My Summer of Love
DIRECTED BY PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI
Reminiscent of Thirteen, 2003’s indie hit, My Summer of Love bravely gives us a fly-on-the-wall view of the confusion and instability teens are forced to wade through in today’s world. When orphan Mona (Natalie Press, who could be the love child of Lauren Ambrose and Toni Collette) meets rich girl Tamsin (Emily Blunt, pictured behind Press), there is a magnetic attraction that can’t be denied. At first glance it appears to be sexual, but as their stories unfold you begin to sense their desperation and loneliness binding them together. These girls, so hungry for love that is absent from their home lives, seek solace in each other’s arms. The performances are so real that the camera creates a subtle impression of voyeurism and intimacy that you feel would be violated with a close-up. Enjoyable and deeply moving, My Summer of Love leaves you with a story that echoes long after you’ve left the theater.
Bob Merrick
