The Woman in the Fifth
Dir: Paweł Pawlikowski
2011
***
Douglas Kennedy's The Woman in the Fifth dealt with one mans struggle to succumb to his creative needs at the expense of his family, and his marbles to some extent. The same premise exists in Paweł Pawlikowski's film adaptation but the message is slightly lost in translation. Our protagonist's mental illness is the main focus here, it's present in the book but not as subtle as it should be in the film. The audience could be confused as to what is really happening here and who or what the The Woman in the Fifth really is. It's haunting dream-like feel fits perfectly with Douglas Kennedy's story but its structure is often a little askew. The direction and performances won me over somewhat but I do feel the book is still open to another adaptation.