"The Luminaries" is a Simple, Heavenward Gaze at an Affair Interrupted by a Con
Melanie McFarland
February 14, 2021
Beauty is the wind pushing "The Luminaries" through its six hours, and it is no weak gale. When the plot thins and reveals the ordinariness behind the narrative's pretensions it's usually enough to drink in the scenery as it's translated through cinematographer Denson Baker's lens. Sweeping shots capture every magnificent glint and spray the ocean offers up, veil the eyes with greenery, and drape the imagination with otherworldly lighting. New Zealand's tourism board should be pleased.
Beauty is the wind pushing "The Luminaries" through its six hours, and it is no weak gale. When the plot thins and reveals the ordinariness behind the narrative's pretensions it's usually enough to drink in the scenery as it's translated through cinematographer Denson Baker's lens. Sweeping shots capture every magnificent glint and spray the ocean offers up, veil the eyes with greenery, and drape the imagination with otherworldly lighting. New Zealand's tourism board should be pleased.