I watched the original film because I was hearing great things for the sequel, including a lot of praise from Kermode, like the predecessor it received the full five out of five stars from Radio Times, I was most looking forward to watching it. Basically, set in 1980s London, film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton's daughter) is still reeling over the death of her lover Anthony (Tom Burke) was overdosed on drugs. She is staying with her parents for a few days and informs her mother Rosalind (Tilda Swinton) that her period is late. She soon returns to her flat and to film school. She later visits Anthony's parents, James (James Dodds) and Barbara (Barbara Peirson), to return some of his belongings. She learns more about what kind of person Anthony was from conversations with his parents, but they disclose that they did not truly know their son. Julie is at a film studio where her friends Marland (Jaygann Ayeh) and Garance (Ariane Labed) are working on their final student films. Julie meets Jim, one of the actors starring in Marland's film, and they have sex that night. Julie has her period after Jim has performed cunnilingus on her. She then visits Anthony's addict friends, including the one she found in her flat, wanting to know his whereabouts in his final hours. Suzie (Gala Botero), one of the addicts, does not tell her anything to help. Julie later visits the school board to present a new reel and script for her final student film. But the board are harshly critical about it, citing the lack of clear narrative and irregular script. They inform her that they cannot back her film and that she should not continue with it. She spends more time with her parents, during which she questions Rosalind about what she thought of Anthony and information about the last time she saw him. Rosalind says that her last encounter with Anthony was mostly uneventful, but pleasant. She also says she was fond of him and that she was deeply upset for Julie when she heard of his death. There are occasions when Julie visits the film sets of her student friends, including ambitious but arrogant, over-opinionated and bad-tempered classmate Patrick (Richard Ayoade). Julie secretly uses a school studio and equipment, deciding to go ahead with her film by herself. She wants to make a semi-autobiographical account of her relationship with Anthony. Garance convinces Julie to cast young talented stage actor Pete (Harris Dickinson) as "Alfie" while Julie wants Garance to play "Julie." Julie's direction quickly becomes concerning for the cast and crew, with Julie not properly discussing her ideas to the actors and having no consistent lighting plot. Pete tells Julie that he believes she has not truly forgiven Anthony for the person he was as opposed to the person she believed he was. Julie meets with her editor, Max (Joe Alwyn), talking to him about her relationship with Anthony, and the relationship between her and Anthony's parents, he gives her advice not to carry the feeling loss for others. Later, Julie is called by Barbara, who tells her that James is in hospital after suffering a stroke. Speaking with her therapist (Gail Ferguson), she struggles with whether she genuinely loved Anthony or if she just craved companionship from someone outside her circle of friends and family. The therapist tells her that she must live her life and try to find a similar level of companionship with someone. Eventually, Julie premieres her film, entitled The Souvenir, to her class and the school board. During the screening, Julie has an elaborate daydream in which she metaphorically confronts Anthony's wrongs against her and receives help from her friends and family in letting him go. Years later, Julie has become a music videos director. She is seen celebrating her 30th birthday at her flat with friends from film school. This is in fact a scene being filmed at a studio in the school with a crew surrounding the set. The film ends with a voice calling "Cut!" Also starring Charlie Heaton as Jim, Jack McMullen as Jack, and Doctor Who's Tosin Cole as Phil. Swinton Byrne gives a splendid performance as the brittle film student who uses her heartbreak as inspiration for her project, Ayoade gets more screen time, stealing the show, as the comedically lairy pompous filmmaker, and Swinton again has her moments as the supportive mother. Whereas the first film was simplistic in its style, this follow-up is much more ambitious, the filmmaking process is seen much more frequently, the emotional story is much more concise, and the expressionistic dream sequence is most interesting, I think it is better than the first film, a great drama. Very good!
Review of The Souvenir: Part II
