It seems almost impossible that Werner Herzog‘s first narrative feature in several years could arrive with almost no fanfare, yet such is what’s been bestowed upon Queen of the Desert. It’s been clear that this would be the case: after spending years in development, the picture was quickly cast aside upon premiering at last year’s Berlinale, often chided by critics for its uninspiring vision of Gertrude Bell, T.E. Lawrence, and their shaping of the modern Middle East. But there is, of course, a chance that its initial reception won’t be the guiding rule. If one James Franco-starring, Berlinale 2015-featured drama directed by a legend of New German Cinema surprised me, why not another?
We nevertheless found some things to like about the Nicole Kidman– and Robert Pattinson-led biopic, noting in our review that, once its romantic angle lets up, “the film finally comes into its own. It’s safe to presume this to be in large part due to Herzog’s empathy with the adult Bell, whose innate compulsion to return to the desert time and time again mirrors the director’s own towards the jungle. A lot of the credit also goes to Kidman, as her performance turns positively spellbinding, offsetting the script’s less plausible developments through sheer charisma.”
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Queen of the Desert is expected to arrive in the U.S. this year.