A small film that focuses on essence rather than story, The Summer Book sports a phenomenal performance by Glenn Close, but it’s extremely difficult to connect with.
Everyone has their preferences when it comes to art. Some love musicals and movies, others love paintings and sculpture. It’s all art, but we may not all be able to appreciate it equally. When I watched the movie The Tree Of Life, which has amazing actors and a visionary director, I started climbing out of my skin. Many people adore it, but for me, it felt like a Baby Einstein video. Visuals of smoke or liquid and essences of emotion, and a loose story that took work to watch. I enjoyed this film more, but there’s a reason that I mention them together.
The Summer Book is about a grandmother, her son, and his daughter, Sofia, who spend the summer together in a rustic house on a tiny island off of Finland. During this time, they explore nature and live simple days while sharing life lessons.
The main theme of this movie is the cycle of life. It begins and ends – with the planting and reaping of crops, the nurturing of seeds, the beginning and end of summer, and a child and a grandmother at the beginning and end of their respective journeys.
There is a huge focus on nature, both visually and in conversation in The Summer Book. Shots of fish, birds, and greenery abound, as well as frequent tending to flowers and small trees. There is a conversation about moss that feels poignant in that it can withstand being stepped on once or even twice, but the third time will kill it.
Glenn Close is amazing as grandma. Her physicality is noticeable from her very first moments on the screen. She is slow and hunched over with every body ache and foggy memories that she combats within her being. She smokes cigarettes and visibly ponders life and nature as she feels her years near their end. And in her moments alone, she lays in the greenery or swims naked in the gulf to be as enveloped in nature as possible.
Based on a book of the same name, I suspect that the emotion and nuance in the words did not translate deeply enough to the screen. You get the essence of many things floating through the visuals and the spectacularly ethereal score, but I never connected to it. It never reached me.
The Summer Book is a very small film with a larger message, but it is subtle and quiet. I suspect that this film may resonate more with viewers who love The Tree Of Life, so if that’s you, give it a whirl. Otherwise, Glenn Close’s immersive performance and the impressive score are the only reasons to visit this.
Runtime: 94 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, but only for Glenn Close’s performance
Everyone has their preferences when it comes to art. Some love musicals and movies, others love paintings and sculpture. It’s all art, but we may not all be able to appreciate it equally. When I watched the movie The Tree Of Life, which has amazing actors and a visionary director, I started climbing out of my skin. Many people adore it, but for me, it felt like a Baby Einstein video. Visuals of smoke or liquid and essences of emotion, and a loose story that took work to watch. I enjoyed this film more, but there’s a reason that I mention them together.
