The Burning Plain (2009)

After her mother (Kim Basinger) is killed in an explosion with her lover (Joaquim De Almeida, who's pretty bad), a teenager (Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE) begins to replicate the affair with the son (JD Pardo) of her mother's lover with dire consequences. As an adult woman (Lawrence morphs into Charlize Theron), she carries two terrible dark secrets. This first feature film directed by Oscar nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (BABEL), the film has a fractured non-linear time structure. The film opens in the present before jumping back and forth between Basinger's and De Almeida's affair, Lawrence and Pardo's affair and Theron's emotionally sterile, promiscuous present. It's a morose piece of celluloid and despite an excellent central performance by Theron, it all seems a pretty pointless exercise in style. I think we're supposed to be sympathetic to Basinger's character but she comes across as pretty selfish. Lawrence's character is problematic. She's a strange if complex teen but we're not sure if it's because of the mother's behavior or something inherent in her character. While the film is not without interest, ultimately it's a noble failure. The dreary score is by Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Hans Zimmer. With John Corbett, Rachel Ticotin (TOTAL RECALL), Robin Tunney, Danny Pino, Tessa La and Jose Maria Yazpik.