"Summerland" is a perfect example of comfort-food films that are made to wrap viewers in emotional stories.
Despite its flaws, the film directed by Jessica Swale showcases a genuine lesson on love with outstanding actors Gemma Arterton, Lucas Bond and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Known as "the witch" in her village off the seaside cliffs of Southern England, Alice (Arterton) isn't well-liked by her neighbors. She's the type of person who is so hardened from past trauma and lost love (Mbatha-Raw) that she is willing to tease a child who desperately wants a candy bar which she buys for herself. She writes scholarly books about myths and it gives her purpose. Until one day a young London evacuee named Frank (Bond) is dropped onto her doorstep.
SUMMERLAND Trailer (2020) Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw Romance Moviewww.youtube.com
Alice unwillingly (and unhappily) shelters the kid, but it doesn't take long for the unlikely pair to care for each other. As their relationship grows, they find out that their pasts are more intertwined than they'd think.
When it comes to the main trio, their writing and presentations from the actors are phenomenal. Audiences genuinely care about what happens to them because their story is so believable. It's likely that most people have experienced lost love in the form of losing a significant other, a parent, a friend or a child. So it's easy to sympathize with Alice's side of the story even when she's being undeniably harsh toward Frank. But the writing does a good job of balancing the dark themes with tender moments.
However when it comes to other characters like Frank's classmate Edie (Dixie Egerickx) and Mr. Sullivan (Tom Courtenay), viewers won't really care for them. They're surely doing their jobs as supporting characters, but they exist for the bare minimum reason of dropping a bombshell in the climax of the movie. It's like the writers bet all their chips on the leading trio and didn't care to flesh out the others. To their credit though, plot twist isn't too predictable.
No spoilers, but the ending is well-done because it doesn't throw away any character development after circumstances change. Alice genuinely loves Frank, and actions from her older self (Penelope Wilton) purely show that. It delivers a couple of meaningful messages: it's never too late to find love in parenthood and it's OK to acknowledge grief.
Along with a wonderful story, "Summerland" has quite a few beautiful landscape shots. There's one take in which we follow Alice in one continuous take during a stressful scene and it amplifies the mood.
"Summerland" by all means isn't perfect, but it's perfect to people looking for a light-hearted movie.
Score: 8/10
"Summerland" is available for streaming on VOD platforms starting Friday, July 31.
Contact reporter Samantha Incorvaia on Twitter at @s_incorvaia.
