Jennifer Lawrence is great (as always), and that alone is enough for me to rate the movie as good -- but I also think the story is interesting and original. It is better than most other films, including the ones that are shown over and over on cable channels. I am surprised that so many people are so critical of it. (I had seen a script on line before seeing the movie, and I was surprised that the ending was different. I like the original ending better.)

In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when he marries Serena. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have worked together 4 times so far with 3 of them being great unfortunately the 4th one is their worst with a boring plot, stupid characters and an awful ending. Serena was a film that got delayed for a reason and maybe the reason was because it's pretty awful and maybe it should never been released ? just saying anyways guys in the end this was a disappointing film with some pretty good actors in it playing characters that have been introduced to us as an audience before in far better movies directed by far better directors.

A dark drama. Makes you think. The real-life lesson- an amazing show of the result of actions fuelled by malicious feelings. Serena was jealous, this emotion triggered anger and the bad decision to kill they child. If she didn't threat the kid then George wouldn't have to give himself so that he can protect his family. If he hadn't given himself than he would not have rushed in that duel with the panther and got killed. So Serena's jealousy led to her misery. A great example of Karma I'd say. So, don't let negative impatiens trigger actions. Don't act on those emotions. Secondly, when a spouse endorses a negative action or even encourages it as did Serena when she encouraged George to kill his friend, they are a red flag and could be capable of wicked actions (like killing your child because they are too jealous and cant control it. The only thing that didn't seem to contradict my believe in karma, why when Serena saved the men from bleeding, her reward was her losing her baby and the ability to ever have kids (I believe that is due to riding). Shouldn't something good be rewarded with something good just as something bad with bad (which is shown in this case). One could argue that she saved a killer, she did more harm than good to the society but even if a killer or not he was a human being and if you can you should help. She did nothing wrong. Character analysis: Serena-fear of loosing loved ones. She lost all the shoved when she was 12, she could not bear the thought of losing someone else she loved. Thats why jealousy took control of her. I always say that jealousy makes us mad because it scares us. I frightens us that we might lose those we love due to someone else or something else. It's fear. Its hard to control it.Thats why it usually ends up controlling you. In Serena case jealousy strengthened the fear of lost by a million. Thats why she felt she had to do something. Something to eliminate that fear. Serena's character is very realistic and extremely well developed. George-a typical man in love. When men are in love they get blinded. They stop to see how they friends are and believe whatever that woman of their dreams tells them. They do whatever might make that woman approve of him (such as killing his risk) and see him as a strong leader. They will have the pressure and the ego to do anything to make her feel like a queen (buying land). But they do have lines that they do not cross, even for this woman. They have situations they turn cold blooded even for this woman. So they won't do anything for this woman after all, very differently from woman in love ( Serena was ready to kill a child just so that she could never lose him). George's line was his child. And this is how it should be. People should not be ready to do whatever in name of love. There should be lines and thesis lines should be the threat or harm of the wellbeing of another person. Woman feel deeper. They shouldn't, not when it can lead to harming others. Men are smarter in this sense. Plausibility: and excellent job here. The story is plausible and could happen in real life. The only thing implausible was the kids eyes. They can't be brown or dark if both parents had blue eyes. Unless the kid wasn't George's and all the drama happened for nothing. Acting: very little to say here as well, both Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are amazing and their chemistry is amazing too. Great casting for leads I'd say. Storytelling: Slow in the beginning. Slow and boring. But in the end it turns out to pick up the pace and become more interesting that expected.

It's 1929 Smokey Mountains in Carolina. George Pemberton (Bradley Cooper) runs a logging company obsessed with hunting a panther. After the recent crash, the bank takes his land in Brazil as collateral. He falls for Serena (Jennifer Lawrence) and quickly marries her. Sheriff McDowell (Toby Jones) wants to buy up his land and turn it into parkland. There is disloyalty, murder, pressure, miscarriage and ultimately destruction.The problems start with how quick Lawrence and Cooper get together. They're married before the audience is settled down. The chemistry never has a chance because the filmmaker assumes it without setting it up. This is a passionate romantic melodrama but the movie is utterly flat. Lawrence becomes a modern female heroine but then she turns again. It's a pretty looking film but emotionally detached.