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Director: Florian Zeller
Stars: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Stephen Graham
Distributor: StudioCanal UK

“This isn’t just about building a bunker.”

Power couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz co-star in Bunker – the latest from Florian Zeller. Can Bardem and Cruz translate their real life status onto the big screen? Will they perform against expectation to differentiate how they’re perceived in real life?

Miguel and Sofia are successful, both individually and collectively. They have a big house in the city and have two children living at home with them, plus a nanny – what more could they want? More success. With Miguel’s status as a world-famous architect, he’s subsequently offered the job of a lifetime: construct an underground bunker in Hawaii for a billionaire (Paul Dano) – a payday like no other, but morally bankrupt. Sofia on the other hand, a talented magazine editor, has found her ceiling in her current job and wants to return to Madrid.

Whilst the bunker job can feel like a dream opportunity, Miguel begins to live a real life nightmare when his neighbour Toby (Stephen Graham) knocks through a hole in the wall of his garage overlooking the garden where the children play. In this instance Miguel deems it necessary to flex his financial power to discourage Toby’s home improvements, or legal action – rich architect vs. ordinary bloke, is depicted. In these instances of failing to recognise her husband through his actions – be it paying off the neighbour or pursuing a vulgar job over a hospital rebuild – Sofia naturally drifts from Miguel. Can Miguel design a fix for their marriage?

Bunker certainly doesn’t shy away from its topics of social class and the dangerous excess of capitalism, however, its execution is somewhat…bland. Its comedic portrayal of ultra capitalist maniac and billionaire played by Paul Dano is too obvious, probably too safe, and clashes with some of the darker elements of the film.

Tonally, Bunker is quite inconsistent and worryingly so. Often, it feels like the film itself doesn’t know what it wants to be. So many different avenues presented, yet hardly any of the routes are truly explored. In this inconsistent nature, anything hard-hitting or heavy that occurs, just feels plain weird as it doesn’t fit in. A significant house burglary towards the conclusion of Bunker just feels completely out of place, yet it should exist as one of the most defining scenes.

Whilst the tone is all over the place, at least the fluency of the two main characters are generally well maintained and logical. One of Bunker’s few successes comes in the depiction of the relationship between Miguel and Sofia. The struggles and strains endured by both individuals feels quite human, realistic, and probably relatable. The moods of jealousy and resentment towards one another are executed so well, we almost believe that Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz legitimately hate one another.

Ultimately, good character performances aside, Bunker is a weird film. In a bad way. Not strong enough to know what it wants to be; too much of this and not enough of that etc. So much of the film takes place within Miguel and Sofia’s family home, yet there’s next to no attempt to establish the setting as character or even have worthwhile poignancy. The only time that there is genuine significance is when the house is burgled.