My Summer of Love

Director: Paweł Pawlikowski
Year Released: 2004
Rating: 3.0

Subtle - and beautiful - examination of a brief summer fling between two girls (Nathalie Press and Emily Blunt) from different backgrounds: one lives with her religious nut brother, the other in a virtual mansion where her parents could care less about her. Though heavy-handed at times, the performances are incredible, as is the plot itself, which develops the relationship without wandering into overly familiar territory - there are echoes of Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, but I was actually more reminded of a homosexual Summer of '42, only without the obnoxious voice-over. Press and Blunt work well as opposites - Blunt's slightly twitchy face and cold stare give a hint at more odious inner workings; Press looks appropriately naive and simple - and Paddy Considine goes from zero to explosive as well as anyone.