My Summer of Love

REVIEW
Mona (Press) is having trouble staying entertained this summer, she's bored to tears. She lives in a very small town with her brother Phil (Considine) who is turning the local pub he used to run into a prayer center since he embarked on a spiritual journey and became an ardent Christian. With no parental supervision, Mona spends her time cruising around on a moped, having sex and drinking what’s left of the pub’s booze.

Tamsin (the wonderfully expressive Blunt) is riding on her horse the day she meets Mona. At first it doesn’t seem as though they have much in common. From two different social classes and educational backgrounds, the two teenagers come together mainly out of boredom. The friendship that builds between them emerges from their loves, losses and mutual passion for adventure. The love that grows between them is spontaneous and accidental, but also very subtle and unconventional. It is admirable the way filmmaker Pawlikowski avoids genre clichés in the development of a sexual affair between these two characters.

Highly seductive, filled with mystery and intrigue, My Summer of Love succeeds mainly due to the flawless performances from both of these young women. Press is very expressive and delivers lines with such richness while Blunt is impossible to take your eyes off of. The film is erotic, dangerous and features sumptuous cinematography, as each frame features an endless amount of detail.

Winner of Best British Film at the 2004 British Academy Awards.