Review of Summer Hours (2008) by Robert H — 01 May 2010

4: This film is entirely unique. I've never changed a 3 star to a 4 star, until now. It's the kind of film that comes back to me time and time again. The people I went to the film with at Beartooth the first time around were definitely not predisposed to appreciate it all that much, and with good reason I suppose.

The pacing and style of filmmaking are not what most are accustomed to. The relaxed and flowing camerawork and utter concentration on the mundane details of everyday life and death are not something very commonly depicted in the cinema.

They are certainly characteristic of Assayas though and extremely beautiful. It simply cast a spell over me the second time around. Combining this with the fact that every time I visit a museum or think about a museum this film will inevitably come to mind, and the result is something a bit magical.

I didn't even think this was my favorite Assayas picture the first time around. What was I thinking? I suspected I'd enjoy it more when watching it alone and away from the reactions of others; was I ever right.

The plot is incredibly simple and the barebones of the story could be told in a much more rapid manner, as one of my friends pointed out, but this would eliminate the mood, atmosphere, and meaning underlying the picture.

It's really about the relationship between people and art and the manner in which art and people can experience eternal life. The meanings are deep and layered. Many of the scenes demand greater scrutiny and long contemplation, which is certainly afforded to some extent within the film.

It is ultimately a quite painful, bleak, and unsentimental message, but this doesn't mean it's a depressing picture. It is simply realistic. As George Harrison said, "all things must pass", but in this case it is a bit more complicated than some might think, unless you take "pass" to mean "change".

The art doesn't change, except for the broken Degas sculpture, but the relationship between the art and the world around the art changes drastically. This is the key. It's the residue of a life that everyone must deal with as a loved one passes.

This concept is approached from so many different angles it is astounding. It isn't just about art either, it is also about life and the numerous ways in which we live it, experience it, and what we leave behind.

It is profound, pure, simple, and complex. I was sure it would be even more rich and textured the next time around and I was right. It's a bittersweet film, but one that has grown on me over time, even when I wasn't watching it.

It is a powerful, yet understated and beautiful, work of art. Superb. I only wonder if I'm underrating it at this point.