The Souvenir (2019)

Rating: ⭐⭐½

I need to advise upfront here that The Souvenir falls under the category of a low budget independent arthouse movie so it is important to view this movie with the correct level of expectations otherwise you will end up frustrated. In other words, if you are not in the mood for 2 hours of slow burn with abstract scenes and characters that spend a lot of time staring into space with a miniscule script, then, best stay far away from The Souvenir.

This film was first premiered in last year's Sundance Film Festival with some critical acclaim and an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%!! It's star, Honor Swinton Byrne is the daughter of Tilton Swinton who also has a supporting role in the film playing the role of the mother of course. Honor does a convincing job with the story's main character making her feel like a real person. The story is a simple tale of the struggles between the romance of a young impressionable film student and a mystery man who lives in with her but appears to be hiding a lot of dark secrets from her. The plot of the story if not that important in this movie. What makes it interesting is its character study on its main characters. A lot of what goes on in their rocky relationship as they face the various incidents in their lives is told through the mood, and conversations that they have. This sort of movie making style is not for everyone and many of us who have been conditioned by the commercial stuff will probably roll our eyes and give up way before the final act. Even the film's title The Souvenir is not what it seems at first glance. The word "souvenir" in French means "to remember" and in the context of this movie, it is a reference to the name of a painting that the characters come across in an art museum visit which depicts the image of a woman craving the initials of her lover on a tree. Deep ....

For me, even though I did feel frustrated with the pacing and the lack of information provided to help the viewer understand what the heck was being shown in some scenes, I was also fascinated with the characters and was kept interested to see what happens to them next. This investment in the characters portrayed on screen is a subtle reflection of the strong performances and directorial style of the movie. The decisions and actions of the main character is often questionable and illogical but at the end of the day, it could very well be valid because love can override logic.  At the end of the day I think I will remember this movie more than many of the mindless commercial junk being churned out by Hollywood. If I have a choice, I would rather spend my time with something different, artsy and unorthodox from time to time. It is what provides the variety that is needed in the act of movie watching. As long as not every movie I watch is going to be arthouse I should be able to maintain my sanity.