Love can do so many good things, but also can bring about a downfall as in the movie The Souvenir now on Blu-ray and DVD. Nicely acted and directed the film’s target audience is women 35 and older. More like a Hallmark Channel movie it would certainly fill an afternoon or evening with friends and a bottle of wine. My only downside is the script’s length that drags a bit and becomes repetitive.
Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne), is a young British film student and has a story to tell so she digs right in checking out locations and possible ideas. Writing has been slow and those around her have made suggestions. When she meets Anthony (Tom Burke), an older man who has artistic ability, she starts to gain confidence in her project.
Her mother Rosalind (Tilda Swinton) has been lending her money, however she has become skeptical of the filmmaking. With Antony moving into Julie’s apartment things are good with the script and her friends are becoming more attuned to her project. But, Anthony has been a drag on her finances and yet her feelings for him have escalated to a high. She therefore ignores the lack of funding she needs to complete her film.
Director and screenwriter Joanna Hogg does an excellent job of writing the screenplay, but when it comes to putting the film on the screen, it plays out at a snail’s pace. While this may be good for those that are big on character building, I found it a bit overwhelming since a lot of her support roles were needless and distracting at times. It may have been that she wanted a pristine cutting room floor, or just let the film get away from her.
As far as the acting goes, Honor Swinton Byrne does a superlative job as Julie with her character arc. An innocent beginning shows nicely setting up the changes she goes through as each new chapter brings a mix of romance and problems. As her love grows with Anthony, she starts to lose her grip on the film she’s putting together with the story becoming part of her personal life. This is a good job of acting out a tough part and I applaud her for it.
What I found very distracting involves the choice of Julie’s mother being Tilda Swinton, the real life mom of Honor Swinton Byrne. Each time Julie asks mom for money I sink deeper into my seat thinking she came to the right place to get it from one of the shiniest stars in the business. That said, Tilda still knows how to work support and she does it with aplomb.
Co-star, if you can call him that, Tom Burke as Anthony plays his character supercilious and above Julie. Some cases where Anthony treats her badly there’s no change in his attitude to show empathy, instead it most always very cold. Never really connecting with romantic chemistry, the plot takes a dive when he’s in the frame. In defense, maybe I’m not British enough to understand the ‘arrogance’ of the passion.
BLU-RAY™ / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
“Audio Commentary” with Writer-Director Joanna Hogg
“Making of The Souvenir” Featurette
The Souvenir has been rated R for some sexuality, graphic nudity, drug material and language. The graphic nudity is more of a male shock pose by a two minute character role. As far as the sexuality don’t look for any lust or sensuality as it’s very fleeting.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Only if you are a Hallmark addict, and then you’ll need that bottle of wine. (2 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tosin Cole, Jack McMullen, Tilda Swinton, Frankie Wilson, Janet Etuk, Chyna Terrelonge-Vaughan, Hannah Ashby Ward
Director and screenwriter: Joanna Hogg
Produced by: Martin Scorsese
MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality, graphic nudity, drug material and language
Genre: Romance, Drama, Mystery
Running Time: 2 hrs.
Video Release Date: August 6, 2019
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: Widescreen 16×9 Aspect Ratio 1.66:1
Subtitles: Spanish, English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 disc
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released on: Blu-ray/DVD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
