Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Screenwriter/director: Jessica Swale, Icon Film Distribution.
Some important messages shine through this film about the existence of hope, second chances and the fact that wounds can be healed.
From Britain’s Olivier Award-winning writer/director Jessica Swale, Summerland motivates with boldly candid and current themes — a moving journey of womanhood and self-discovery, love and friendship.
Swale makes an impressive film debut that’s not quite a classic, but it’s well made, looks good and has a wonderful cast. Even the Dover location is striking with its famous white cliffs, lush green countryside and bright ocean!
Reclusive writer Alice Lamb (Gemma Arterton) lives alone in a cottage by the sea, a broken-hearted workaholic since losing the love of her life. While she is busy with her work, she is also quite lonely, tormented by the love affair from the past. Suppressed memories from two decades ago are of her love for another woman Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). They decided it wasn’t going to work out for them.
The intensely self-reliant writer also has her sequestered life upended when Frank (Lucas Bond), an evacuee from the London blitz, is left in her care. Initially Alice decides to get rid of him, but even as she loosens up she’s still a poor guardian. Her sharpness and irritability appear conflicting, particularly since she’s already exposed some of her soul to Frank.
Alice and Frank start to bond after he takes an interest in her scholarly work. She gradually finds herself and her emotions rekindled by him.
Arterton leads the cast of British actors to give credence to this gentle film that also features Bond and Dixie Egerickx (The Secret Garden) as Frank’s friend Edie. They inject just the right quantity of talent and skill to address the more emotional scenes.
Summerland is out on DVD and Digital.
