LAST SUMMER -- Catherine Breillat's Latest Handles Complex Subject Matter With Subtlety

Review by Sean Boelman

Catherine Breillat is a French filmmaker known for her provocative work, which focuses on themes like sexuality. Her latest movie (her first in a decade), Last Summer, seems on paper like it would be incredibly provocative. However, this drama takes such a unique, unexpectedly nuanced approach to its subject matter that it is impossible to ignore.

Last Summer is a remake of the Danish film Queen of Hearts, following a successful woman who finds her life thrown into disarray when she begins an affair with her stepson. Its subject matter seems destined to be incredibly controversial, especially considering the sexuality of many of Breillat’s past movies, but Last Summer is far less salacious than one might fear.

it never feels like Breillat is simply trying to instigate, much less titillate. Although there are sex scenes, they are shot with such coldness and near clinicality that they don’t feel passionate or even carnal. It’s the same type of feeling you would get from watching animals mate on the Discovery Channel — voyeuristic and unsettling — which prompts viewers to question their assumptions. 

However, Breillat is also careful not to give easy answers. She doesn’t simply point the finger at the stepmom as a predator or the teenager as opportunistic. It’s clearly not endorsing or fetishizing this relationship, but it also has empathy for its characters. Breillat understands that this is not just some fantasy. Although the film may be heightened, this type of manipulation can happen in real life, and it is careful not to look down on the victims.

A significant part of the movie’s success is its cast, especially the powerful leading turn by Léa Drucker. The acclaimed actress takes a role that could have easily been overly melodramatic and uses it to make your skin crawl in subtle ways. Young actor Samuel Kircher (who is the brother of equally talented young actor Paul Kircher, of Winter Boy fame) also impresses, showing unexpected vulnerability for someone who is in their first role.

Breillat also effectively utilizes tools like juxtaposition to convey the film’s message. The cinematography and settings are beautiful, contrasting with the upsetting action of the story. In many ways, Breillat uses the grammar typical of the summer romance/coming-of-age movie and spins it on its head in a way that catches the audience off-guard. This type of subversion isn’t exactly new, but it is refreshing in a genre that’s become increasingly prevalent since Call Me By Your Name.

Yet, although the approach does feel mostly rich and fresh, Breillat conveys her point pretty effectively in the first act of the movie. The runtime isn’t even an hour and forty-five minutes, but it struggles with its pacing because it feels like it’s treading narrative water — especially in the third act. The coupling of a film that feels slow and a story that’s very bleak is a difficult duo to work with.

Last Summer isn’t perfect, but it’s much more effective and nuanced than one would expect from a movie with this material. In different hands, this easily could have been a trainwreck, but strong performances and genuinely deep character development allow it to be consistently engaging and effective.

Last Summer is now playing in theaters.

​Rating: 3.5/5