The technique at this point in the year, in finding great movies, is to look for movies that failed to gain wider releases last year and was release early on this year (a la Departures which I loved). Another is to scavenge over foreign films that failed to get that much commercial release and that's I did and I came across Olivier Assayas' "Summer Hours".
It was very minimimalistic in its approach to tackle on topics very delicate to us. Death being the prominent and evident one. More so, the death of a mother. The mother who in her ways anticipated that she will soon be leaving that is why she already started to give notes as to what would happen to her house and her belongings and her late departed's.
The other topic is how our most dearly kept memories can be lost. Lost because we chose it to be lost in order for new memories to be formed. Lost, because people have their own way of making your old memory of things be lost. We may hold on to them dearly, but sometimes we just can't hold onto them that long. And then all will be placed in a museum for everyone to see, where and when it could have been preserved. We may choose to hold onto those memories and cherish them for a lifetime.
"Summer Hours" was perfectly written and intricately made. It was somewhat personal and that was what made it more evocative. It was deceptively simple, but the message came across really head on and hard. Naturally acted, bannered by ever superb Juliette Binoche. But who haunts me most was Edith Scob. I just could not get over her performance. Her voice haunts me!
I loved every bit of this film. Truly a small but sparkling gem.
A+
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