The long-awaited (I mean it was only two years but it felt like FOREVER for those of us who were waiting) sequel to The Souvenir has arrived. Joanna Hogg hasn’t made that many films (she directed her first feature-length film at the age of 47 – inspiration!), but what we have really matters. The Souvenir (parts 1 and 2) feels like what she has been working towards all along (although you should definitely seek out her other films – She’s one of those directors whose films seem off-putting to those who don’t get on the films’ level. The films do teach you how to watch them. You just have to be open to it. You have to be willing to submit to a film that plays by its own rules.) I wrote a little bit about Hogg here – but the main thing I have written thus far was the May-June 2019 Film Comment cover story about The Souvenir. My second cover story for them! (The most surreal moment of my life was seeing Tilda Swinton and her daughter, Honor Swinton-Byrne – both of whom star in The Souvenir, stand on a red carpet at Lincoln Center, holding open Film Comment to display my cover story. I just don’t even know what else to say about that moment.) I also wrote about The Souvenir for Ebert’s year-end roundup. I also had fun putting together a screengrab round-up of all of Hogg’s different themes/motifs in The Souvenir.
So now AT LAST The Souvenir Part II has arrived. I looked forward to it with almost uncomfortable excitement and anticipation. I was afraid it would tarnish the memory of the original – although why I was afraid of that just shows how little I trust the “movie industry” to live up to my expectations of it. I was just afraid. I went to a screening as the winds of the nor’easter rose outside the door, and was totally enraptured.
I had so much fun writing a review of The Souvenir Part II for Ebert.
Trailer
