Summer Book, Charlie McDowell’s most tender adaptation of Tove Jansson’s novel, tells the story of a little girl, her father, and her grandmother who spend a short Finnish summer on one of the thousands of islands. , at one point nine-year-old Sophia is looking at a tapestry. A rampaging lion is painted on the wall. “Do lions eat people in tents?” she asks her formidable grandmother, played by a suitably sun-gnarled Glenn Close. “No, he’s there to protect him,” my grandmother said firmly.
The embrace of nature, even when nature succumbs to fierce storms and the cruel predation of old age, is the guiding spirit of Jansson’s novel, published in 1972 and depicting her own long summer spent with her niece. Yes, this novel is a faithful adaptation. . Jansson spent most of his life in villas like this one – all wooden planks and questionable plumbing – and in the film Sophia, her father (Anders Danielsen-Lee, as quietly rewarding as ever), and her grandmother arrives first by motorboat. scene.
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It soon turns out that Sophia’s mother has died since they were last here. Sofia’s father, an illustrator, tries to escape his role at work and become the fun father he once was. Sophia, played by newcomer Emily Matthews with a precocious sensitivity, is cautious and curious, but grapples with her own complicated grief and requires constant attention from her grandmother. Sometimes she moans that she is bored. We don’t have an iPad here, but just like before the iPad, her boredom dies down quickly.
For those of us who grew up with Tove Jansson’s wonderful Moomin books – an ongoing story about a family of endearingly eccentric trolls – we can’t fault anything to do with her. Those unfamiliar with her or Finn’s quiet stoicism may find themselves wondering at points in the film where all the important events of the story have already happened before it begins, and emotion is conveyed only through the occasional raised eyebrow or facial expression. You might think. long person
And it’s true. This story is just a small fragment. It is a dramatic event, similar to being tickled by a blade of grass surrounded by a pine forest, a pebble beach, and a big sky. The characters tell us to do it. That’s fine. For us believers, it’s a relief not to have been betrayed, and reason enough to be grateful to screenwriter Robert Jones.
Of course, telling a Finnish story in accented English is awkward and doesn’t make logical sense. Norwegian actor Danielsen Lee probably adds a kind of resonance to his normal speaking voice. Close most of the time hides a Swedish chef’s accent on the edge, but there’s a certain theatricality to her squeaky movements that is sometimes clumsily overemphasized. It seems to cut through the finer points of storytelling.
But when that resolute attitude is applied to matters that go against her sense of island etiquette, it can be fun. The newcomers have built a home on a nearby island, with a sign posted next to the pier that reads, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” From the grandmother’s point of view, what is that other than flagrant disrespect worthy of rebellion? This home is equally aggressive, with a new tusk deck with a couch where a proper bench and stoop should be. She was not at all perturbed when the owners arrived in a small boat, discovered the trespassers, and offered her coffee and cake. “This is socializing!” she says to a confused Sofia, especially not sotto voce. “You have to learn how to do that.”
But Close’s best moments come when her character confronts a searing sadness that exists only in silence. A local boatman known only by his name, Erickson, who usually visits on midsummer nights, is conspicuous by his absence. “The stench of sadness scares me,” says the father gruffly. “Or self-pity!” said the grandmother, speaking with all her might of Close’s status as a great lady. “I’m trying,” he whispers. “It’s not difficult enough!” she answered, as bluntly as ever. “I won’t be here forever!”
In fact, there’s a strong sense that she, the character Glenn Close, is the ghost of all the women in the Jansson family. You choose – you choose the last time she leaves, and there’s no arguing with that.
And the healing lasts in this little family. No one has to deal with it any further, there are no emotional conflicts, and nothing matters except time and weather. And the Summer Book, which Sophia’s father keeps drawing at his desk overlooking the silvery sea while his daughter sleeps, is a wordless expression of love. In fact, it’s very similar to this movie.
Title: Summer Book
Festival: London Film Festival (Special Presentation)
Director: Charlie McDowell
Screenplay: Robert Jones
Cast: Glenn Close, Anders Danielsen Lee, Emily Matthews
Sales: Charade
Performance time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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