Serena: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
George (Bradley Cooper) and Serena Pemberton (Jennifer Lawrence), love-struck newlyweds, begin to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattlesnakes, even saving a man’s life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George’s hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pembertons’ passionate marriage begins to unravel.
It’s hard to imagine a movie with Cooper and Lawrence that isn’t good. They have the kind of chemistry together that I haven’t seen in a very long time and it shows once again in this film but this unlike any other film that they have taken part in together though. Period pieces like this always interest me and seeing the way all the characters lived in those times is one of the things that attracted me to this film. I thought the quick marriage of George and Serena created some great tension between everything in George’s world. You could almost feel the sense of disdain in all of the loggers eyes but she was definitely good at taking the reigns of the day to day operations of the business. The final act of the film pulled the film together and gave it a bit of a twist that I wasn’t expecting entirely. Another thing that I really liked was the cinematography. They shots and shooting style made me really feel like I was watching something from the 1920’s. This was a really great film but there were some slow moments that had me a bit bored at times but those moments were very few. This a great movie to watch if you want to see Cooper and Lawrence perform in a film that isn’t the norm so I suggest checking this one out if you get the chance. 7/10
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes – Almost 20 minutes worth of scenes that unfortunately aren’t selectable but do show a lot more character development.
The Making of Serena: The Story, Direction & Characters – The cast talks a bit about their characters and how they take their place in the story.
Exploring the Production Design and Time Period – Production designer Richard Bridgland talks about the challenge of creating 1929 America in the Czech Republic.
Following the Screenwriting: Comparing the Film and the Novel – This feature takes a look at the screenplay and what it took to adapt the novel it comes from.
Breaking Down the Set: Kingsport Tanners, Train Station & Main Street – A tour of the set in the final act of the film.
