Sofia Coppola’s latest is a visually gorgeous, stripped back remake that tells an intimate story and showcases a strong cast.

Set in the American Civil War, the film tells the story of the women at a remote girls’ boarding school in the South (headed by Nicole Kidman, with teacher Kirsten Dunst and students including Elle Fanning), who take in an injured soldier of the opposing side, John McBurney (Colin Farrell). The contextual tensions between the North and South soon become secondary to the sexual tensions that arise which lead to complex relationships that escalate to increasingly severe consequences.

Set entirely on the estate of the school, the film maintains a feeling of closeness, which helps the tension to build due to the isolated setting. One of the most notable aspects of the film (sadly notable due to a lack of it in cinema) is the fact that the story is told from the women’s perspective, and manages, on the whole, to maintain that view. The female characters remain characters and don’t fall into simply fawning over the man and having no apparent substance or purpose besides that. It is a testament to Coppola and a demonstration of the female gaze. Having said that, the film perhaps loses its focus a little later as it becomes a little more objective, meaning a couple of scenes may not be as powerful as they could, but it depends on how invested it has made you up to that point. However, the film explores the effects the war had on the lives of the women left at home, emphasising the impacts of isolation and the essential segregation of the sexes; something not usually focused on.

As would be expected from Coppola, the film is visually gorgeous, full of soft and stylish shots – most frames feel as though they could literally be a painting. It helps to add where perhaps a little substance lacks as the film becomes a little predictable.

In amongst the drama and tension, there is also a surprising number of darkly comic moments leading to some genuine laughs, a little unexpected, but welcome in the story. The characters are, on the whole, well formed, and, as aforementioned, the women are not merely reduced to their desires or to being the object of someone else’s. They are brought to life brilliantly by a uniformly strong ensemble cast, but perhaps the stand-outs are Fanning, who once again proves why she is an actress to watch, and Dunst who reminds us of her talent which we have missed on the big screen for a little while.

Overall, if you are a fan of Coppola’s, this will be a treat. It is an effective tale full of various tensions, which might not perhaps build to the heights you might want, but work effectively to provide a taut and interesting drama.

Also, I’m just going to say that there is a reason given why Farell sounds so Irish so you don’t have the frustration of thinking it was the worst attempt at an accent you’ve heard.