Premise: A young woman navigates a destructive relationship with an older man.
I feel like every year there's a movie that tops a bunch of critics lists yet doesn't really make it to the Oscar discussion that I eventually see and don't get at all. For 2019, The Souvenir is absolutely that movie. I've heard so many podcasts and critics offhand mention how great this movie is. I managed to hold off expectations for it though. Now I've seen it and I don't get it.
I think Honor Swinton Byrne was quite good in the lead role. I enjoyed seeing her mother, Tilda, show up. I liked the quiet tone of the movie. It suited the story well enough. I just don't see the emotional impact that other people found in this. Tom Burke's character never struck me as charming. I didn't see the appeal and Swinton Byrne wasn't able to convince me that she could've either. Then, much of filmmaking talk in the film itself struck me as a bit pretentious, which is absolutely code for me to say "I didn't get the point and am afraid to reveal my ignorance". It's great that other people were emotionally shook by this movie, but it did absolutely nothing for me.
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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