Film Review - Last Summer

Images courtesy of Potential Films. 

Yikes. Just yikes. 

Catherine Breillat’s 2023 film Last Summer, a French remake of the Danish film Queen of Hearts (2019) is a tough watch. It follows successful lawyer Anne,married with two adopted daughters and a loving if dull husband, Pierre. All this is put in jeopardy when Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, Theo, moves into the family home and he and Anne begin an affair. 

Many readers will have already seen a problem in this but for those who haven’t let me spell it out: Anne has a sexual relationship with her underage stepson. Now I know films don’t have to be about good people, but that’s not where the problem really arises here. The issue with Last Summer (2019) is that the film itself seems to be excusing the actions of its main character. 

First we have the depiction of Anne and Pierre’s relationship. Pierre is older, and pain is taken to depict him not only as boring, but sexually unappealing. The sex scene between he and Anne is slow, dispassionate and mostly involves them joking about how old and boring he is. Highlighting Anne being unfulfilled in her relationship seems only to function as an excuse or explanation for her affair with Theo - . a wrongdoing that can’t really be given an excuse. 

In a similar vein, Theo is shot in an incredibly sexualised manner, which would be uncomfortable in any film, let alone in the narrative context of this one. He often appears shirtless, hair draping over his eyes mysteriously or in loose fitting flowing linen. Again, the film seems to be trying to explain to us why Anne takes the actions she does. 

There is also strangely little consequence for Anne - a fact that I was surprised the film didn’t  focus on. Every time someone accuses Anne of abusing her step son - her husband and a lawyer both do - she basically says “that didn’t happen, he’s lying” and people just believe her. Even her sister Mina, who catches Anne in the act,just forgives her by the end of the film for seemingly no reason. this isn’t the only narrative thread that isn’t really picked up on - Anne’s job as a lawyer in family law and representing victims of child sexual assault is never explored, despite the obvious dissonance between her actions and her employment. 

The only aspect of the film that could be said to provide some kind of comment are the uncomfortably long unbroken shots of Anne and Theo kissing or having sex. This could be an attempt to deliberately make the audience uncomfortable, forcing them to not look away, highlighting the intrinsic wrongness in what we’re watching. However, it could just as much be argued that these shots are designed to show the passion here that is lacking between Anne and her husband. 

Overall Last Summer (2019) not only lacks a worthwhile subject matter, but feels ultimately unfinished. It moves by quickly, shows some uncomfortable scenes, and then fades away. One questions if it was a story worth remaking or watching.  

Follow Auley on Letterboxd and YouTube.

Last Summer is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.