Welcome to The Uzhimari’s Alphabet Challenge!
1000 followers post <3

Today with the ‘A’: Aftersun

‘Aftersun' has to be one of the most interesting stuff we've seen so far. Elegant in its storytelling and cinematography, it treats and presents its themes subtly but great in value. Disconcerting at first glance but exquisite in retrospect, the more you think about it, the more there is to unpack. Although we still have a long way to go to appropriate it in the best way, I have no doubt that this is a type of cinema that we must continue to explore. Art that transcends, that goes beyond following the events presented on screen and manages to express itself in different ways. I had heard about Paul Mescal's talent before, and after 'Gladiator II', I was left wanting to see a great performance from him. Here, along with Frankie Corio, they deliver a well-crafted dynamic and individual performances. The photography is compelling, the cinematography and music is meaningful, but the former becomes disorienting for the viewer at times, and the emotional punch is quiet until it reaches the climax. The portrayal of depression and inner conflicts, the contrast between parenthood and childhood; and how we see all of this through the eyes of a child is equally brilliant and sad. True, its storytelling stunned us, but the cues and scenarios were always there and added dimension to what we saw.

Having reading great things about how devastating it was, there were certain expectations and this is a new kind of movie for us. We expected it to be a roller coaster ride full of intensity and in reality it ended up being a subtle tale. And so it is, it failed to move us but that doesn't mean it was bad or didn't have the emotional substance, in fact it's beautiful, it just wasn't the tune we were expecting. Basically, our experience watching it didn't end up being that powerful. Due to having the wrong predisposition and it being a taste that must be acquired. Still, in retrospect the cinematic and emotional value is more than visible. Honestly, I want to watch it again, and I trust we can both appreciate the journey more on that next occasion. In the end we each have different experiences, different perceptions and different paths but a film like this deserves a second viewing. As time goes on, I plan to give it a higher rating and talk a lot more about it but I want to give it room for improvement and so then give it the flowers it may come to deserve. It leaves its mark, just not on the way you could expect. -@uzhiel | 79/100

———

This is a movie we will definitely be rewatching it to further expand my comprehension skills and enjoy the journey itself. I couldn't understand the meaning at first, although I did notice his concerning behavior, his desperation, and him always expecting an answer from his daughter to everything he asked or said.. like he needed her to answer to validate his existance. However, I was focusing more on what was happening on my screen like the vacation, the late nights, the video camara; and not the symbolism behind the simple things in the shots and the characters themselves, which made me feel like I missed some important parts of the movie. I really liked the father-daughter ordeal, I can relate to certain things and it makes me quite emotional. My dad is not the best human in the world, but he is my dad after all. Overall, this film is really something else, I loved how she was just experiencing life in her own fun, carefree way; how her father tried his best to make her happy and protect her from his obscure mind.. she was his light. My bf explained some things that I didn't percieve at first and it made it all the more melancholic. -@marina | 7.1/10

final score: 75/100