Meticilous in everything he does, horticulturist Narvel Roth’s world of carefully nurtured secrets is turned upside down by the arrival of a new apprentice.
Devoted to the care of Gracewood Gardens, Roth (Joel Edgerton) immerses himself in his work and the whims of a demanding employer, Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver). But the arrival of Norma’s great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) sees secrets long buried resurface and the tranquility of Gracewood severely threatened.
It may not be Paul Schrader’s best (writer of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) but Master Gardener is unexpectedly nuanced and subtle for such a story of, like those earlier works, a troubled soul hiding from his demons.
Rating: 58%
Director: Paul Schrader (American Gigolo, The Card Counter)
Writer: Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, American Gigolo)
Main cast: Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, The Boys in the Boat), Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Gorillas in the Mist), Quintessa Swindell (Black Adam, Voyagers)
An Opinion or Two 