Summer (2008) Reviews

• Summer is a stunner.

  Spikeopath2010-03-17

  Every once in a while a fabulous British independent film slips under the radar and is criminally missed by a ream of cinema goers. Summer is one such film. It's directed by Kenneth Glenaan, written by Hugh Ellis and stars Robert Carlyle, Rachael Blake and Steve Evets. Shaun (Robert Carlyle) and Daz (Steve Evets) were the rouge kids on the block, best friends forever, they were constantly getting into scrapes. Thoughts of education were the furthest thing from their minds. We find Shaun now in adulthood, and now caring for Daz who is crippled and suffering from terminal cirrhosis. From here the film is told through Shaun's eyes with flashbacks to better, vibrant times, in particular the one important summer where Shaun tries to come to terms with life, loves {Blake as the girlfriend Katy} and where fate stepped in to change things. It's through these flashbacks that we learn exactly why Shaun is so devoted to his dying pal. Structured in the way it is, basically set in three time periods of the protagonists life, Summer involves the viewers to the maximum with its characters. So much so that even with the hanging sense of doom in the air, the nagging question of why is this bond so strong makes for a fascinating, and emotionally potent, experience. The material and its central themes could quite easily been given the sledgehammer treatment by Glenaan, but he directs it in such a subtle way, the final result is all the more impacting. There's no soft soaping either, the plot is tough and realistic, these are real people reacting to real life issues. Something that is helped enormously by the first rate performances of Carlyle {one of his best ever performances} and Evets. Complementing the acting is Tony Slater-Ling's beautiful photography, particularly in the flashback scenes to the boys youth. The warm glow of the sun, the ripple of the water, the green and pleasant land, each serve as painful reminders to Shaun of his lost youth. Nostalgia is not thought of warmly, it is by definition here, a yearning that gnaws away at his soul. Hugh Ellis' screenplay also deserves plaudits, this may not be the easiest of viewings, since this is after all about wasted life and impending death. But there is always hope in the offering, and coupled with the odd flecks of gallows humour, Ellis has found the right balance for the story. It's downbeat of course, and you may feel like you have been thru the mangler come the end. But this really is excellent film making that tells a worthy and most endearing story. With Carlyle magnetic and real and Glenaan serving notice that he's a British director fit to sit alongside Meadows, Loach and Arnold. It's hoped that more people can find and let Summer into their lives. 9/10

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• An Underrated Drama

  Chirpy_Chaffinch2010-11-11

  Shaun and Daz have been friends since School. Now, in their adulthood, Daz is terminally ill and wheelchair bound. Shaun himself is unemployed and full of frustration and anger about his life. The movie works very well with the flashbacks to their youth when they were tearing around the local neighbourhood and, sometimes, getting into trouble. Shaun develops huge problems by not being able to cope with Dyslexia and the viewer sees his life falling apart. There is also a strong sense that society (and the authorities) are letting Shaun down. This social drama has many facets but it mainly draws on the perceptions that are out there about Dyslexia and its associated problems. The performances, both by Carlyle and Evets are outstanding, the photography sublime and the screenplay is as real as it gets. Highly underrated in my humble opinion.

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• Heartwarming and real

  abhishek-shu2009-04-03

  It tells the story of a small town. Of a few wild and good teenagers, of which few of them could not grow up no matter how hard they tried. It is a well written and well acted. It shows the nestled world of these two loyal friends and a girl. Some would be able to relate much more to this movie., but everyone will like it for the way it looks at the protagonist life. Its got some great shots and a simple but lovely background music. In a way the movie is a little sad, but also paints the beautiful picture of the mad/nice world some youngsters create for themselves, and then loose. In a way its the tale of a man who had most of what he needed at one point in time and later on none of it. But that's fine.

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• The Summer we had it all

  thecatcanwait2011-11-16

  Robert Carlyle goes occasionally Begbie in this film (i.e a bit ranty and ragey, teetering on the vicious tip of violence) But mostly he's being kind and caring Robert Carlyle; a middle-aged low key loser with life seemingly finished even before it began. Where life got started up, consummated, then finished off was back in that hot lazy Summer 20 odd years ago. When he and teenage best mate Daz (Steve Evets) were swimming out at the lake, shagging their girlfriends. And then all too soon to go horribly, tragically, fatefully, wrong. Which Shaun and Daz appear to be paying for for/with the rest of their hopeless lives. Shaun has become (or has "had to become" more like) crippled Daz's full time carer. They continue to live no hope life's on the housing estate where they were brought up. They haven't gone anywhere or done anything. Only got older, sadder (in Daz's case drunker and iller) Robert Carlyle does a perfectly adequate job of sensitive, caring, introverted inadequacy; he does all the right kind of tight lipped mumbling inarticulacy to get you into sympathy with his role. But i still felt more inside Robert Carlyle acting the role than feeling genuinely engaged by the character of Shaun himself. This is the big problem of casting high profile stars in low key roles; they can never really get you away from who they are and into who they are pretending to be. Every where Shaun was i kept seeing Robert Carlyle inserting his little Robert Carlyle mannerisms and expressions. And this is another justification i have for watching foreign (non-English) films: you're seeing the actors and their acting for the first time usually, you haven't built up associations and identifications from previous films you've seen them in. Well, this is mostly true. (French films can also suffer from the same over familiarity) Anyway, Robert Carlye was OK – but somebody else – an obscure journeyman actor – would probably have been better. An actor like Steve Evetts in fact. Even though i'd seen him in that dopey Eric Cantona film – he was totally credible as foul mouthed embittered alcoholic cripple Daz. Spot on. The scene with him in the shower waiting to get washed, shouting and swearing – and then offering up his quiescent puny pale body in limp resignation – that brought a little gulp to my throat. Its possible they had to bring in Robert Carlyle to make the film a bit more of a bankable commodity. Which may have explained the anomalies going on: the actor playing teenage Shaun was about 6 ft 3! Far too big to shrink back into little Robert Carlyle as an adult. Big credibility gap there. And whats with the Scottish kid living in Lancashire? Why does he continue to have such a thick Glaswegian accent? Wouldn't that have been softened or modulated somewhat? (Btw, much of this young actors Glasge brogue is indecipherable – you're guessing at what he's saying half the time) Its possible the scripting had to be rejigged to accommodate a Scottish actor (Carlyle) Another small, but quite significant credibility bloop: the school fight scene; the director botched the camera angles on that one; the punching of the face looked totally faked and phony. It's a slow watch. Economic (with dialogue) and melancholic (with mood) The sound design and score work well to convey this mood of mourning, regretful, reminiscent, melancholy. I can see why most people wouldn't want to watch this (either at the cinema or at home) Too low key and too much like life lived like it ordinarily is: nothing much changing, without redemption, often determined by a single, tragic, throw off the dice. And nothing to be done. Except wait for life to be over with.

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• sad portrait of strong abandon

  antoniotierno2015-01-30

  A big-hearted social realism which is a strong meditative piece of work, showing flashbacks of two kids then turning into teens, living on the same estate and spending their days getting always into trouble. The story dips in and out of the past, suggesting the source of current woes. As a portrait of stasis brought on by poverty and a study of abandon gone sour in the face of zero opportunities, this is an extremely sensitive stuff, even though there's little that ends up surprising. This movie hasn't been successful at all, though having a decent cast and handling very interesting themes, however it certainly deserves a good rate.

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