Directed by Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier, who is known for taking on big and complicated stories, took a wrong turn with Serena.  The movie is beautifully shot by Morten Søborg, but that is about as far as it goes, which makes this topic a little tough for me to write since I like to keep them positive.

Serena is a well-known book by Ron Rash and was adapted for the screen by Christopher Kyle. The movie has a stellar cast and a beautiful backdrop. Yet, the production company had the movie in the can and on the shelf for two years before it ever premiered in the movie theaters. A sure sign something is amiss. Yet, the book is very popular with rave reviews on Amazon.

I watched the movie, and it’s a hodgepodge of scenes that end terribly. I was left empty after spending nearly two hours watching a beautifully shot movie, only to care about the characters in a story not worth watching.

Skilled adaptation of a popular book is hard to find.

The story takes place around the time of the Great Depression, when we see classic automobiles and new empires being built from the bottom up by dedicated, hardworking individuals.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Serena, a beautiful and poignant young woman with a suspicious past involving her family’s Colorado lumber company. Bradley Cooper plays George Pemberton, a logging magnate in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains.  The time is before the infamous 1929 stock market crash, which puts his ability to secure a loan in peril. He also has to ward off a humane push to turn his land into a national park. That much is clear, but Serena’s role in his life is not. Sure. They love each other dearly, but what is the real story that caused Rash’s book to be so popular? What was left out of the movie or not explained in the movie that caused it to sit on the shelf for 2 years?

Serena becomes Bradley’s wife and partner in his lumber company. She does a dam good job.  They both share the goal of moving to Brazil after cashing in on the Smoky Mountain timber.  One thing that I found ambiguous was Serena.  She is a remarkable woman who can outshoot and outride any man, but she is neurotic or borderline psychotic.  Her parents ran a logging company and were killed in a fire along with other members of the company. Serena was the sole survivor, and there is a hint that she had something to do with the tragic fire.

Another unclear point is where Rachel, the mother of George’s illegitimate son, is put on the run by George after she saves Rachel and his son from murder. She tells him she is going to meet up with Jacob, who will now take care of her.  Who is Jacob? How come we didn’t see her and Jacob together before this scene?

I wish Bier had made these plot points clear-cut.  At the end of the movie, Serena’s suspicion becomes somewhat clearer. Yet, it means nothing because I am bored. The story is confusing and has a sad ending.