Summerland

Everybody in this film was just great. Gemma Arterton, as always delivers. To me - it's a 10.

At first I had trouble relating to the character and their dialogs, both unbelievable but I loved the cinematography and the splendid images. However i found this too cheesy to be aired at my favourite repertoire cinema. This rivals with the hallmark network.

This is a beautifully shot film with some of southern England's prettiest scenery using some skilled cinematography. The acting is pretty good too, and it holds the entire thing together. But the anachronisms and historical inaccuracies (evacuation starts 1st Sep 1939, war declared 3rd Sep 1939, blitz starts 7th Sep 1940, and that's just the beginning) are ignorant and laughable, detract immensely from the story for me, and left me wishing I didn't have such a clear knowledge of WW2 chronology and history.

After giving up on finding decent films in 2020, I came across the trailer for Summerland on Youtube and it pricked my attention as I find both Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw both very engaging actors. I'm so glad that i ended up buying Summerland as it's a film filled with emotion, tenderness, strength and vulnerability. As yes the film has a plot of Lesbianism, but it's so well written that it is never the main focus of the film, (as with a lot very woke films) because the story is about love, tenderness and eternal hope. Gemma Arterton really switches it up her role as Alice and one why you can see why she is a leading lady, her ability to convey so much emotions in her eyes and expressions are that of someone that really knows their craft. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, even though isn't in the film much, (like with most of her roles) but when in a scene she really does shine and radiates. If you want to get away from all the craziness of 2020 and watch a film that engages you, fills you with emotions and gets right back to humanity, I can't recommend Summerland highly enough.

Summerland is a beautiful story told beautifully. Interesting and funny characters; gorgeous backdrop setting; and a sentimental heartfelt story. I couldn't help to notice how much the actor, Lucas Bond, has a strong resemblance to another UK actress Millie Bobby Brown. I kept thinking throughout the film if this was Millie Brown playing a boy earlier in her career or was Lucas Bond a younger sibling of hers. The resemblance is uncanny. As an American, I find the rural country and coastal landscapes of England so very pretty. I prefer British movies like this more so than films with a London setting. Perhaps because I am a New Yorker, London resembles too much of New York for my taste as I now live near the Rhode Island shore. This film just felt like fresh ocean air on a sunny day. Very relaxing. I loved Gemma Arterton character. She had me laughing at how much of her personality is much like mine in real life. As a New Yorker, I can be brutally honest whether someone likes it or not and I never been one to care about the opinions of others. I don't go around hurting other's feelings. But sometimes can inadvertently blurt out my absent minded opinions. Foot in the mouth syndrome I guess. Alice felt like the female version of me. More focus on my work and hobbies than to live my life based on other's opinion which has gotten me into trouble over the years. I honestly think it is exhausting to think any other way and not sure why people trap themselves in such mental prisons. But I survived the repercussions even if I did get some scars as a result. Frank on the other hand is another breath of fresh air for me. When I was a child myself, children were expected to be as respectful to adults like Frank was and I admired that in him. Considering what he was going through, the trauma of being upheaval from his home into the custody of a stranger that doesn't particularly care to have him around. The difficulty of wondering about the safety of his parents during the war. Not to mention the news he receives later in the film. My heart bleed for this child. I really loved the dynamics at play between the characters and how it evolves. How Frank softens Alice's heart is very beautiful. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the relationship between Alice and Vera. I don't think it was necessary to add this to the story. But it is 2020 and it seems every film has an obligatory same sex relationship (aka PC virtual signaling). But at least it was done discretely and tastefully, not overblown with a Hollywood style sex scene. The film director kept it tasteful so it didn't harm the film. She directed the film demonstrating good aesthetic judgment instead of graphical shock value. All in all, I really liked the film and I would recommend it. I did love the twist at the end of who Frank's parents really were. That was absolutely lovely and unexpected.

This Directorial debut by Jessica Swale offers the viewer some main takeaways-Very strong acting from lead Gemma Arterton. A real powerhouse of an actor that one can see welcoming an Oscar into her home sometime in the next coming years. Arterton manages to captivate the character Alice smoothly for the entire length of the film not once losing the viewers interest to learn more about what makes her tick. Also, Swale offers a cast of adults and children that work together very well with chemistry and comedic timing. Lucas Bond and Dixie Egerickx have a strong future in film and stage ahead of them for sure! Plus, a production team that makes a visual impact using set designs, scenery and colours to hold the greatest cinephiles attention to even the smallest of details like the red push pins Alice uses on her boards. The story is one of magic, family, love and loss with possibility threading it all together. Where it missed being a 10 out of 10 for me was the relationship aspect with Gugu Mbatha-Raw for I would have like to have seen her acting abilities a bit heightened instead of simply radiating beauty. At the climax of the film, her acting tended to be a bit rehearsed and the lines flowed without expression yet Arterton surely makes up for anything that might be out of sorts. The cinematography is beautiful. I highly recommend and am just being picky yet I really respect this film and am so glad it was made. Well done.

From the word go this movie is highly captivating. it engulfs and is a full-onFull emotional rollercoaster going from anxious across to happiness. Seriously well made movie.

Summerland Well where to start with this movie, the acting was good and the cinematography was ravishing but there were fundamental problems with the clunky script from the start. If you could suspend any analysis you could vaguely enjoy it. The problems:- Alice hated the world and held it responsible for her fate, she was vicious from the start. Her main tool was brutal honesty and rhetoric and yet when she had to break some bad news the script decided she would wimp out, directly in contradiction to her personality. I felt used and manipulated by the this silly ruse. To end a relationship with the love of your life because you want "motherhood" is a quite ridiculous reason even in the 1940's. To then enter then into a loveless marriage with a man infers being gay is a lifestyle choice, a little fact that 50 years of gay activism has tried to contradict. Not to mention the duplicitous action of entering a vow of marriage knowing there is impediment. To then dump you child on you ex lover ten years after ditching her is madness. To then turn up after the script contrives the death of the said husband and then live happily ever after is beyond absurd. A second place relationship dependent on the accidental death of another. My last criticism is the sanitising and dumbing down of a wholesome lesbian relationship, the director should be ashamed of the disservice this movie does to the gay community as as it introduces gayness on heterosexual terms.

An impossible story which exists only to promote woke messaging. I'm really getting tired of it.