CELESTE
Australia, 2019, 108 minutes, Colour.
Radha Mitchell, Thomas Cocquerel, Nadine Garner, Odessa Young.
Directed by Ben Hackworth.
When one has climbed to a peak, achieved the summit, the only travel after that is downhill. This is a downhill story, the audience not sure how far down it will go.
The title belongs to a famous singer who has come home to North Queensland in retirement. She has achieved a great deal in the music world, internationally. As the film opens, she is preparing to perform in special concert at her palatial mansion, not necessarily a comeback, but something self-affirming. She is assisted by her close friend a long associate, a business manager, quite possessive, Grace.
The name Celeste has overtones of something grand, beautiful, celestial. However, most of the characters refer to her as, Ces, typical enough of Aussies abbreviating names – which actually does bring Celeste very much down-to-earth, Aussie storytelling.
The role of Celeste as a star vehicle for Radha Mitchell. Nadine Garner plays Grace.
It is hard to know what to make of Celeste, rather, Ces. On the one hand she acts like a spoiled diva, imperious around the house, moods up and down (high highs and deep lows), drinking a great deal, touches of drugs, sporting quite a number of elaborate fashions. Money seems no object. It is rather hard to empathise with her.
The other central character is Jack, Ces’s stepson. He is rather hard to understand and appreciate, a man of many moods, ladies’ man, involved with shady characters and owing thousands of dollars – thugs pursuing him and bashing him. He receives a card from Ces inviting him to come home.
One of the difficulties in appreciating Jack is that he appears in quite a number of flashbacks, a casting difficulty because the actor portraying him when young is a very slight build raise the adult Jack (Thomas Cocquerel) is the strong, tall and sturdy type, something of a hearthrob. Not that he acts in a sturdy way all the time, he is quite erratic, attracted by the young girl who works at the local store who also makes Ces’s costumes. Grace doesn’t want him around. He offers to build the stage for Ces’s performance.
And, there is plenty of ambiguity in his relationship with Ces. She had married his father, was truly love with him, retired home to Australia, grieving memories of his untimely death, but a great fondness (or more?) for Jack.
It should be mentioned that the setting is North Queensland and, throughout the film, there are some beautiful vistas, some aerial shots, cane-trains, open roads next to fields of crops. There are lakes and waterfalls.
What makes the plot more complex is that the audience knows more facts than Ces does. And, towards the end, we get even more information, again not known by Ces. But Jack does.
Touches of suspense: will Ces be fit for the concert? Why is she so moody – what more problems will beset her?
Co-author, Bille Brown, was a friend of actress Diane Cilento who retired from international movies and returned to north Queensland where she set up a theatre in the rain forest – and lived longer and more successfully than Celeste.
So, good to look at. Puzzling and not particularly attractive characters.
1. The title, the focus on Celeste, as a person, the talent, her career, the aftermath? The Australian tone with the abbreviation of her name?
2. The North Queensland settings, the mansion in the rainforest, the surroundings, the lake and the waterfall? The town, the roads, the surrounding fields and crops? Aerial shots? Atmosphere?
3. The musical score, Celeste and her background, opera and classical songs?
4. Celeste and her life, her marriage, her stepson, her world career and success, the return home, devotion to her husband, fascination with her stepson? Her husband’s death? Grief? Retirement? Her relationship with Grace? The dependence on her?
5. The audience knowing more about Jack and his father than Celeste did? Her not appreciating what had happened to her husband, his death, his other relationship, Jack and his reaction, in the boat, his drowning? Jack and his leaving the house and his absence?
6. The decision about the concert, the preparations, the stage and Jack working on it, the costume designer, costume maker, lighting? Musicians? The hopes for the concert?
7. Grace, her long association with Celeste, friendship, more? The severe personality? Her attitude towards Jack? Hostility?
8. Jack, with the woman, the thugs entering, bashing him, his gambling, the demands for money, the deadline? His receiving the message from Celeste? His going back? Staying, his room, working on the stage? Going into town, the encounter with Rita, dating her, the relationship? The gradual revelation of his memories? As young, with Celeste? With his father, the discovery of the affair, the struggle in the boat, his death? His staying away? The thugs arriving, Grace paying them off? His being free? The tension of his relationship with Celeste? Her wanting more? The concert? The death? His inheriting the house – and his future?
9. Celeste the preparation, the ups and downs of her moods, the diagnosis, her being the grande dame, costumes, manner, fatigue, health, tablets, drugs? Her ability to perform? The show must go on? The source set arriving, audience? Graces introduction? The success of her performance? The death?
10. The entourage in the house, the different personalities, the characters? Rita, the father, the shop, making the costumes? Relationship with Jack?
11. A portrait of the diva – eccentric Australian style?
