Review: Charlie McDowell’s ‘The Summer Book’ is Sublime & Peaceful

“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. // Continue Reading ›