Taylor Gates is an LA-based critic earned her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Evansville. She has been with Collider since 2022.
The Big Picture All it takes is one spontaneous moment to alter the course of your life. It can change everything for the better — quitting a job you hate to travel around the world, swiping right on the love of your life, taking the first steps to get help — but it can also have the opposite effect. Taking your eyes off the road, saying something awful in the heat of an argument, or cheating on your partner, for instance.
'Last Summer's Distance Does It a Disservice But it’s the aftermath of the inevitable explosion that’s the most riveting part — something to which director Catherine Breillat thankfully devotes a good portion of time. The film starts off relatively slow, indulging in the gorgeous scenery and twisted romance between the pair. It’s deeply unsettling, which is what the film is going for. Unfortunately, it can also start to get a little boring.
'Last Summer's Performances Are Its Highlight There has been no shortage of films about age-gap relationships as of late, each with varying degrees of controversy. There’s Todd Haynes’ May December, of course, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza and Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. Last Summer has elements of all of them, though the recent movie it feels most reminiscent of to me is Todd Field’s Tár.
It’s when these two worlds combine that the film becomes most compelling. Breillat pulls a bait-and-switch by making Anne utilize her skills as a lawyer for her own benefit, turning the tables and gaslighting Théo and Pierre with ease. And it’s this ease with which Drucker manipulates that turns this film from a melodrama into something of a thriller. Anne is a tragic, floundering protagonist, but she’s also a dangerous one.
The film introduces complex ideas about ageism and the ways different generations view sex, but it all ends up a bit surface-level. These themes are never satisfyingly engaged with, instead feeling like they’re brought up to justify aspects of the character.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Last Summer’ Review: A Kind of Incestuous Romance That’s Very SexyCatherine Breillat’s steamy, suspenseful new film follows a woman caught between setting fire to her life and putting the flames out when her teenage stepson arrives.
Read more »
Prettygarden Summer Dress Amazon review — TODAYOver 11,000 Amazon reviewers convinced me to try this midi dress, and now it's a summer staple. It's bold, beautiful and flowy. Plus, I love the oversized fit.
Read more »
'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' review: The most fun you'll have at the theater this summer'The Jellicle Ball' Trailer | PAC NYC
Read more »
'Summer Solstice' Review - This Hell of a Debut Feature Will Change YouTaylor Gates is an LA-based critic earned her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Evansville. She has been with Collider since 2022.
Read more »
Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Presumed Innocent’ Review: Summer Best TV BingeTaking on a role Harrison Ford played in 1990, Gyllenhaal electrifies the pulpy, nail-biting new series, which should become the pop-culture talk of the summer.
Read more »
‘Winter Spring Summer or Fall’ Review: Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White Anchor a Feathery RomanceThe 'Wednesday' actors headline Tiffany Paulsen's Tribeca-premiering feature about two teens falling in love over the course of four seasons.
Read more »