Since expanding from theater into film, writer-director Florian Zeller has specialized in examining the pressure of mental health issues on families — dealing with dementia in The Father and depression in The Son, both based on his plays. His third feature, Bunker, puts an outwardly happy marriage under the microscope as fissures start forming and it’s most rewarding when the psychological give and take between two people who love each other remains in tight focus. That’s in large part due to the galvanizing performances of real-life couple Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, for whom the film was written, bringing an electric emotional charge to scenes of both intimacy and estrangement.
A characteristically incisive supporting turn from Stephen Graham lends added value to a film that is less satisfying in its commentary on wealth inequality. A hard swerve into genre territory late in the story, when it becomes a violent thriller, feels abrupt and a little forced as a catalyst for crisis resolution. But the actors keep you watching, as do the impeccably controlled visual compositions, striking use of color and strong sense of spatial dynamics.
Bunker
The Bottom Line
Flawed but compelling.
