ESME, MY LOVE is the kind of cinematic experience that feels so immersive, you forget you are watching a film. As a consumer, I walked through the woods with this woman and her daughter and felt every pine needle underfoot, the cold dirt between my fingers and the breeze against my skin as we began this adventure together.
In short, this is the story of a woman who survived the horrific, graphic death of her sister in childhood, with the implication that the child was made to suffer; the family knows of this genetic illness and are powerless to stop it. In a desperate attempt to avoid the same fate for her daughter, her rational mind takes a back seat to the idea that connecting with her daughter on the family's abandoned wooded estate will perhaps create some sort of miracle cure? But the question of her actual intent shines in the blade she carries and the lake waters that they precariously traverse. Why are they *really* there? Is constantly on your mind.
Anyone who has experienced the grief of losing a close family member or friend knows that the feelings are confusing. This film definitely nails that aspect of the grief spiral as the mother's constant, cryptic turns of emotion play out. Her daughter ends up experiencing her own grief spiral as she is forced to unwrap the mystery of this trip, leading to an intense and abrupt development of maturity and emotional sobriety.
I have to give props to the technical aspects of this film. The acting is absolutely perfect. It is beautifully shot, embracing the happy accidents of what I call gifts from the film gods - just the right light coming through the trees, shots of critters that abound in this environment and natural soundscapes that surround us as they are interwoven with a haunting and thoughtful soundtrack. This film also doesn't shy away from visual horror elements in addition to the psychological experience that unfolds, creating intense unease at times.
Highly recommend!
