Rating: 4/5
The Souvenir is that frustrating and too-common story of a terrible man having a chokehold on Julie’s life and creative work. Part I explored his living shadow and the excuses codependent lovers make for their addict partners. Part II follows his overdose and Julie’s time in film school as she is making her student film and moving on
I remember liking Part I but being frustrated by its sparseness, not finding a deeper emotional connection. Part II functions in part as a meta-criticism of that sparseness as Julie makes her student film, — called The Souvenir — the school board criticizes her script for similar reasons
And the school board is proven right, at least initially — the movie is difficult to watch because you are seeing a director who is too close to the material, too cut off from the emotional pain, to keep everyone on the same page
But, as many filmmakers can attest: somehow, we get to the end, and a movie is made. The climactic sequence is unexpected, and I’m unsure how I feel about it, but I think I like it
The film is a rare case of the sequel enhancing the original — Part I needs Part II to complete it, to give it shape and direction
Stray Thoughts
- Richard Ayoade is so funny — such a pretentious asshole
- Of course, the only boy who can convey any sympathy or emotional intelligence is gay