Fiamma’s arrival seriously unbalances the group dynamic, triggering a conflict of loyalties amongst the girls, and stirring up forbidden passions in Miss G. Jealousy, longing and lust build to a particularly shocking and tragic climax.

Cracks is sure to demand interest if only for the fact that it’s the full-length directorial debut of Jordan Scott, the daughter of the legendary Ridley Scott. Thankfully, the finished product offers plenty to hold that attention. It looks stunning, features a clutch of great performances from its young cast (particularly Temple), and offers an interesting female take on the way children and young adults test the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and cruelty. In that sense, it bears comparisons to Beautiful Creatures and Lord Of The Flies, with the girls’ sense of isolation and abandonment heightened by the fact that their school is located on an island.

On the downside, there’s a very fine line between darkness and campy melodrama, and the script and direction sometimes spill over into the latter – not helped by a domineering musical score. Green looks ravishing, but is never wholly convincing in the demanding role of Miss G, and some viewers may well smart at yet another cinematic depiction of an unhinged, obsessive lesbian. Miss G could easily be the younger version of the Judi Dench character in Notes On A Scandal.

It makes for a bewitching directorial debut from Scott, but one that’s only a partial dramatic success.

Last edited: 26th November 2009