"Summer lovin' had me a blast...Summer lovin,' happened so fast...I met a girl crazy for me...I met a boy, cute as can be..." (sound of needle scratching across an LP). Amend that to "I met a girl, cute as can be." While that wasn't the case in "Grease," it's summer lovin,' girl meets girl style in the appropriately titled "My Summer of Love."
While spring may be when romance buds, summer is the season for full-blossom flings, particularly for young people who can't resist the allure of meeting strangers and falling for them while out of school, on vacation or otherwise just away from home. Although they may be passionate or even torrid, they're usually just flings where the truth isn't always fully revealed since the participants know the relationship won't last past the season.
Of course, sometimes both parties aren't in agreement over that latter point, especially if they're desperate for attention and/or affection. Such is the case with Mona and Tamsin. The former is a girl whose only family is her former convict turned born-again brother and she's looking for any sort of escape from him and her bleak future.
Tamsin, on the other hand, is simply bored by her wealthy, highly educated lifestyle and is looking for some fun. And as the summer days lazily roll by, the two become an item. While that might not sound terribly interesting aside from the lurid interest of those viewers looking for some girl on girl action, director Paul Pawlikosky ("Last Resort") has several aces up his sleeve that turn this into a winning hand.
The first are a trio of actors who deliver superb performances. That's not surprising from the always reliable Paddy Considine ("In America," "24 Hour Party People") who plays the born-again brother who finds himself tested by his sister's behavior. But it is for Nathalie Press and Emily Blunt who embody the two young lovers. That's not because they've been mediocre or bad in previous efforts, but rather that these are the first for both of them.
The two so easily command the screen -- both have that magical "it" factor that can't be taught, adopted or faked -- that you'll swear they're seasoned pros. Only time will tell if this is a momentary fling for one or both, but theirs are easily some of the best of the year so far.
Pawlikosky's other ace in the hole is the script -- based on the novel by Helen Cross -- that he co-penned with Michael Wynne. Slowly developing the situation and revealing the characters and their behaviors, the filmmaker effortlessly lures the viewer into what seems like a mundane story and then knocks their feet out from under them. Your socks will stay on, however, as it's not some Shyamalan type twist, but it is a turn of events that will likely catch some viewers off guard.
And when viewed in the context of what preceded it, the development certainly makes sense. Yet, it also makes the film seem even better in hindsight as the overall structure and intent are then in full view. For example, the born-again element, while decently fleshed out, initially only seems present as a complication for Mona's newfound love. Eventually, however, it ends up adding significant weight to the aforementioned revelation, and thus unexpectedly makes the film that much more powerful.
At one point in the film, Blunt's character states that in France, crimes of passion are forgiven. By the end of the film, she learns that meaningless summer flings may not be. "Summer dreams ripped at the seams...But oh, those summer nights." Indeed. "My Summer of Love" rates as a 6.5 out of 10.
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