Review: Charlie McDowell’s ‘The Summer Book’ is Sublime & Peaceful
by Alex Billington
November 4, 2024
“On an island everything is complete…” There’s a little film playing on the festival circuit this fall (including at AFI Fest) that quietly sneaks its way into the hearts of anyone who watches it. This lovely story set on a Finnish island is the kind of wholesome, healing work of art that can provide real comfort to viewers of any age. The Summer Book is the latest feature film from American filmmaker Charlie McDowell, director of the films The One I Love, The Discovery, and Windfall before this. It’s rare to come across a film that is so peaceful and sublime, never grating or meandering, so deeply in love with the magnificence of life on this planet. It’s cliche to say, but it’s absolutely true for this film – it feels like a really warm, nourishing hug of a film from a grandma that loves you dearly no matter what shenanigans one might get into. That’s precisely the point of the film anyway – it’s the tale of a young girl and her grandmother living in a little cabin on this island one summer. It’s the story of one life coming to an end while another life is just beginning to blossom.
The Summer Book is based on the book of the same name written by Finnish author Tove Jansson, best known as the creator of the Moomins. Her book is adapted by writer Robert Jones and directed by Charlie McDowell. It’s something entirely new and different from McDowell, whose other films are primarily sneaky thrillers (all of which I’ve praised before), this a much more soft and simple tale of life and nature. Clearly the film is an expression of love from deep in the soul of McDowell and all of the cast and crew who made it. It’s remarkably touching and so lovely to spend time with these people on this island. Featuring gorgeous, vibrant cinematography by Norwegian DP Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, and a magnificently tender score by Polish pianist / composer Hania Rani. There are only three main characters in this: Glenn Close stars as Grandmother, newcomer Emily Matthews impresses as youngster Sophia, and Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie co-stars as her Father. The only other person who shows up is a neighbor named Eriksson, played by Ingvar Sigurdsson, who drops off some supplies by boat to their cabin every once and a while.
The film is a quick 90 minutes but still takes its time to let each moment breathe and rest before continuing on. I mean this as a compliment – this plays like a live-action Hayao Miyazaki movie. It’s that wonderful. Featuring a granny and young girl out in nature, getting into all kinds of trouble, exploring and escaping; it’s fun but sweet, and even has a missing Mom and busy Father just like in My Neighbor Totoro. Aside from an enormous love of nature, there is a poetic calmness to this film that really makes a difference in how much it will move anyone who watches it. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It’s a healing balm of a film. It will earn its place on the shelves of many movie lovers and certain to be something that many will revisit when they need to feel deeply the warmth that only a wise grandma can provide. The film is as much about nature growing as it is about human beings (being a part of nature, of course) growing. Father is trying to grow a tree in a rock right on the water and it needs the right nourishment and care to grow into something big and strong – just like Sophia does. She’s lucky her grandmother is around, though Grandma’s feeling lost at her age, too.
It is always a delight to come across a film that feels like it was made by someone who loves the world, all of its beauty in every little moment, as much as you do. There is one lovely shot where grandma emerges from the cabin one morning and the girl follows and asks her what she’s doing and she responds: “listening.” The camera slowly pans over the water as we listen to birdsong. It’s just as moving as doing this yourself for real sitting outside on a park bench one morning and listening to the birds sing their little hearts out. Not every film needs to be blatant with its message, sometimes the great power of cinema is simply letting the ethereal wisdom of characters & cinematography wash over you. Though it does have plenty to say – not only about growing up, not only about getting old, but also about living a strong & healthy life, appreciating every little thing every day, because life only lasts so long. I’m yearning to rewatch it and experience that magic all over again. The heavenly score will be on regular rotation on my playlist. Glenn Close offers another masterfully extraordinary performance, along with Matthews playing off of her brilliance. Watch it for these two, watch it for the beauty of nature, watch it for a trip out to Finland. Just take the time to enjoy this meditative film.
Alex’s Rating: 9 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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