Review of My Summer of Love (2005) by Sam P — 11 Apr 2012

âMy Summer Of Loveâ? is a well known BAFTA winner of Best British Film, which is a hell of an award for such a small film. However, I have to admit, I really didnâ(TM)t think it was all that special. I felt it was an okay film, written well enough, the direction was fine, but all I could feel at the end was that it was good, not great, and Iâ(TM)m a little gutted about that.

The build up worked, the relationship between working class Mona (Natalie Press) and upper middle class Tamsin (Emily Blunt) who are bored in the middle of a hot summer and slwoly get closer as friends, before finally becoming lovers. The relationship is played as two women who just want someone who cares about them. This relationship runs alongside the story of Phil (Paddy Considine), Monaâ(TM)s sister, who is a supposed born again Christian after leaving prison.

Considine is brilliant, as expected, his portrayal of an angry young thug trying to control his anger fascinating, with both sides of his personality well played and believable. Emily Bluntâ(TM)s character development over the film takes her from kind of likable to very unlikable, and is suitable in both roles, as well still alluring a character. The only one who disappointed me was Press, she was okay, but in comparison to the other two, she was the weakest, just slightly one note and sometimes annoying.

There is also one particularly magnificent scene between Considine and Blunt that steals the film, an example of good use of multi-layered dialogue. Overall, I thought the film was worth a watch, but not that memorable.