Last Summer

Director/writer Mark Thiedeman has created a visual poetic look into the friendship, compassion, and love of friendship between two teenage males at that point in life when the foundation of their past life must give way to their individual adult path. The visuals of nature and home are warm and lazy just like a hot summer demands.

Here in this setting Jonah and Luke, friends sense early childhood, give to each other the affectionate expression of companionship their friendship has developed into. They are each others comfort at this pivotal and often confusing time in life. Jonah must move on as his intellect and spirit demands it. Luke does not have this drive, this need for experience beyond the life they both know. Where Jonah is intellectually developed he is fearful of whats next but he must go. Luke is more emotionally developed because he knows Jonah better than Jonah knows himself and he must let Jonah go or it will ruin their friendship. If you love someone let them go!

I must say I do not believe this is a story of two gay males living as openly gay in a southern town. I can see how many others come to that easy conclusion. We see suggestion of love through their affection and need to be together. We never see them together beyond cuddling! As the photography shows nature growing and existing in this summer setting we are also given two boys living in nature and each is open to the natural need of humans to seek companionship and experience this new emotional want. Neither passes judgement on the other. Society bars this type of friendship with unfortunate labels but here Mark Thiedemann has created a poem, a fantasy, a dream of not necessarily what is but a celebration of what can be in real life.

Certainly a unique film that will appeal to those who are given to poetry and symbolism in life!

A beautiful, evocative, complex movie. Possibly to have the full emotional impact on the viewer, it must find resonance in the store of memories of the viewer. I cannot say whether someone who grew up in an urban setting or in a different culture would be as affected, but there should be some degree of universality to the experience of bonding to another in childhood and facing the prospect of separation and the imperative to follow separate paths.

The young actors who play Jonah and Luke do a superb job and the few supporting cast are good, but the greatest superlatives go to the director, the writer and especially the cinematographer. The visual presentation with accompanying sounds, is almost overwhelming in quantity and effect. The surrounding woods and greenery, rain falling, polished wood floors and furniture, weathered wood out buildings , church bells, chiming clocks, a passing freight train and the sad sound of its horn, wind chimes, metal surfaces, the boys together, all stir memories either real or imagined. Its nuanced subtlety is far more powerful than would have been achieved through a series of more deliberate actions and excess dialogue. Rob Reiner's "Stand By Me" was a wonderful film that stirred memories of childhood and the coming to terms with inevitable change, but it pales in emotional impact compared to "Last Summer."

Luke carries the label of "slow learner" and is repeating some classes in high school in order to be done with school, but has no idea what he will do next. Outwardly he is at peace with himself, is resigned to Jonah leaving for college, prefers remaining in "the shade of his own backyard," but beneath the surface he is deeply saddened at the prospect of separating from Jonah. At one time he tells Jonah he only wants to be with him and suggests the optimistic possibility that Jonah could return one day. "This place isn't going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere." But inwardly he knows full well that Jonah will meet new people who will love him and will never return. Jonah asks Luke several times to tell him not to go, but Luke refuses. Luke tells a teacher that Jonah is too good for all this … recognizing that "Some people feel so comfortable in one place, and others feel trapped." His love for Jonah and a mature understanding of their different natures and abilities prevents him from asking Jonah not to go. Jonah is equally conflicted by his love for Luke, his sense of happiness (when he learns he was adopted) that he was never meant to be in this place, his fear of change and his need to escape from the small town trap where he feels unrelated to everyone and to everything about him, aside from Luke.

A wonderful film that is sure to stir memories and emotions for many … and I suppose fall flat for those with entirely different experiences or those who disdain sentiment. Certainly anyone who feels a good movie must have car chases, special effects and zombies will be disappointed.

I was going to give it a 9 since a 10 would imply perfection, but even after a second viewing I could think of nothing that would justify the loss of a perfect rating.

The story and the characters were all very cohesive and well written. The plot was pretty solid, and the themes were noticeable.

However, all this said, the execution is a whole other story. While I understand the cinematography was trying to set a tone of despair and depression, it was rather boring and dragged on for too long. Many of the shots were utterly pointless and a waste of time. The acting was fine, but not really convincing.

The way it was edited and shot, made it seem like there was only 1 camera. The editing itself had its problems too, with cuts between people in conversations abrupt and ametuer-ish.

Also the movie has TONS OF EXPOSITION DUMPS through his voice overs. While voice overs done right are awesome, they can also fail spectacularly which is what happened here.

Honestly I don't understand how this movie has so many good reviews, no one in their right mind would give it above 4 stars.

Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but pretty damn atrocious.

DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE

More a moving painting than a film. It's a study in light, texture, colour and mood. I confess I couldn't stop watching because every shot was so...beautiful. A haunting, melancholy film and nearly perfect.

Two life-long friends and lovers face their first parting when one heads off to college. That's it. Period. And we really only know that because that's what we're told. If that hadn't been spelled out for us at the beginning of the movie, we'd have no idea what was going on.

Both boys seem unrealistically pragmatic about spending one last summer together. What most kids in this situation would consider traumatic doesn't seem to phase these two. Maybe knowing each other since third grade has left them with nothing more to say. Because they don't say much, and what they do say is curiously devoid of emotional content.

So it leaves you feeling a little hollow, even though the overall artiness more or less demands that we value the content of this film. It's like, "this is art, dammit, and you WILL appreciate it!"

Well, I do and I don't. Much of the photography IS striking, but what we see mostly are scenes that might as well be stills, and most of those are in close up. The actors are so immobile I couldn't help feeling they were trying to help the DP keep the shot in focus.

I didn't hate this, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It's pretty, the boys are pretty, and, mercifully, it's only 66 minutes long, so, you know, why complain?

Well, because it doesn't add up to much.