Where'd You Go, Bernadette Review

Acclaimed writer/director Richard Linklater’s new film Where’d You Go, Bernadette quickly becomes a lost and bemused adaptation about the hunt for a woman who suddenly vanishes. The film manages to produce some emotionally strong and visually enjoyable moments that are often achieved through the combination of Linklater’s experience in directing and the wonderful performance by Cate Blanchett as the titular Bernadette. However, most of Linklater’s adaptation of Maria Semple’s bestseller is both narratively and thematically flawed. Despite the clear effort given by the cast and crew, the unfocused elements of the poorly adapted screenplay ultimately result in a film with a story structure that disappears far faster than its lead protagonist.

Where’d You Go Bernadette follows former architect Bernadette Fox through her seemingly perfect life. Though behind the beautiful Seattle home, a successful career, and a loving family is a woman who is plagued by anxieties and burdened by moments of her past. When Bernadette mysteriously vanishes without much of a trace, it leaves her husband Elgin and daughter Bee scrambling to find out where she is and why.

The film doesn’t suffer as much from lazy filmmaking as it does from lazy writing; bland and mundane dialogue becomes a fixture within the indecisive themes and characters, while poor exposition in the form of odd video essays or unnatural monologues keeps everything stale and devoid of mystery. Where’d You Go, Bernadette becomes lost in what it’s trying to say far too quickly, with the motives and declarations of each character never staying consistent or engaging.

The one unwavering aspect of Where’d You Go, Bernadette is the performances. Despite the boring dialogue and unmemorable scenarios, each member of the cast gives the best performances with the script that was given, with the brief chemistry between Cate Blanchett and Laurence Fishburn being a standout.

Ultimately, Richard Linklater uses his experience behind the camera effectively enough to visually tell the story in a successful enough manner, but he never projects a distinct style to this film, deciding to go with cinematography and framing that's surprising stale. His decision to put substance before style while producing very little within the movie that’s sustainable or entertaining is something that never pays off, leaving an extremely forgettable film with some heartfelt moments loosely scattered throughout.

Narratively, visually, and structurally bland, Where’d You Go, Bernadette marks a completely unadorned effort from celebrated writer/director Richard Linklater.

Produced By: Annapurna Pictures
Runtime: 130 minutes
Rating: PG