Aftersun

badelf 2/9/2023 3:49:52 AM 8.4

This is about an important topic in today's world - unrecognized mental health issues. First, let me say that the acting is tremendous. Paul Mescal did an awesome job of portraying the silence of depression. Even Frankie impressed me, like another Ana Paquin. This is a powerful story that clearly mirrors the unanswered questions in the life of auteur Charlotte Wells. This film has been added to my movie list "Directors About Themselves". https://letterboxd.com/sirlaffalot/list/directors-about-themselves/ I was really only not pleased with the introduction of Older Sophie's domestic life. We don't learn anything about them and it leaves a hole in the overall script.

MarciaClarke 1/1/2024 5:08:58 PM 8.4

Would almost describe it as boring except I felt very uneasy and on edge the whole time. A humanistic portrait of a father-daughter relationship that evokes the question of what is it to be a good father.

CinemaSerf 10/26/2022 9:29:20 AM 8.4

"Calum" (Paul Mescal) and his daughter "Sophie" (Frankie Corio) head off for a holiday in Turkey. Initially their experience reminded me of "Carry on Abroad" (1972) with the usual building works and booking errors, but soon they settle into a comfortable poolside routine and we begin to learn a little about the dynamic between father and daughter. The occasional conversation with their absent mother tells us the parents are no longer together and a series of ongoing vacation activities paired with brief flashbacks from the adult "Sophie" help us to follow the young girl's attempts to get to know her father better - and he, her - as they relax in the sunshine. This features a strong and confident performance from the young Corio and there is an engaging familial dynamic here between the two. His character is protective but indulgent, her's independent and curious - and auteur Charlotte Wells allows their characterisations to develop for us in a well paced, considered fashion. Nothing really happens here - and yet so much does with their relationship and their respective maturity. It has a realism to it - there are no "jump" moments as such, it's about evolution and both have plenty of scope for that. I am not sure it really needs to be seen at a cinema, but it is certainly worth watching when it hits the smaller screen.