H is for Hawk

Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, H is for Hawk follows Claire Foy’s Helen as she attempts to cope with her father’s (Brendan Gleeson) sudden death by buying and training a goshawk. It’s a familiar yet workable premise that’s employed to progressively lackluster effect by Lowthorpe, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the filmmaker does a solid job of initially luring the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings – with the promising vibe heightened by Foy’s compelling, committed turn as the unapologetically abrasive Helen. It’s disappointing to note, then, that H is for Hawk‘s slow-but-steady descent into irrelevance and tedium is triggered by a less-than-enthralling midsection, as it remains awfully difficult to work up much interest in Helen’s ongoing efforts at taming the aforementioned hawk (ie it all just seems so mean-spirited and cruel). (There’s little doubt, as well, that the arms-length vibe is perpetuated by an overly formulaic narrative devoid of surprises or left turns.) By the time the far-from-emotionally-resonant final stretch rolls around, H is for Hawk has confirmed its place as a distressingly underwhelming misfire that squanders Foy’s first-class performance.

** out of ****