Post -Time, 2022
Written and directed by Charlotte Wells.
Cast: Paul Mescal, Frankie Carriot, Celia Raulson-Hall, Sally Measham, Aisha Parlak, Sofia Lomanova, Brooklyn Toulson and Spike Fern.
Syntax
Sophie reflects on the shared joys and personal struggles of a vacation she took with her father twenty years ago. Real and imagined memories fill the space between them as she tries to reconcile the father she knows with the one she doesn't.
After a long vacation at a Turkish resort, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Carrillo , in her best children's performance since Florida ) is filming Charlotte Wells' personal film After the Sun, a veteran writer, director and short film director. The project's Brooklyn prince knows his 31-year-old father Calum (an unrelenting melancholic mess from Paul Mescal) is tired, sick, and sinking into nothingness. Thanks to the continuous and methodical shooting by the director of photography, Gregory Oak took them in different rooms in one shot. He suffers from physical pain (although he is recovering from tumors removed from his arms and legs during his stay), but he also suffers from emotional pain.
Because the question is really important, but it always gets away from the slow Aftersun , which in 98 minutes looks like a surgically accurate dissection of a human heart. 20 years later (when she is the same age as her father), Sophie watches a videotape on this holiday (probably trying to remember her father) (it was in the late 1990s or maybe 2001). (what might be a birthday or some other significant event that you are tempted to remember). It also tries to fill in the missing gaps by looking for subtle additional context.
There is also good reason to believe that this vacation will be the last time they see each other and that Callum does not have the money for a luxury trip and may know that he is preparing for the trip. A daughter with a life lesson on how to defend herself in war offers things she knows she can't give (Sophie sees them well and challenges), and overall the role of the young father seems overwrought and confused. Everything related to the holidays is like a last memory, an opportunity to share as much wisdom as possible and to remember something forever.
In this regard, it is easy to imagine that those who grew up with parents because of their close age or confusion with siblings (someone had the same misconception about a member of my family a few days ago) feel like friends. as well as). The same goes for new parents who are in similar mental places. However, it's bound to bring out the latest sensationalist celebrity that holds the tension well enough under pressure, as well as prompting young parents to take on the challenge.
It should be said right away that this does not mean that Calum does not love Sophie. On the contrary, he is careful and active, because he likes to spend time in the pool, at a party, at a concert, dinner and playing jokes. But sometimes the breakup shows sad behavior like avoiding karaoke night; Sophie plays REM's "Losing My Religion" in one of the film's most powerful and tender moments. Perhaps it's because she doesn't feel equipped materially, intellectually, and experientially to be a positive and positive role model in Sophie's life, as there are several touching lines in which she expresses surprise that even Calem is 30 years old. 40. Being like Calum, she often reflects on her struggle with this existential crisis, and eventually begins to dance with her son (of course, she finds her moves silly and clumsy).
His wounds and much of his inner darkness remain unexplained, which understandably frustrates viewers (and I admit some areas are too vague for their own good), but that's by design. Of course, it is perfectly legal to express such a strong opinion on the film, but it is wrong. This shows Calum's inability to discuss these issues, effectively demonstrating that conversations are important to mental health.
As the grainy home video begins and ends, the narrative is beautifully presented through the flashbacks of the present and grown-up Sophie on television, her curiosity and passion more relatable to us. There is a scene where Sophie and Calum are photographed together, the film almost wants us to see, not to enjoy the shot, but to emphasize how much history and stories are in one image. Photos are points in time that can be stretched indefinitely like Aftersun . Sophie has her first kiss during this vacation, even though she lives and loves a woman now, which brings a whole new level of depth to these old days re-enacting.
A time capsule using the technology of the past with arcades, clips and music (if you don't understand, the selection of tracks here is very good and important) to immerse yourself in the era. It's strange to call it '90s territory, but Charlotte Wells uses it all to her advantage with wit and narrative.
Paul Mescal and Frankie Carrillo's amazing interpretations are applied to the point where it's hard to pretend the characters are more than real people, allowing the cast to feel more realistic and complex. Almost every shot of Aftersun is also carefully crafted and artistically composed. It might not be a big screen experience in terms of storytelling, but when it comes to visuals on screen, Aftersun is not to be outdone by action-packed blockbusters. This richly structured father-daughter drama has both visible and hidden depths that immediately evoke memories.
Blinking Tales Level – Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Coyder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Association. He is also the Commentary Editor of Flaying Legends. Stay tuned here for more reviews, follow me on Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]
