259. Summerland; movie review

SUMMERLAND
Cert 12A
100 mins
BBFC advice: Contains brief moderate threat

Was the sun out for the enture six years of the Second World War?
I only ask because almost every film seems to depict golden summers, punctuated by tales of tragedy or derring-do.
That is certainly the case in Jessica Swale's drama, Summerland which is set on the beautiful Kent coast.
It stars Gemma Arterton as a gruff writer who deliberately avoids interaction with her neighbours, prompting the local children to believe she is a witch.
Her solitary world is invaded when she is informed that she has to take in an evacuee (Lucas Bond).
She protests angrily against what she sees as an imposition but finally agrees to take him for a week while more suitable accommodation is found.
Inevitably, the two create a wary bond and she finds memories of an illicit past love coming to the fore.
Indeed, the film's most startling element is hope fast Arterton's character transforms from angry loner to discovering a motherly instinct for a complete stranger.
Summerland tackles the subjects of separation, forbidden love and the tragedy of war but its touch is very light.
The gorgeous Kent countryside muffles the grimness of the 1940s and the young evacuee makes the most of these idyllic surroundings as he plays with a new-found school friend (Dixie Egerickx).
Penelope Wilton plays the writer in later years as she pens the tale of wartime while Gugu Mbatha-Raw is the feisty and beautiful young love interest.
Meanwhile, there are Darling Buds Of May-style characters in the bumbling local headmaster (Tom Courtenay) and an elderly curmudgeon (Sian Phillips).
They contribute to a jolly lovely film which is punctuated by the occasional moment of pathos.
Unfortunately, the resolutions are too twee for me. Of course, chick flick fans may disagree.




Reasons to watch: If you are in the mood for a chick flick
Reasons to avoid: Its drama is a tad weak

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? In Operation Pied Piper - the Second World War evacuation of urban areas of Britain - almost 3.75 million people were displaced, with around a third of the entire population experiencing some effects of the evacuation.

The final word. Jessica Swale: "I really wanted to embrace what cinema could be, so rather than telling a story that could necessarily really happen, I feel we have enough of real life. I'm really attracted by "what if?" The magic realism and the idea of what could be."

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