Cracks (film)

This article is about the 2009 film. For other uses, see The Cracks and Crack.

Cracks
Directed by	Jordan Scott
Produced by	Kwesi Dickson Andrew Lowe Julie Payne Rosalie Swedlin Christine Vachon
Screenplay by	Ben Court Caroline Ip Jordan Scott
Based on	Cracks by Sheila Kohler
Starring	Eva Green Juno Temple María Valverde Imogen Poots Sinéad Cusack
Music by	Javier Navarrete
Cinematography	John Mathieson
Editing by	Valerio Bonelli
Studio	Element Pictures Scott Free Productions Killer Films Légende HandMade Films
Distributed by	IFC Films (US)[1] Optimum Releasing (UK) Studio Canal (France)
Release date(s)	11 September 2009 (2009-09-11) (TIFF) 4 December 2009 (2009-12-04) (United Kingdom)
Running time	104 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Ireland
Language	English

Cracks is an independent drama film starring Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde, and Imogen Poots, which was released theatrically in the UK and Ireland on December 4, 2009.^[2] It has yet to be released in the U.S.

The film was produced in 2008, written for the screen by Caroline Ip and Ben Court and Jordan Scott, based on a novel written by Sheila Kohler, directed by Jordan Scott and produced by Kwesi Dickson, Andrew Lowe, Julie Payne, Rosalie Swedlin and Christine Vachon. Ridley and Tony Scott serve as executive producers.^[3] The film was mostly filmed in Wicklow Ireland.

Plot

Set in a strict elite boarding school in the 1930s, the story centers on a clique of girls who idolize their enigmatic swimming instructor, Miss G (Green). When a beautiful Spanish girl named Fiamma Coronna (Valverde) arrives at the school, Miss G's focus is shifted away from the other girls. Di Radfield (Temple) has a crush on Miss G, and is the firm favourite and ringleader of her group. It becomes a triangle: Miss G gets increasingly obsessed with Fiamma, Fiamma is disturbed by Miss G and also openly disgusted by the teacher's hypocrisies and deceptions, and Di is terribly jealous and makes Fiamma's life hell. The bullying culminates in Di physically throwing Fiamma out of the school.

When Fiamma is eventually found, the two girls make the first steps towards friendship, and at the following dorm party they all get a bit drunk, and Fiamma passes out; Miss G takes her to her own room and molests Fiamma; Di witnesses this through the room door, which was left ajar, and flees.

The next morning, Fiamma is visibly upset, Miss G equally so as she runs around after her. Di is broody, and eventually tells the rest of her gang that Fiamma seduced Miss G. Fiamma tells Miss G that she will report the molestation to the teachers, and horrified, Miss G realises her career will be over. She in turn manipulates Di's affection for her into anger. The confrontation between Di's gang and Fiamma turns ugly after Fiamma tries to explain what really happened, and as she reveals Miss G's lies and character defects. Fiamma runs into the forest as things become more violent, but the girls catch up with her and, under Di's leadership, beat her up. Fiamma starts to have an asthma attack, and the girls stop, terrified. They run to get help, and Di runs into Miss G, who declares she'll go to Fiamma, and directs Di to the teachers.

In the forest, Miss G refuses to give Fiamma her inhaler, and calmly watches her die. Di returns just in time to see Miss G placing the inhaler in Fiamma's lifeless hands, and that's when she realises the truth.

Later, Di tells the girls what happened, and united, they confront Miss G. They are powerless officially (the headmistress refuses to acknowledge the school's culpability, despite releasing Miss G from her duties), but they quit the swim team and deliver Miss G from her last role.

The final scene has Di leaving the school to explore the world, as Fiamma had always spoken of doing, whilst Miss G, fired from the school, goes to the local village and finds a small room she can live in, presumably closing herself away for the rest of her life. ^[4]

Cast

• Eva Green as Miss G
• Juno Temple as Di Radfield
• Maria Valverde as Fiamma Coronna
• Imogen Poots as Poppy
• Ellie Nunn as Lily
• Adele McCann as Laurel
• Zoe Carroll as Rosie
• Clemmie Dugdale as Fuzzy
• Sinéad Cusack Miss Nieven
• Deirdre Donnelly Miss Lacey

See also

• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
• Notes on a Scandal

References

1. ^ http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/12/ifc-buys-cracks-debut-film-from-jordan-scott/
2. ^ http://www.optimumreleasing.com/theatrical.php?id=1029
3. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/cracks-film-review-1004011929.story
4. ^ http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/08/cracks200908

External links

• Official website
• Cracks at AllRovi
• Cracks at Box Office Mojo
• Cracks at the Internet Movie Database
• Cracks at Rotten Tomatoes