Monica Dolan and Earl Cave deliver very realistic sparring mother and son details.
It is understated, and enjoyable just for that, in a world of car crashes and explosions as entertainment options. There's no real baddie here, just humans finding their way, and it's great for that, both in insight and staging. There are a lot of recognisable details in the mother and son relationship and that's the charm of the film. The hideousness of teenage selfishness and meanness to loving parents (I cringed with knowing guilt a few times), and the sacrifices mums make to carry their kids. A lot of humor in it too.
Not a lot happens on the journey and it doesn't really arrive anywhere, and that's probably the main let down here. Daniel does become less of a jerk but there's no realisation or revelation and cause to that character arc other than he just grew up a little. Maybe that's in keep with the life observation aesthetic of the film though.
Either way it was a really nice 86 mins and a welcome slice of realness in an overly dramatic world.
Review of Days of the Bagnold Summer
