Last Summer at Luna

Samuel Kircher (as Theo) and Léa Drucker (as Anne) in Last Summer (L'été dernier)
Photo Credit: Potential Films

I was lucky enough to preview the French movie Last Summer (L'Été dernier) by director and writer Catherine Breillat before it hits the cinemas at Luna Palace.

Happy families – that’s the appearance that we get when we are introduced to the life of successful and affluent couple Anne (Léa Drucker) and Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin) with their 2 young adopted daughters Serena and Angela.

Then a wild storm blows into their happy household in the form of Theo, a son from Pierre’s previous marriage. Theo is a belligerent and unruly teenager who has been forced to come live with his Dad’s new family who are perfect strangers to him. He has little regard for his new parents and siblings – doing as he pleases till he crosses the line with Anne who in turn reciprocates.

Last Summer is a story about a lot of things - lust / love /infatuation – it explores the moral complexities of the consequences when things that have happened should never have taken place. 

Having watched the original version Danish Queen of Hearts (Dronningen) – I found that it quite closely following the same script and dialogue though the ending of the French version was less brutal.

The final scene in Last Summer is impactful – it is the words unspoken that leaves the movie goer to read in between the lines of what ensues in the minds of each of the characters. We may know the truth – but we sometimes don’t want to face that truth – silence is an option. But our inner thoughts may still torment us as to the reality of the situation.

Last Summer is an interesting and provocative movie – it goes deep into the inner workings of each character – exploring their perspective on the story. All up, it is an engrossing thriller that is dramatic as well as being intimate at the same time. 

In typical French style, it draws you into the lives of every day people having every day conversations – and as the movie goer – you are totally immersed in its story - keeping you hooked watching till the very end.

Last Summer opens at Luna Cinemas on the 5th September. 

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