Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Souvenir

Movie Name: The Souvenir
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Joanna Hogg
Starring: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton, Richard Ayoade, Lydia Fox, Jaygann Ayeh, Janet Etuk, Frankie Wilson, Jack McMullen, Alice McMillan 
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review:
The newest film by director Joanna Hogg premiered at the Sundance Film Festival of 2019, where it received critical praise, something that occurred once again at the Berlin Film Festival. The film follows the story of Julie, a well off young student of cinema, who lives in a nice apartment with a roommate in the early 80s. She meets a man by the name of Anthony, whom she quickly gets infatuated with, and once her roommate leaves, Anthony quickly moves in. As the relationship evolves, Julie realizes Anthony is a drug addict, constantly asking her for money, which in turn forces Julie to reach out to her parents for financial support. The relationship consumes much of her time and attention, impacting her progress at school and in the shooting of her project. The relationship continues with a constant tug of back and forth, until Julie forces Anthony out, though they eventually reunite. Much to her dismay she realizes nothing much has changed, till a dramatic event forces Julie to come to terms with reality.
"The Souvenir" is a film that has a distinct stylistic approach, and that in itself, is the most memorable thing about this feature. It's a film that personally puzzles me, when it comes to the reviews that it has received. The narrative of a young woman who is coming to terms with a destructive relationship, while also pursuing her academic artistic achievements, in the lap of luxury, never really provides a sense of angst, pain, urgency or for that matter, depicts real tribulations/challenges that these situations force upon people. It's a somewhat stylized, from a privileged perspective, of what constitutes living with a drug addicted partner (definitely unliked Gus Van Sant's "Drugstore Cowboy" for instance). Much like the painting that gives its name, it's a film that looks impeccably shot, which in itself, is admirable, but where the narrative and the impact of the characters actions is never truly felt or depicted. The central character, for all the time the film focuses on her activities, is as impenetrable by the end of the narrative, as she was at the beginning (what prompts her artistic endeavors, her life quest, what are her interests, sense of style, humor). As a character study it fails to entice and provide enough depth, and as an observation of a damaged relationship, it lacks grittiness and edge (it's definitely not a film in the vein of what director Michael Haneke for instance captured in "La Pianiste"). Tilda Swinton is luminous as usual, and manages to elevate the film whenever she briefly appears. The cinematography from David Raedeker is beautiful, but this is a film that is quickly forgotten. 

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