MOVIE REVIEW: “Things We Lost in the Fire”
“Things We Lost in the Fire” (2007)
Directed by: Susanne Bier
Writer: Allan Loeb
Produced By: Sam Mendes, Sam Mercer
Cinematography: Tom Stern
Starring: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny
**** out of a possible 4 Stars
2 Onions to Tom Stern
2 onions goes to Tom Stern, the cinematographer who shot this. You’d think you were in an optometry class since all you really get to see through this whole film is close-ups of eyeballs. This is by far the most profound example of visual illiteracy perpetrated yet on the viewing public. I understand this in-your-face-claustrophobic-hard-held camera work 4 ½” from your face is all the rage in Hollywood. All it really accomplishes is wrecking the efforts of everyone else’s work in the film. This is the same idiocy that went a good way in making “3:10 to Yuma” an irritating movie to watch. This work by Tom Stern is way worse. It’s too bad they can’t legislate morons of this caliber from working.
Halle Berry, Del Toro, David Duchovny and the two kids, Micha Berry and Alexis Llewellyn, all were terrific, if you could just get the camera to quit poking them in their faces. Susannne Bier directed “Things We Lost in the Fire.” This is tough subject matter—she handles a fabulous script. Anger shows up in unexpected places. Halle Berry’s character Audrey Burke is constantly being betrayed by Benicio’s character Jerry Sunborne in an ongoing struggle of intimacy over the Duchovny character Steven Burke. Jerry Sunborne casually fills in blank spots about Steven that Audrey never knew.
What a shame Bier okayed the dailies that Stern was turning in. She should have had a revelation and just shot in him in the head.
