Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood” Falls Short at Toronto Film Festival 2024
Angelina Jolie’s latest film, Without Blood , has made its debut at the Toronto Film Festival 2024, but it has struggled to make a significant impact. Jolie, who has a history of directing films with serious themes such as the Bosnian War in In the Land of Blood and Honey and the Cambodian genocide in First They Killed My Father , attempts to tackle the human cost of war once more with this adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s novel. However, despite her strong track record as an activist and filmmaker, Without Blood fails to resonate in the way one might hope.
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The film grapples with the abstract and deliberately vague narrative of Baricco’s book, which explores the enduring effects of violence through the story of a man and a woman whose lives are intertwined by a traumatic event. While the novel's intentional vagueness was meant to universalize its message, in the film, this approach results in a story that feels disconnected and imprecise. Unlike Denis Villeneuve's Incendies , which used a similarly broad canvas but succeeded due to its masterful storytelling, Without Blood struggles to anchor its narrative.
The film features Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir as the central characters, Nina and Tito. The setting seems to be Mexico in the mid-1950s, though this is never clearly stated, adding to the film's aura of confusion. Hayek’s character, Nina, and Bichir’s Tito are caught in a cycle of revenge and reflection, yet their interactions often come off as forced and overly dramatic. The dialogue tends to drift into the abstract, failing to deliver the emotional punch necessary to convey the story's weight.
Jolie's direction includes some striking visual moments, such as a western-inspired opening tracking shot and scenes of intense violence, but these visuals are not enough to carry the narrative. The film’s attempt at thematic depth is undermined by its reliance on genre tropes and a somewhat heavy-handed stylistic approach. There are moments when Jolie’s indulgence in cinematic flair seems more like a distraction from the film’s hollow core rather than a means of enhancing its impact.
Despite its shortcomings, Without Blood does have a notable final moment where the ambiguity works in its favor, leaving the audience with a mix of discomfort and contemplation as the characters’ futures remain uncertain. This ending offers a glimpse of what the film might have achieved had it managed to balance its style with substance throughout.
Overall, while Angelina Jolie's passion and commitment to humanitarian causes are evident, Without Blood falls short of its potential. It serves as a reminder that, despite good intentions and a strong cast, translating complex themes into a compelling narrative remains a challenging task.
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