This is one of those niche, art-house movies I would have probably never heard of if I didn’t obsessively listen to movie podcasts. As soon as a fourth critic mentioned it, I thought I should probably give it a shot.
The movie opens with some glorious shots of the city of Sunderland. That probably sounds weird without context, seeing as it’s a movie that’s set in London, so I should probably tell you that the lead character (played by Honor Swinton Byrne) is an aspiring filmmaker who is devising a film about a young boy who lives in the North East when we first meet her. Although the point I’m making has nothing to do with the movie’s quality, I have a personal affinity for that part of the country, so just wanted to bring it up quickly as it pleased me greatly.
As for the technical aspects of The Souvenir, I was particularly interested by the coating and filter it uses. It’s almost as if you’re watching a home movie, whilst simultaneously making you feel like you’re in the room where the action is taking place. This seemed like a really unique choice in this day and age, unless you’re directing an inevitably terrible Blair Witch remake.
One hundred Sight & Sound magazine critics for the BFI voted this movie the best of 2019, with Parasite taking the #2 spot, so I had very high hopes for it. I wouldn’t go as far as putting it above the highest grossest foreign language film of all time, but that’s not to say the praise it received isn’t completely warranted. However, unlike Parasite, I wouldn’t expect anyone outside of Britain to connect with much of it. It has a very specifically British identity to it that is hard to explain to a non-Brit. Everything about it plays very much on British culture, coming right down to the way in which the female protagonist reacts to traumatic experiences.
Alongside yet another bloody brilliant soundtrack, everything about this movie transports the viewer back to the eighties. The costumers, the set… even the damn door handles are spot on. It’s so remarkable that I’d go as far to say I’ve never seen a movie set so convincing before, and this is probably something most people wouldn’t notice and simply take for granted. I implore you to take a good look at the mise en scène if you give this film a go.
Pleasantly surprising were the supporting cast. Of course, Swinton Byrne does an excellent job at leading and carrying the entire movie, but Richard Ayoade was particularly convincing as one of her close friends. To be honest, the whole cast were suitably understated and there were great performances across the board.
Although I’ve seen a lot of comparison between this movie and Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Phantom Thread, I would argue that this is the better movie. Not only is it more unique, but it’s personal, believable, and poignant.
Anderson could never.
The Souvenir is a relatively new release, and therefore is not available for free streaming just yet. I personally rented this one on Chili.com, but you can also rent it on Amazon for £2.49.
TQR Category Ratings:
Performance: 
Cinematography: (I’d give it 6 if I could)
Soundtrack:
Costume & Set Design:
Plot:
Overall Rating:
The Quayside Review 