Review: 'Carmen' offers a different, unusual adaptation of a classic text

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Carmen
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Benjamin Millepied
Writers: Loïc Barrere, Alexander Dinelaris, Lisa Loomer, Prosper Mérimée
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma, Elsa Pataky
Genre: Drama, Musical
Rated: R for language, some violence and nudity.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Studio Synopsis:"Carmen" follows a young and fiercely independent woman who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother. Carmen (Melissa Barrera) survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard, who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan (Paul Mescal)—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standoff, Carmen and Aidan are forced to escape together. They make their way north towards Los Angeles in search of Carmen’s mother’s best friend, the mercurial Masilda (Rossy de Palma) and owner of La Sombra nightclub – a sanctuary of music and dance. Carmen and Aidan find both solace and their unwavering love for one another in the safety of Masilda’s magical refuge, but time is running out as the police hunt closes in.

Review: Those expecting a direct adaptation of Prosper Mérimée’s French novel, or Georges Bizet’s opera should be prepared to find themselves in wholly different place. There are certainly echoes of Mérimée’s narrative in this take on “Carmen,” but you do have to dig to find them. This loose adaptation is centered on Aidan (Paul Mescal) a former U.S. soldier suffering from PTSD, who falls for Carmen (Melissa Barrera), a woman who has illegally crossed the Mexican border into the United States.Circumstance forces the duo to flee for Los Angeles. The parallels to the source material are there.

The film is experimental by nature as it weaves through traditional scenes, musical scenes, scenes that are more atmospheric in nature, and scenes that are completely devoted to dance. The line between the four is often blurred. The film begins with a lone woman defiantly dancing on a platform: She is shot and killed before the dance ends. There's a simplcity to the scene that reminds me of Peter Brook's idea that theater is present whenever there is a performer and an audience; the location is irrelevant. Throughout "Carmen," directorBenjamin Millepied turns open fields and parking lots into theatrical spaces. It's rough around the edges, just like Brook would demand that it be.

The cast is also ridiculously talented. Fresh faces Melissa Barrera ("In the Heights," "Scream"), and Paul Mescal ("Aftersun"), are paired with more familiar names like Elsa Pataky (Elena from The "Fast" Saga) and the screen legend that is Rossy de Palma (a favorite and frequent collaborator of Pedro Almodóvar). They, along with their costars, give the film a sense of bravado and flare that helps to bridge the space between the traditional and abstract.

It often works, and those moments are beautiful. Just look at the fight scene in the last act. It's brutally raw and dazzling to watch . There are also times when "Carmen" feels a bit distant, presentational when it should be more immersive. The balance between reality and heightened reality isn't quite right; The rhythm slightly off beat. It is clear that in the hands of less creative and talented performers "Carmen" could have easily been a complete disaster that resembled a perfume ad rather than an exploration of character, culture, and mood. This is far from a disaster. There's something alive here, a new perspective on old ideas. My opionion might improve with age.

“Carmen” is an incredibly interesting, different, provocative musical. Even when it doesn’t quite match its wildest aspirations.