Synopsis
London Fields is a neo-noir mystery thriller that attempts to weave together metaphysical dread, eroticism, and impending doom. It is based on Martin Amis’s 1989 novel bearing the same title. The narrative follows Nicola Six, a clairvoyant femme fatale who, in a dystopian London on the verge of societal collapse, has foreseen her murder. Nicola is certain it will happen on her 35th birthday and that it will be at the hands of one among three potential candidates. Who among them will actually do the deed remains a mystery to her.
Portrayed by Amber Heard, Nicola is enchanting and exceedingly futuristic and effortlessly captures men while searching for her executioner. While she delves deeper into the morally bankrupt underbelly of London, she connects with three distinctly different men, each one a potential killer.
Initially, we have Samson Young (portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton), an American novelist once known for his bestselling works, now plagued by a literary dry spell and a terminal illness. His story begins in London where he occupies a flat that belongs to someone else. During his stay, he becomes fascinated with Nicola and her thick, foreboding story, perceiving her tragic tale as the solution to his long-standing creative blockage. He essentially begins writing her life and relationships and uses her prophecy as a plot device for his unwritten manuscript.
Then we turn to Guy Clinch (Theo James), a successful but rather dim entrepreneur who is stuck in an unfulfilling marriage. Desperate to find a sense of purpose in life, he represents purity and idealism. However, he is utterly susceptible to Nicola’s enchantment, and thus hopelessly falls in love to a woman who is nothing more than a sophisticated puppet master.
Lastly, we have Keith Talent (Jim Sturgess), a small-time vicious criminal known for his love for darts, and a penchant for chaos and brutal sports. He is aggressive, crass, and unstable—misogynistic and rough. For Nicola, he seems to be the most obvious suspect. Because of his extreme volatility and infatuation with Nicola, however, she sees him as the most likely candidate to carry out the murder that she envisions.
As the tale unfolds, Nicola gradually unravels each man emotionally and psychologically while drawing the audience closer to the suspenseful revelation of who is ultimately going to commit the inevitable crime. The film’s structure is non-linear, often recounted through the cynical, regretful, and ironic voice of Samson. Nicola’s charm becomes the main axis around which all the male characters revolve, and her manipulations expose deeper issues of fatalism, control, and the thin boundary between fiction and reality.
The setting contributes a new aspect of discomfort with power outages, riots, civil disorder and unrest which runs like a quiet river through the story, pointing to the destructive moral rot that affects the city and its people. Fundamentally speaking, London fields is about a murder that is foretold and yet, it deals with selfhood and identity, male fixation, and the all-consuming, self-destructive force of desire.
Cast & Crew
Amber Heard as Nicola Six
Heard’s portrayal of Nicola is a blend of seductive enigma and haunted fatalism. Straddling the line of victim and manipulator, her character comes off as both muse and doom-bringer; a paradox which left some critics unsatisfied. Despite these criticisms, she remains pivotal to the power dynamic of the storyline.Billy Bob Thornton as Samson Young
Bibby Bob Thornton gives a weary and subtle depth to the role of Samson. As the author who documents the lives of other people while ignoring his own life, he is a participant and observer at the same time. His internal monologue, although emotionally rich and complex, is unreliable, which is part of the framing device of the film.
Jim Sturgess as Keith Talent
Sturgess dives head first into the chaotic energy of Keith, bringing grotesque flamboyance to it. He plays Keith as a pathetic yet somewhat menacing figure, ‘smiling’ one moment and inflicting pain the next. His portrayal is perhaps the most controversial, drawing fierce critique and equally fervent praise for the excess of his performance.
Theo James as Guy Clinch
James’s Guy is quiet and melancholic, a dampened voice which serves as the moral compass of the film, even if a frail and brittle one. His performance is in sharp contrast to the manic energy brought in by Sturgess, which showcases the character’s quiet desperation.
Director: Mathew Cullen
Moving from a career as a specialist in visual effects, Mathew Cullen making his debut as a director has the goal of adapting a novel deemed “unfilmable.” His direction is marked by stylized visuals and heavy atmospherics as well as symbols. Nonetheless, post-production conflicts, particularly between Cullen and the producers, led to unfinished work due to production issues and creative conflicts.
Writers: Roberta Hanley (screenplay), adapting the novel by Martin Amis
The screenplay endeavors to preserve the intricate layers and artistry of Amis’s novel. Still, many of the novel’s introspective thoughts and philosophical layers are simplified too much in the adaptation to screen.
IMDb Ratings And Critical Reception
London Fields currently has an IMDb rating of 3.9/10, with hundreds of users contributing reviews. This ranking showcases the film’s failure both critically and commercially, despite having a strong ensemble cast and impressive literary source material.
The film was criticized for its fragmented, slow, and emotionally flat storyline. Many reviews pointed to the unnecessary combination of noir and surreal dystopian elements feeling disjointed, losing cohesion due to over-stylization. Overall, the reviews of the actors were mixed, with some praising the performance, while others criticizing Sturgess and Heard for over-theatricality or emotional blankness.
Possibly the most troubling consideration alongside the negative reviews was the film’s notorious production struggles. It was reviewed harshly at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and the ongoing legal disputes between the director and producers concerning the final cut added to its unending problems. Mathew Cullen even sued the producers for fraud, contending that his artistic vision had been irrevocably altered.
Although it was filmed in 2013, it wasn’t until 2018 that it received a wider release because of the years spent in post-production. By that time, however, interest had long been lost. Within that time, the film had made less than $200,000 at the box office, which is a far cry from the estimated $8 million budget.
With its visual style and cinematic flair, the film has gained unconventional acclaim for its attempt at ambitious storytelling, so even though it was poorly received, a small cult following has been formed. Fans of the book consider it a curiosity due to not being deemed as a successful cinematic adaptation.
Conclusion
London Fields aimed to be an audacious meditation on sex, death, and the manipulation of narrative featuring noir elements. Instead, it serves as a cautionary tale regarding the consequence of attempting to adapt intricate literature into film without a singular, cohesive vision governing the creative choices. Though the film is at times visually interesting and, on the occasions engaging, it ultimately collapses under the burden of its own ambitions in addition to off-screen mayhem. That said, London Fields serves as an interesting, if flawed, case study for those fascinated by literary adaptations and cinematic curiosities gone wrong.
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