Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun proves to be the soothing balm needed for the Edinburgh International Film Festival after a couple of years itching to return to its full glory after the pandemic.
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.
Drawing upon elements from her own life, Wells paints an incredibly personal story. Consequently one that everyone will be able to relate to.
There is universality in the specific. While this is unquestionably Sophie’s story and her experiences that Summer with her dad in the 90s, the film is peppered with little moments that are instantly recognisible to anyone who has ever taken a package holiday in Europe.
The late night bus transfer from the airport to the hotel; the angry dad chastising his unruly child by the pool, the exoticness of ordering a Fanta Limon; the cringeworthy “entertainment” by the holiday rep; that one day towards the end of the holiday where everyone is getting on each others nerves.
Inevitably this will provoke the audience to think about their own past. Pushing them to revisit memories of their own holidays and relationships with their parents.
This is something that every filmmaker must hope for. For their film to resonate with audiences. Provoking a personal, emotional connection with. She may have drawn on her own past here however Charlotte Wells is clearly a filmmaker with an incredibly bright future ahead of her.
As the film progresses, the reason behind this retrospection begins to crystallise. As children, we only see our parents as parents. We don’t really think about them as people outside that symbiotic relationship. How much do we really know them and what they are going through? Also as we grow up are we destined to become our parents and repeat the same patterns they did? Capable of no longer viewing those memories through rose tinted glasses, the cold reality comes into sharp focus with a heartbreaking blow. The final night dance to Under Pressure proving one of the most emotional scenes of this or any Summer.
Paul Mescal delivers an incredibly raw, vulnerable performance as Cameron. He clearly adores his daughter but their estrangement through his failed relationship with her mother has built up some walls between them that he struggles to break down with his words. It is incredibly brave and refreshing to see an actor so openly tap into that still-slightly-taboo thing of a man showcasing his emotions.
He is perfectly balanced by Frankie Corio as the young Sophie. As Britney Spears would say she is not a girl, not yet a woman. A whirlwind of feelings and emotions, she wears her heart on her sleeve. Incapable of hiding how she feels. Given this is her first film role, she has a beautiful innocence and delivers an incredibly naturalistic performance. You witness her coming-of-age on screen both as a character and as an actor.
Like a holiday snapshot this film perfectly captures a moment in time. One that feels like it was taken on a 35mm disposable camera that you had to wait for one week to get back from Boots not knowing if it would be in focus or not – remember those?
Aftersun is a stunning debut and one of the best films of the year. One that will leave its mark and stay with you for a long time. Similar to that unwanted but inevitable holiday sunburn!
Aftersun will be released by Mubi in cinemas on November 18
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Director: Charlotte Wells
Stars: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall
Runtime: 96 minutes
Country: UK
