Some films are full of dramatic action; others make the most of less. And some films of both types are highly efficient, telling you what you need to know in a single scene, whether that scence contains an explosion or just a telling glance. While some films let you spend time with their characters, to watch how they are, even if some scenes are formally unecessary or redundant if seen purely in terms of advancing the story. And generally I like films that are neither overly melodramatic nor hyper-efficient; I don't mind seeing a subtle story play out slowly. But I simply couldn't see the point of 'Aftersun', even though it was undoubetdly well acted. An eleven year-old girl goes on holidy with her still youthful, but mostly absent father. You quickly notice that each of them are emotionally protective around the other, and that something doesn't feel quite right. The mood is heightened through the intensinally confusing way the story is assembled, apparently as remembered by years later by the then-girl as an adult. But "not much happens" turns out to be pretty much a synposis of the entire film. Amind the general langour, I actually missed that we're meant to conclude that the father had committed suicide not long after the holiday; and even had I grasped it, the sadness of the daughter's remaining memories simply did not need ninety minutes to convey. Sometimes it really is better to let a single look tell the story, and move on with the story.
Review of Aftersun
