Arthouse sequels are a rare breed, as is British director Joanna Hogg, who brings her distinctive vision to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight with The Souvenir Part II. A follow up to 2019’s laude…
, this favors long takes and understated dialogue and explores the world of the privileged. Julie only has to ask her mother once, meekly, for £10,000 so she can make her film. Byrne’s real-life mother and Cannes stalwartputs in a generous, gently amusing turn as one half of a couple that’s faintly bemused by their daughter’s chosen profession, but happy to indulge it. Much of their conversation revolves around the pots that Swinton’s character has started to make in her classes.
, this explores the challenges of student filmmaking with a humorous touch that’s likely to appeal to industry audiences.’s precious, egotistical young director makes a welcome return, indulging in long rants about everything from the English weather to his colleagues’ generic responses to his work. His musical is one of many films within this film, as the work of Julie’s colleagues explores varying genres of cinema.
Harris Dickinson is excellent in a key role that was reportedly eyed for Robert Pattinson: that of the actor Julie casts as her troubled paramour in. Alice McMillan has a small but amusing role as an actress friend who is patently offended that Julie hasn’t cast her in her film. And there’s a key role for, who participates in a sex scene so frank that it caused a man sitting near me to exclaim loudly, “Well, I haven’t seen THAT before”.
This scene also ties in to a growing trend for a frankness about female bodily functions, in everything from. Hogg doesn’t often obviously engage with feminist themes, but this feels like a statement: women bleed, get over it. She also implicitly explores the challenges facing female filmmakers when a male crew member has a loud, patronizing rant about the shoot for the— bemoaning the lack of a clear plan and the constant surprises, including being asked to shoot a nighttime scene in the day.