When I was 8 my father sat me down on our couch and told me that his father, my grandfather had died. While I was obviously distraught, I was very confused as to how my father was so stoic during the entire ordeal, and I was even more confused when he was consoling me, a kid that barely knew my paternal grandfather, instead of the other way around.
Years later, I asked my father about the situation, and he told me that he did cry after his father’s death, but due to childlike innocence, I was oblivious to his emotions on that day. Aftersun tells the story of a grown woman looking back at the memories she shared with her father, and while she experienced a perfectly normal vacation in Turkey, she is unaware of his hardships, and we get to see a young father navigate his internal struggles while putting on a mask of contentedness for his daughter.
In Charlotte Wells’ deeply personal film, we are submitted to a walk down memory lane, where traditional filmmaking is intercut with digital camera footage and surrealist scenes that explore the reflection of a young woman back to her experiences with her father. I have a lot of praise for this film, mainly the main acting performances by Paul Mescal, as the struggling father of Sophie, Calum and the role of young Sophie herself, Frankie Corio
These performances carry the weight of the entire film on their shoulders. Aftersun’s emotional climax and themes of the problems of both fatherhood and childhood are delivered through subtle acting from both performers perfectly, and thanks to their natural charisma and chemistry, we are treated to a real relationship between these 2 characters, a heartfelt dynamic that is rarely found in film these days.
The film’s script however, does deserve a lot of credit. Wells’ understanding of the situation that both the characters of Calum and Sophie find themselves in leads to masterful dialogue that makes a standard, straight-forward film, great. This, in unison with Wells’ exceptional blocking and overall direction, creates a very unique piece of art that is entrancing in its depiction of human emotion.
One thing I believe detracts the film from being perfect, is it’s focus on Sophie. As detailed as an 11-year-old character can be, I thought that the version of young Sophie is depicted as quite basic and holds very little depth, something I expect a film about the close relationship between a father and daughter would have. This however, is a minor qualm, and doesn’t take away from Corio’s great performance as a young actress.
As I conclude this review, I want to comment on the fact that Aftersun’s emotional nexus is one that is very rare in modern cinema, and I commend Charlotte Wells originality in her filmmaking and in her dialogue. At the same time, I celebrate Mescal’s perfect depiction of Calum Patterson, a performance that moved many, including me, and made me reflect on the experiences I’ve lived with my father, as well as made me understand that fatherhood isn’t always perfect.
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