Jennifer Lawrence 'spectacularly, fearlessly, uncompromisingly brilliant' in Die My Love
On the talkshow circuit, Lawrence usually presents as a lovable ditz – none more lovable, none more ditzy. But when she turned up on Lynn Ramsey’s Die My Love, she was here to work.
Die My Love is a film by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay, whose reputation rests on just a handful of films over 25 years.
She’s probably best known for the chilling We Need to Talk About Kevin, though I was introduced to her in the mesmerizing Morvern Callar, which this film shares some DNA with.
Ramsay’s ace in the hole is her great ear for the absolutely appropriate music. This is far rarer skill than many directors think.
In the case of young couple Grace and Jackson, John Prine’s genius song about opposites attracting, ‘In Spite of Ourselves’ is perfect.
Grace and Jackson are young and in love. She’s actually a writer, though right now that’s on hold while she looks after the baby
He works in town, leaving her with plenty of room and time in their new home out in the country. Too much time maybe.
Because what Jackson doesn’t know – maybe Grace isn’t aware either yet – is she’s slowly going crazy out there on her own. And adding to the menace of Die My Love, we’re seeing it all from Grace’s increasingly twisted point of view.
Grace is played by Jennifer Lawrence.Jackson is Robert Pattinson.
I’ve never seen either of them better, and this is definitely not an easy story to sell. The original novel is by Alice Birch, who wrote two more demanding, female-driven stories - Lady Macbeth and The Wonder.
Die My Love was bought by producer Martin Scorsese, who made sure Ramsay came on board.
I know I’ve suggested that Ramsay was the film’s most valuable player, but I’m not sure.
Lawrence is spectacularly, fearlessly, uncompromisingly brilliant. And Robert Pattinson matches her every step.
For those who only associate Lawrence with deadpan comedy, and Pattinson as the pretty- boy lead of the Twilight movies, this may come as a shock.
But I think the rest of us are well aware that Jen and Rob are good. Perhaps we didn’t realise quite how good.
It’s not just that, particularly, Lawrence hits her beats so strongly. These include lashing out at both Jackson and his worried, sympathetic mother Pam, played by Sissy Spacek, eying up the glamorous next door neighbour, antagonizing the dog she never wanted.
It’s that she still keeps us on her side, in spite of ourselves.
Her world starts falling apart, but Jackson refuses to give up on her.And we keep hoping that will be enough, that somehow Grace will pull through.Instead of literally climbing the walls.
And the tragedy of it is that what’s going wrong seems out of Grace and Jackson’s hands and good intentions.
It’s something easier to sing than it is to say, maybe - and director Ramsay’s impeccable taste culminates in an extraordinary version of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.
Who’s that singing? Turns out it’s Ramsay herself - perfect.
The word is out on Die My Love already as awards season approaches, but I wonder if an Oscar does a film like this any favours?
It’s both better than that, and deserves to be discovered with a minimum of hype. But it’s definitely a knockout.
