The Souvenir: Part II

"Souvenir, Part II" is even more elegant than "Souvenir". A tremendously proficient film, so proficient that there is no need for the first movie. Again for some the movie might be slow paced but once more there was no minute passing by where I felt uninterested. Loved the characters, the actors and especially the writing and the direction.

Hogg felt the need and had the means to make the lead-up film in its entirety before engaging with the events of Part II. Tilda shines as always and the story, directing, music and editing style are superb. And again Honor Swinton is the heart and soul of this film, her acting was as masterful as her mother's! And Richard Ayoade's turn as Patrick is exactly the kind of eccentric and charming character that the movie needed. You have to love him!

If you never heard of the first chapter, don´t worry. You will see how Julie dealt with the loss of her former lover. Souvenir Part II is an easy endorsement. Tilda, Honor and Richard will take you on a trip you will not forget.

Joanna Hogg's script constructs life at an eighties London film school, and captures the era to the T.

I was an actor working with Melbourne, Swinburne RMIT film students at that same time. The parallel's between Joanna's story here and the general, dystopian horror Swinburne film students operated under, are uncanny.

Despite myself, and as well made as this film is, I have to say it will probably only appeal to a niche audience. It is beautifully cast and executed, and worth watching for numerous reason, but overtly entertaining it isn't.

In me, it re-triggered a level of ire toward the hack and snake instructors who nested in eighties film schools. People whose creative instinct, if they ever had one, had long left their being, to be replaced by an unerring, subtle undermining of student confidence, and a bald faced, polite dishonesty they measured would ensure them the longest teaching tenure.

You'll see a bit of that in this film.

What I didn't see in ' The Souvenir' was any intimation of the effects of that long term poison on the development and wellbeing of would be film makers. It was nice to see Richard Ayoade on screen. He is sadly, accurately brilliant as the auteur from hell.

The film will be rated approximately the same as The Souvenir, you either really appreciate the approach, really don't, or find some valuable insights and merits.

I did not see the films back to back, so was immediately put off by the way it delved into the aftermath of Anthony's death without any background. If it were a TV series no problem, but this is supposed to be an independent film. However this actually worked in exploring the here-absent Anthony from a different perspective, as a presence the character must endure/overcome in different ways: emotionally, sexually, artistically. The latter leads to more "arty" discussions that will certainly put off those who don't appreciate the vibe.

The grief of the main character is more believable here in the absence of Anthony as the relationship never really was convincing in the previous film. And the way she sublimates it in her art was very interesting, leading to baffled comments from her co-workers, colleagues and professors. The lead, however, remains in my mind a miscasting, although clearly under a lot of pressure (as a stand in at different levels for, basically, two strong women). However, as in The Souvenir, Part 2 will make much more sense for those with references/context than to a naive audience. Film is not life and vice versa, as is often stated.

I think I enjoyed "The Souvenir Part II" even more than the first installment. I didn't actually enjoy the first one much while in the act of watching it, and it wasn't until days later, when I realized I couldn't stop thinking about it, that its specialness hit home. But it's still a frustrating experience to watch an entire movie about a woman letting a man treat her badly for two hours, even if that experience is a common one in the real world.

It's not really a spoiler to reveal that the man has died before the second episode begins, and that this film focuses on our heroine's attempts to work through her grief and insecurities by directing a student film. "The Souvenir Part II" is much more meta than the first one, and it's much more about the process of making a movie, which I find fascinating. This is one of the best movies about making movies I've ever seen. Think of it as a "Day for Night" for a student filmmaker.

Will there be a "Souvenir Part III?" If there is, count me in.

Grade: A.

It seriously threatened to take the first spot on my list of the best films of 2021. Unbelievable! I didn't receive well the first film because I think I wasn't prepared for it when I saw it, and that is - I have to rewatch it, but that's an incredibly challenging film. In this one, you can get aboard trouble-free. And I'm not saying this is a more conventional film. It's not. Hogg managed to "reach out" to the viewer (at least to me) smoothly this time around while at the same time preserving the same confident, sumptuous directing style she displayed in the first film. Where the two films differ quite a bit is the writing. Here, there's a good deal of dialogue. Characters express themselves a lot, whereas, in the first film, you have to drain your intuition empty to understand what's going on; what's the motivation behind the characters' actions. And while I think that's what Hogg intended with the first film, and it wasn't an anomaly of the movie, I have to admit I didn't get along with it. Anyway, the rewatch is on the way, so I'll settle the score with the first film shortly.

Back to Part II, I loved it! There's a peaceful vibe that's so welcoming naive with its brute honesty yet disarming with its gentle way of coming to meet us. Honor Swinton gives a nuanced performance, fully embracing the pure nature of her character. And her performance gets even better and more genuine, almost unselfconscious when she's acting alongside Tilda. Double-Swinton powerhouse! Here, Hogg showcases a bit of her humor through my favorite character in the film: Patrick. I love hysteric characters, and this guy was my poison. - "You're forcing me to have a tantrum." I yelp-laughed at that. He almost ruined the rest of the movie for me because, after the scene where the line above takes place, I was in such a hurry for the film to end so I could go back and watch the scene on loop. Anyway, 'The Souvenir, Part II' is such a rich film. And it's this richness that allows for it to connect with everyone. I think everyone would find a piece in it they will relate to if they let themself reminisce in Hogg's confessional cinematics.