Departure
Director: Andrew Steggall
Talent: Juliet Stevenson, Alex Lawther, Félix Brossard, Finbar Lynch
Release Date: 20th May
Departure’s plot of an anxious 15 year old discovering his sexuality as his parents’ marriage dissolves in their south of France summer home feels like typical art-house fare, and at times the film struggles to do things that any regular attendees to the IFI won’t have seen plenty of times before. As the wannabe poet sits in a café attempting to write while moping over the local troubled tough guy he’s fallen in love with, it’s a little tricky to know if the film is unaware of the cliché or actively poking fun at it. And indeed, it probably wouldn’t work were it not for the devastatingly tender performances turned in by its cast. Juliet Stevenson’s nuanced delivery of a mother coming to terms with the lack of meaning in her life is captivating in its authenticity. Even if this one is art-house drama by the numbers, those involved are working hard to make it worthwhile.
Words: Bernard O’Rourke
