The Souvenir: Part II – Film Review
I disliked the first Souvenir – I did not get the hype at all – so I had reservations about even going to see The Souvenir: Part II. But I’d heard encouraging reactions to this instalment and thought I’d give it a chance and I’m glad I did because it’s so much better than its predecessor.
Following on from the events of The Souvenir, film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is mourning the death of her boyfriend Anthony (Tom Burke) and trying to figure out why he did what he did and more details about his hidden second life. She explores this with her graduation film, casting her friend Garance (Ariane Labed) as herself and Pete (Harris Dickinson) as Anthony.
This is a completely different film in terms of tone. It’s a more accessible and appealing watch and far easier to enjoy. I really struggled with the first one as I didn’t buy their relationship or understand why they were together, and that is no longer the focal point, for obvious reasons. This one is all about Julie making her film school graduation project, The Souvenir, about their relationship, and essentially mirrors what writer/director Joanna Hogg did with the first film.
Julie becomes a different person over the course of this film. She slowly comes out of her shell, gains confidence in herself and as a director and becomes less passive. It’s so nice to see her go from this quiet grieving person to a talkative woman who finally knows what she wants. I struggled to care about her journey the first time around but I did here. She had agency and felt like more of her own person; she was no longer just reacting to Anthony’s madness. It was also a joy to watch Swinton Byrne flourish this time around and I warmed to Julie much more, which made the film so much easier to get into.
It also helps that I find films about moviemaking very interesting and it was entertaining watching the chaotic production unfold. Julie isn’t thinking clearly and doesn’t have the confidence to call the shots so it’s a mess. It’s significantly funnier than before, thanks to the excellent array of supporting characters. I particularly enjoyed Julia’s dad (James Spencer Ashworth) and her right-hand man Marland (Jaygann Ayeh), while Richard Ayoade – in an expanded role from the first film – cracked me up constantly. He steals every scene he’s in as the flamboyant diva director Patrick. Tilda Swinton is back again playing Julie’s delightful mother (the scenes at her parents’ home are some of my faves) while Charlie Heaton, Joe Alwyn and Dickinson play excellent new additions to the cast.
The Souvenir: Part II is so much better than I was expecting it to be. I loved the story, the characters and it made me laugh out loud often. Big thumbs up!
In cinemas from Friday 4th February