My Summer of Love (2004)

There's a tantalizing touch of irony in the title My Summer of Love, since this superbly-acted relationship drama reveals much more than love between its curiously fascinating characters. As directed by Polish-born Pawel Pawlikowski (a veteran of British TV documentaries whose previous film was the praiseworthy Last Resort), this unconventional love story is an engrossing exercise in mood and psychology, set in a bleak but invitingly sunlit village in Yorkshire. It's there that lonely, working-class teenager Mona (Nathalie Press) encounters rebellious rich-girl Tamsin (Emily Blunt), and their unlikely friendship grows intimate... but is it really love? Or is Tamsin (who was suspended from boarding school) merely indulging her clever penchant for emotional manipulation during a lazy summer of privilege? Mona's born-again Christian brother (Paddy Considine) factors into the film's languorous mood and complex emotional landscape; this is a film in which love and loss are inseparably intertwined, and motivations remain partially hidden, making it all the more powerful when guarded truths are revealed. In addition to being a compelling study of class distinctions, My Summer of Love includes scenes of anxious menace and some unexpected surprises, packing more into 84 minutes than most films manage in two hours or more. Pawlikowski was listed among "10 directors to watch" in a 2005 article in Variety, and My Summer of Love validates that acclaim. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Not worth 5 stars, but each to their own

Personally, I thought My Summer Of Love was worth 4 stars, right up until the ending. The finale was a major let down for me, and as a result, it's only getting a 3 star review.

I picked this up, as it was in a cheap deal, and it had been on my wishlist for a while. It was cheap, and it sounded pretty good, so what is there to go wrong?

Set in a Yorkshire village, we observe two 16 year old girls, growing into their bodies and their sexuality and all that nonsense. Instantly, there are major differences between them - one is riding a horse, the other is riding a motorcycle without an engine. They always say opposites attract, and the two girls decide to hang out when they're bored.

Tamsin is the slightly upperclass one, kicked out of boarding school, with an accent, perfect figure, perfect hair, perfect skin etc. Portrayed brilliantly by Emily Blunt (a rising star if there ever was one), she portrays Tamsin with the right amount of manipulativeness to make the viewers still like her.

Mona is the quiet girl, who knows not a lot about fashion, lives with her ex-jailbird, now born again Christian, riding an engine-less motorcycle around town. She lives above a pub, but her brother has poured all the alcohol down the sink, and it's now a place of worship.

Their friendship moves from hanging out together because they're bored, to an almost sisterly companionship, to a proper full on relationship. But all the time you get the impression Tamsin's just stringing Mona along, until something better appears. There's lots of shots of the girls hanging out together, and discovering each other - in more ways than one, for the males, there's some topless shots.

Nathalie Press, who plays Mona, is the shining star in this movie. Although initially she reminded me of Sissy Spacek (her whole face structure is sharper though), she was amazing as the smitten kitten Mona. When her young heart was shattered into a million pieces, the audience feels along with her at the same time, and many a teenager will emphasise with her.

I thought the whole Christian subplot was slightly unnecessary, especially the re-enactment of the crucifixion, and although it's only in short sharp bursts, it still draws the viewers' attention away from the relationship developing on screen.

My Summer of Love is an excellent little film (and all I can say, is roll on summer), and although the ending was a major disappointment, I would watch it again, but perhaps skip the Christian bits. Not necessary. But the rest of the film is well worth seeing. February 21, 2008

It's All Personal Preference

I could never in my right mind give My Summer of Love five stars. At the same time, I can see why people would enjoy it. While it isn't entirely originial, it still has some aspects to it which actually kept me watching. I was ready to turn off the television at some points during the movie to the lack of quality acting. The characters personalities in general were over the top and quite annoying. I felt frustrated throughout the film and wondered why I had paid so much for a movie like it.

Reasons why you WOULD want to buy this movie:
*If you have watched EVERY OTHER lesbian movie ever created and just want to be able to say that you own them all. Even if you know that you will watch it once, and want to throw it away.

Reasons why you WOULDNT want to buy this movie:
*Bad acting
*Poor filming
*Lack of excitment
*Boring and unoriginal plot
*Annoying characters
*Terrible ending
*It...Isn't "exactly" a love story

My Summer of Love is not worth 20+ dollars. If you REALLY want to see it after reading these reviews, just go rent it. Save the money. January 13, 2008

Boring and Drawn out

For those of you who like Imagine Meand You do not rent this it doesnt compare December 13, 2007

A pretty good lesbian-themed movie.

"My Summer of Love" is a pretty good lesbian-themed film. However, everyone, whether gay or straight, will be sure to like this movie as it's mostly about two girls finding each other and becoming very good friends. It stars actresses Emily Blunt and Nathalie Press.

So what's this movie about? First of all, as I said above, this movie isn't completely about lesbians. In fact, Mona (played by Nathalie Press) appears to be into boys whereas Tamsin's (Emily Blunt) orientation isn't clear. There's really no main storyline in this film. Basically, the two girls meet and what starts out as innocent fun turns into something more. The majority of the film has the girls hanging out, like typical teens do. Eventually, the girls form a more "loving" relationship. The relationship is actually filled with lies and empty promises.

So what's to like about this movie? First of all, it's just an entertaining movie to watch. There's a few funny moments and a few sad moments that keep the movie going. There are a couple of scenes that will have you guessing what's going to happen. Although the ending is not the greatest, it fits perfectly with the rest of the movie. Second, you know going into it that SOMETHING is going to happen between the girls. The question is just when and how. Third, Emily Blunt is one of the main characters and her overall beauty will keep you glued to the screen.

And what's not to like? As I said above, there's no real storyline. A lot of the film shows the girls riding Mona's bike to different places and having fun. Everything comes together towards the end but it still doesn't make up for the rest of the movie.

As a lesbian-themed movie, this is a pretty good one. I wouldn't call it a lesbian film because when the girls do get together, I think it's all fun and games to them so no real relationship comes out of it. Calling this film a lesbian film would be like calling a film like "Anger Management" a lesbian film simply because there are two supposed "lesbians" in it. It's worth a watch anyway and straight people will probably enjoy it as well. I'm giving it 4 stars although if I wasn't into lesbian-themed movies, I may have given it only 3 stars. June 20, 2007

A Hidden Gem

It won British film of the year yet here in the US this film is completly under the radar. What a shame. I talk about this film in the same breath with One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Apocolypse Now as one of the best films I've ever seen.
The "problem" with the film is that it requires multiple viewings. On the second viewing you begin to realize that is not just a love story - this is a movie about us...all of us...and what the heck are we thinking when we sit down to watch a movie.
June 14, 2007

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