THE SOUVENIR: PART II

UK, 2021, 107 minutes, Colour.

Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton, James Spencer Ashworth, Charlie Heaton, Richard Ayoade.

Directed by Joanna Hogg.

As indicated by the title, this is a continuation of the original The Souvenir, 2019, rather than a sequel. The original film divided opinions. It was praised by critics and the intended arthouse audience. It did not appeal to the general public. And the same could be said about Part II.

A yes to this comment by a blogger: You have to pay attention and work things out on your own for the most part. A tall order these days, i know.

The film is written and directed by Joanna Hogg and is based on her experiences of being in film school in the 1980s. Which means that it immerses its audience in this film-study-making world,  an attention to detail, to production values and style, to the role of the director, camera crew, performers. And situations can become very tense – which might involve some audience tension and concern but leaves the other audiences detached, observing, looking on.

In fact, many of the sequences are the equivalent of fly on the wall observation, close, not necessarily interesting in themselves, revealing character and clashes, and something of a desire, perhaps, to fly and observe on another wall.

But, this is all offset by the sequences where the trainee director, Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne, Tilda Swinton’s actual daughter) visits her parents. She is in mourning, grieving for the death of her lover, Anthony (Tom Burke), the subject of the first film, his alleged work in the foreign office, his drug addiction, his love for Julie, his treatment of her, his death. In fact, Julie’s visits to her parents, the ever attentive mother, the rather laid-back father, something of a relief after the visits to the film sets.

Julie is present at some filming, taking photos, interested in the French director and inviting her to be the lead in her own graduation film. A great deal of attention and time is given to this film, performance, discussions of motivations, and long clashes with the director of photography who declares that he does not comprehend what is going on and how it is going on.

There are also some eccentric personalities, especially the prima donna Patrick (di therector Richard Ayoade who appeared in the first film) and some sequences, black-and-white, from the film he was making and wanting to edit.

Ultimately, Julie and her crew and friends, her parents, all arrive at her graduation screening, and the audience is treated to her finished film – an extraordinary fantasy, Julie wandering from sequence to sequence, echoes her life, her search, and then sequences with her mother, and with Anthony himself, still quite ambiguous.

The film ends with the party sequence, the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the camera withdrawing and showing that this is also a film set and performance. And the final “Cut!”.

1. The impact of The Souvenir? The story continuing? Presuppositions about the first film, Julie and her relationship with Anthony, his death, the Enigma about his life and the relationship? Julie and her filmmaking course?
2. The setting in the 1980s, Julie’s family, country house and grounds? London, her flat? Film school, the sets, the filming? Socials and parties? The graduation? The film within the film? The musical score?
3. Continuing Julie’s story, her age, the experience with Anthony, love, being mystified? The Enigma of his personality, his claim to work the foreign office, drugs, his death? Her relationship with her parents, being able to come to terms with Anthony’s death by visiting them? The effect of the domestic sequences? The personalities of her parents, love for each other, concerned for her, the symbol of the pottery and her breaking the pot?
4. Julia, her age, personality, the visit of the young man, the sexual encounter – and the narrative leaving it at that?
5. Julie, photographer, on the set of the film, the details of the work, the Dir, French, her manner, the nature of filmmaking?
6. Julie, her connections, her friends, Patrick, his personality, the scene from his film, black-and-white, his tantrums, his knowing Anthony? His being sacked from the editing of his film yet his wife continuing editing?
7. The various members of the crew, casting Dir, producer, cinematographer, continuity? Julie and her dealings with them, change her mind about scenes, day or night, motivations? The exasperation of the cinematographer?
8. Her hiring the French do directed to act in the film? Her interest in the leading man, see him acting, the interview, the discussions with each of them about motivations? The filming?
9. Julie, the pressures, the graduation film? The completion of the film?
10. The graduation night, her parents present, her friends? The chairman, praising her skills? Her speech, her parents response?
11. The screening of the film, real and surreal, Julie herself, moving from scene to scene, the reappearance of Anthony, moods, behaviour? Her mother moving into the film? A film within a film?
12. The final sequence, the party, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the joviality – and the camera outside the room, tracking to the filmmakers? The final order, Cut?