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All of Us Strangers. 2023, dir. Andrew Haigh
A dreamy, emotionally raw fable about a lonely screen writer named Adam, played by one of my favorite actors, Andrew Scott. Adam is living in a brand-new, nearly empty high rise apartment building. He forms a tenuous romantic connection with his only neighbor, Harry, played by Paul Mescal. Meanwhile, he rides the train out to the place where he grew up, and through some trick of imagination or magic, finds his parents there at their old house, frozen in time, 1987, just before they died in an accident. Adam gets to meet his parents as an adult and discuss his life. They are younger than he is now, and are open, warm, and frank about their flaws.
Well, I don't know how to write about this film because it's like it reached right into my chest. I found myself thinking of the movie "Weekend," and how that felt like queer therapy, like someone kind was speaking directly to me, acknowledging the joys and traumas of simply existing as a queer person. It's the same director. Good job Andrew Haigh!
The LA Times called this the best film of the year, and I also agree with the review given by Sheila O'Malley at Roger Ebert dot com. I've been contemplating this line, "Both films showed Haigh's sensitivity to human behavior, as well as the good care he takes of his actors, the room he gives them to feel and create... Haigh loves actors." The implication here, and of course the truth, is that many directors do not love actors, and they do not take good care of them. Part of what makes All of Us Strangers so magical is that care and love coming through.
It's an incredible piece of art. Some viewers may find it slow. I found myself settling into the quiet of the film, and of course Andrew Scott is incredibly beautiful. The parents are played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, and so just 4 people are essentially the only characters, so it's intimate like a theater play. The colors are delicious. Bring tissues.
Content notes: this deals a lot with death and grief. Contains drug and alcohol use. One extended scene, at a dance club, has lots of flashing lights. Discusses homophobia from a queer perspective.
Other reviews:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-movie-review-2023
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/29/a-generation-of-queer-people-are-grieving-for-the-childhood-they-never-had-andrew-haigh-on-all-of-us-strangers
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/26/1221725627/director-andrew-haigh-talks-about-love-and-loneliness-in-all-of-us-strangers
A dreamy, emotionally raw fable about a lonely screen writer named Adam, played by one of my favorite actors, Andrew Scott. Adam is living in a brand-new, nearly empty high rise apartment building. He forms a tenuous romantic connection with his only neighbor, Harry, played by Paul Mescal. Meanwhile, he rides the train out to the place where he grew up, and through some trick of imagination or magic, finds his parents there at their old house, frozen in time, 1987, just before they died in an accident. Adam gets to meet his parents as an adult and discuss his life. They are younger than he is now, and are open, warm, and frank about their flaws.
Well, I don't know how to write about this film because it's like it reached right into my chest. I found myself thinking of the movie "Weekend," and how that felt like queer therapy, like someone kind was speaking directly to me, acknowledging the joys and traumas of simply existing as a queer person. It's the same director. Good job Andrew Haigh!
The LA Times called this the best film of the year, and I also agree with the review given by Sheila O'Malley at Roger Ebert dot com. I've been contemplating this line, "Both films showed Haigh's sensitivity to human behavior, as well as the good care he takes of his actors, the room he gives them to feel and create... Haigh loves actors." The implication here, and of course the truth, is that many directors do not love actors, and they do not take good care of them. Part of what makes All of Us Strangers so magical is that care and love coming through.
It's an incredible piece of art. Some viewers may find it slow. I found myself settling into the quiet of the film, and of course Andrew Scott is incredibly beautiful. The parents are played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, and so just 4 people are essentially the only characters, so it's intimate like a theater play. The colors are delicious. Bring tissues.
Content notes: this deals a lot with death and grief. Contains drug and alcohol use. One extended scene, at a dance club, has lots of flashing lights. Discusses homophobia from a queer perspective.
Other reviews:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-movie-review-2023
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/29/a-generation-of-queer-people-are-grieving-for-the-childhood-they-never-had-andrew-haigh-on-all-of-us-strangers
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/26/1221725627/director-andrew-haigh-talks-about-love-and-loneliness-in-all-of-us-strangers
