The Souvenir * * *
Like many an autobiography, I'm afraid this story is not as interesting as the author might think. Or maybe it's just the way she told it. But at least Joanna Hogg is being honest - she was indeed privileged. I mean, lunch and high tea at Harrods when you're a student in your early twenties, and treating it as though it's no big deal, as though you are quite at home in such an environment.
For the rest of us, it's kind of nice to look through the window, but also rather irritating as we listen to her waffle on to her equally opinionated boyfriend about her plans for a feature film. The pair of them, so full of themselves.
The Souvenir is set in 1988, a young girl - Julie - is at film school. She's got a boyfriend who is considerably older. He's a bit of a prig but I kind of liked him to be honest, in that he is different from all her other friends. He works as a public servant, he's uncompromisingly conservative in his dress (and some of his opinions) and he's a bit of an old money snob. Unfortunately he's got a real problem which causes complications in their relationship - he's a heroin addict. So we watch the tragic decline of him and their relationship for two hours.
Nevertheless, Julie has a flat in Knightsbridge, and can travel first class to Venice and stay in a five star hotel for a week, just for fun; and Mummy can always be relied upon for a "loan" of a couple of hundred quid. So unlike many people in her situation, her pain is never really complete.
In the meantime you will be subjected to some truly pretentious and precocious dialogue from time to time - but again, its just being honest and true to the situation. She and her friends are film students in the eighties.
The best of this film is the photography, and I don't mean all of it. Some of the hand held stuff can be irritating, but when they stop being arty and put the frigging camera on a frigging tripod (thank you!) and give us an establishing shot for a scene it really can be like - "Wow! What a composition!" So obviously she picked up something from Film School - or maybe that's whats she has learnt since. Along with money doesn't grow on trees, I hope.
For the rest of us, it's kind of nice to look through the window, but also rather irritating as we listen to her waffle on to her equally opinionated boyfriend about her plans for a feature film. The pair of them, so full of themselves.
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| The artist as a poor student |
Nevertheless, Julie has a flat in Knightsbridge, and can travel first class to Venice and stay in a five star hotel for a week, just for fun; and Mummy can always be relied upon for a "loan" of a couple of hundred quid. So unlike many people in her situation, her pain is never really complete.
In the meantime you will be subjected to some truly pretentious and precocious dialogue from time to time - but again, its just being honest and true to the situation. She and her friends are film students in the eighties.
The best of this film is the photography, and I don't mean all of it. Some of the hand held stuff can be irritating, but when they stop being arty and put the frigging camera on a frigging tripod (thank you!) and give us an establishing shot for a scene it really can be like - "Wow! What a composition!" So obviously she picked up something from Film School - or maybe that's whats she has learnt since. Along with money doesn't grow on trees, I hope.
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