CEBU, Philippines — Nine years old is an age where childhood is slowly coming to an end and we become curious about what being a teenager feels like. In these personal journeys, we don’t realize that parents are human beings with problems that they don’t want to show their children. Their reasons could be that kids are too young to understand or they are ashamed to show their vulnerability.
That’s the premise of the British-Scottish film “Aftersun” starring Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio which tackles a relationship between a father and a daughter who are vacationing in Turkey. As the daughter Sophie is on the path to adolescence, her father Calum is suffering from depression – something Sophie is understandably oblivious to.
Released last year in other countries, “Aftersun” had a Philippine theatrical release thanks to the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ “A-List Series: A Curation of World Cinema” with Ayala Malls Cinemas, which ran August 23 to 29. In Cebu, it was exclusively shown at Ayala Central Bloc.
In some scenes, the film makes use of a digital video camera that tells this was set sometime in the 1990s. It tries to evoke a type of familiar nostalgia, with personal footage shown to humanize Calum and Sophie, that even occasional shaky camera moments were part of the film.
One would feel that this is a tourist type of movie with the possibility of showcasing attractions of the locale. However, many of the scenes focus more on the intimate moments of Sophie and Calum, which itself is more interesting to watch with this kind of story.
Many coming-of-age films feel optimistic for viewers as they either reminisce about their own past or learn something new about life depending on their age. The film’s sad overtones are very much present and it’s quite subtle due to the slow-burn pace of the plot. It may take some time to realize that this is not one of those happy coming-of-age films that have a “Breakfast Club” kind of ending but rather leans on a “Call Me By Your Name” type of conclusion.
If sad coming-of-age films are not for your liking, this is probably not for you. But missing this one out would deprive you of learning how our parents suffer their own cases of depression, something that “Aftersun” tackles incredibly well without being too preachy.
The film also shows many of the happy moments between Calum and Sophie where they truly enjoy each other’s company despite going through their own journeys. But these scenes should be treated as footnotes on why this film is incredibly sad to watch. A few scenes take us to the present day when Sophie is of Calum’s age and she tries to understand her father’s depression during their time together in Turkey.
The biggest highlight is Mescal’s raw performance as Calum. It’s impressive how the 27-year-old has few acting credits, yet his portrayal feels like it was given by a veteran. Other than “Aftersun”, the miniseries “Normal People” is his most famous project to date. Now, he is set to star in the sequel of “Gladiator.” He has huge potential to be a big movie star, and his Oscar nomination for “Aftersun” is well-deserved.
Corio’s equally raw performance of Sophie is also worthy of praise. Even if her character is quite young, older viewers can identify with her.
It may not hit viewers with a truck immediately, but “Aftersun” is a sad coming-of-age tale viewers may relate to deeply – you might even find yourself crying heavily once the credits start rolling.
What really sold this movie was the father-daughter chemistry between Mescal and Corio. We can project our own relationships with our parents thanks to their strong performances, and it feels like we were under their shoes once before. Four stars out of five. — (FREEMAN)