312. Hurt By Paradise; movie review

 

HURT BY PARADISE

Cert 12A

85 mins

BBFC advice: Contains  infrequent strong language, sex references, suicide references

"What does she do for a living, how can she afford all those fashionable clothes? Why does she have such a posh accent? 

Mrs W and I found ourselves a cross between bewildered and bored by Greta Bellamacina's Celeste - a mum of one who is simultaneously privileged and penniless.

In real life, Bellamancina was a model from the age of 14. She is now 30 and is stunning.

But the point of her character is that she lives on the margins with barely enough food for her and her baby son to eat. High-price make-up and catwalk clothes, therefore, seem incongruous.

Celeste is a single mother who doesn't seem to have a Plan B to being a professional poet despite publishing houses being dismissive of her work. 

I must admit I also found it dull but that doesn't stop her reading great swathes of it during Hurt By Paradise. 

However, I should point out that neither I nor they would apparently know good verse if it slapped us in the face because Bellamcina is a former young poet laureate.

I digress. 

I am afraid it is evident that  Bellamacina has little idea of how to portray someone who has no money. If she can't afford childcare, she shouldn't be able to look catwalk-ready.

However, I did warm to Sadie Brown who plays her loyal and funny friend who spends much of her time looking after her pal's child and also becomes wrapped up in what is obviously an ill-advised internet romance.

Meanwhile, Celeste has a fractious relationship with her overbearing mother and is desperate to find a father who walked out on her long ago.

It would be fair to say that Hurt By Paradise looks good - it even manages to make Margate shine which is some feat.

And its characters are particularly pretty - none more so than Bellamacina who is distractingly attractive.

However, the substance of the movie doesn't match its style. Its dialogue is uneven, its storyline is so-so and its ending is unsatisfying.

Reasons to watch: Pretty people in pretty settings

Reasons to avoid: So little happening

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? Pierpaolo Piccioli commissioned Bellamacina to write ten love poems, published to coincide with his FW19 collection for Valentino fashion house. The poems were featured on the clothes as well as printed into a book which was placed on each seat before the show in Paris.

The final word. Greta Bellamacina: “I wanted to explore female dynamics that didn’t feel cliched, or superficial. We wanted to make a love story with two women at its heart – unlikely friends and their simple love for each other, where nothing really happens but life.” 

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