Departure

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source: Departure

This is one of those character driven movies that draw you in from beginning to end. The movie follows mother and son over a week as they pack up a vacation home and ready it for sale. They meet a local boy enters their lives and complicate matters. Although slow moving at times, I found this a fascinating watch with believable characters and situations.

"Departure" is another of those precious coming-of-age films that the British or the French, in particular, tend to do rather well, this one being British but set in France where Juliet Stevenson and her teenage son Alex Lawther have come to sell the family's holiday home. Young Lawther, (twenty when the film was made but looking much younger), is also discovering his sexuality and it isn't girls he appears to be interested in, so when he spies a slightly older French boy on a bridge, his hormones start working overtime. Rather awkwardly, when Juliet meets him she, too, is drawn to him. Beautifully photographed, intelligently written and directed by Andrew Steggall, whose first feature this is, and very nicely acted, "Departure" is one of those films you feel churlish criticizing, rather like throwing stones at a nun and I suppose you could say that in its own way it is absolutely perfect, perfect and lifeless and more than a little contrived. Since young Alex wants to be a writer you wonder how much of it may be autobiographical but if it is, what a dull coming-of-age Steggall must have had; you keep waiting and waiting for something to happen and when it does, it's a case of so-what. This is the kind of art-house film Joanna Hogg makes, which may be a recommendation to some and an anathema to others. As I said, it's 'precious'.

This is a simple story that has so many layers that it becomes completely complex. Beatrice (Juliet Stevenson) is going through a marital crisis and she has brought her son – Elliot (Alex Lawther 'X and y') to help her pack up their idyllic summer home in rural France; it having become another victim to the relationships deterioration. Then Elliot sees a local lad swimming in the reservoir – which is strictly not allowed – and decides he has to get to know this boy better – a lot better. This is Clement and he is a force of nature , all emotion and rough hewed charm and his arrival makes the simple act of closing down one part of their lives become more about opening up what – until then – had remained closed off in their lives. This is beautifully filmed and acted to perfection. It is almost painfully honest in places and the raw emotions are both riveting and almost repulsive in equal measure. This is a film that seems to take its time but it really doesn't it is strong and measured and the characters seem completely real. The depth of the story is as complex as reality often is and strikes home all the more forcefully for it. In short this is an absolutely stunning film that is worth all the plaudits and more.

This cinematic piece had me in tears it hit so close to home. Elliot truly displayed the pain of not being heard and watching life happen from the distance even though the movie was mainly his point of view. He showed that his heartbreak was so overlooked and everything around him was going faster than he could process that in the end he was just so frustrated he took everything in his own hands. I think my absolute favorite part about this movie is that it captured every aspect of life instead of just being an LGBT film. It shows the struggles of having parents who are constantly winning and losing a love-hate war and that romance and finding love isn't the only thing going on in ones life, which again is my favorite part. It captures the character and not the genre. This is a whole new concept for movies and it was so well thought out and constructed that by the time it got to the scene where the fall leaves were falling in his room, I was tearing up, and I never cry. This is one of the best movies i've ever seen.

This is one of those dreary films you wander into, often set in France or Italy, quickly noticing similarities to other films, then worrying suddenly and embarrassingly if you have in fact already seen it. Then, when the carrot comes into play, you realize that was not the case. But I am unkind. Even though I fell asleep twice before the end and had to reorient my bearings as to where it was going, I did appreciate its production values and the quality of the acting. The narrative, such as it is, involves a teenager dealing going through a problematic puberty and his childishly dysfunctional parents. Add to the mix an older teen from Paris who is himself careless about his feelings and you wind up with a brief moment of catharsis long overdue. Long story short, all the previous films like this involving Yanks or Brits finding gorgeous farmhouses tucked away in bucolic locales of southern Europe are by now far too cliché to be taken seriously.

I cannot understand the critics that, here, have written that Elliot was "wooden" and understated.The whole point of his reticence was to give his mother and Clement the latitude to explore their feelings and emotions whilst his feelings were almost unrecognised. The frustrations he felt were almost palpable, and the desire to love and be loved was almost heartbreaking, as witness in the final scene when in frustration he wrestles and violently kisses Clement. A beautiful and outstanding piece of cinema.

Departure is a masterful examination of four people whose individual worlds are in disarray. Young men haphazardly figuring out their place in the world, a middle aged having to address the truth about their marriage.It's definitely not a feel good film nor is it as heavily focused on the queer relationship as the trailer suggests. Departure is one of the better looking films I've seen in a while. Almost every scene could make an intriguing photograph. The film is realistically atmospheric. It's also one of the rare films where long shots of the characters just staring and thinking actually conveys meaning. The beauty of the film and the portrayal by the actors makes Departure worth watching.

Well, what can I say about a film with such an elegant and wonderful portrayal of coming of age and more than one coming out. It emphasis and tackles the crippling issues of contemporary society, a truly unique story about depression, marriage, love, sexuality, and youth. Its refreshing to see a film about young homosexuals and it not being polluted by sex or stereotypes, but don't get me wrong, there are elements of sexual passion, but it first and foremost is a story about love. The cinematography parallels the story-line while being unique on its own. The music by Jools Scott, an amazing musician whom I've had the pleasure of talking too, creates an amazing soundtrack that is minimal by having wonderful moments of reflective silence. My only critique (for the movie in its entirety) would be that the final song before the credits didn't quite emulate the emotion of the scene. A piece that Jools had shared with me (that I will not name for copyright reasons) would of better suited that ending. The ending in its self was abrupt, slightly disappointing, however, very much appropriate. It was only disappointing because it left me wanting much more, but I soon realise after watching the film that if there was more it might of ruined the magic of the film, this ending allows for viewer interpretation and highlights how life moves on. This film is true art, and should be available worldwide, even studied in schools as it is a real account of LGBT love showing how it is like every other love. It is a must see and I can assure you that I will watch it many many more times. It has my highest approval.