Eternal Beauty Review

Craig Roberts is still the charming, bleak artist he was in The Fundamentals of Caring and Submarine, so it should be of no surprise that his second feature-length film, Eternal Beauty, is an embodiment of his dry wit and sarcasm. For better or for worse, he turns it up to ten with that expression, the idea that the world is hollow and so are its people is at the core of the film from the get-go. Utilising mental health as some form of sick gimmick for a drama with light peppering’s of comedy, Eternal Beauty is a middling affair lacking the strength necessary to carry out its more poignant moments.

Some elements feel very far-fetched for the story Eternal Beauty wishes to tell. Jane’s battle with depression and schizophrenia leaps between effective, assuring and respectful commentary to dreamlike sequences that feel underwhelming, alongside a conclusion that feels rather ineffective considering the characters Jane wishes to befriend and stay close with aren’t exactly the nicest people available to her. It’s wildly inconsistent, with some narrative aspects being forgotten entirely, but at the end of it all, it’s about rekindling relationships between family members, the subplots found within are often more interesting than the breakdown of our leading character.

Detracting from the leading performances, Alice Lowe and Billie Piper turn in some superb work in the supporting role, as do Penelope Wilton and David Thewlis. It’s a piece of film where those in the background provide sustenance for the leading character, and in this instance, the sheer amount of work they provide is far greater than anything Hawkins can offer. It’s a shame, too, since Hawkins’ role here is fantastic. The characters all feel relatively strong, the problem for me is found within the story and Roberts’ direction, which feels unfocused and rather scattershot. Inconsistencies in the plot lead to throwaway dialogue or ineffectual scenes being integral much later on in the film. It’s a wild ride, one that doesn’t have the strengths or experience to work thoroughly well.

The film jumps between dark humour, sentimentalism, and shaky flashbacks to the breakdown of our leading character. It’s that fine line between basking in its misery and not having any true aim, but also wanting desperately to throw in a message of finding happiness in illness. It’s strange, the writing isn’t up to par with the direction, which isn’t up to speed with the performances. What turns out to be an ultimately flat film could’ve been saved with such small changes, inconsistencies and a loosely flowing narrative make it nigh on impossible to wholly connect with the events this star-studded cast look to offer.