Review by
Blair MacBride
Directed by: Klaus Härö
Starring: James Cosmo, Bríd Brennan, Catherine Walker,
Nora-Jane Noone, Tara Flynn
My Sailor, My Love is a beautiful atypical love story
directed by Klaus Härö. Incidentally his first feature film in
English, this sobering yet charming tale is a real credit to the talent in
Finnish cinema.
The film - also written by fellow countrymen Kirsi Vikman and
James Karlsson - is set in the gorgeous Achill island of the
Republic of Ireland; studios must've got a memo that this is the year of
coastal Irish stories for cinema - no one is complaining though. The
stunning cinematography of the opening shots really does set the benchmark
for the feature's duration (seriously special kudos to DOP
Robert Nordstrom), as the rolling hills and vast blue seas begin to
paint a picture of where this beguiling story begins.
My Sailor, My Love follows a retired seafaring captain,
Howard (James Cosmo). In his older age, he is perpetually annoyed
with life and struggles, or more like refuses, to look after himself
properly - he doesn't have the care for existing anymore. Indeed, the
grumpy protagonist is a point of serious frustration in the life of his
daughter, Grace (Catherine Walker), with whom he has had a
tumultuous relationship over the years, to say the least. A full-time
nurse with a failing marriage, Grace attempts to ease her excess burden of
care by engineering a bit more structure into her aging father's life, and
so hires housekeeper Annie (Brid Brennan) to get things back in
order. However, when an early resentment between Howard and Annie blossoms
into a delightful romance for one another, the dynamics in the small group
of people begin to change, and the true colours of a threatened Grace rear
their ugly head.
The ensemble cast of My Sailor, My Love is truly excellent.
Cosmo is at his best as the burly, surly ex-sailor, capturing a real
plethora of emotions throughout his performance; one moment the
character's sarcasm is heartily funny, the next his raw sadness is
incredibly moving. Moreover, just as Cosmo succeeds, so too do the others.
Brennan is wonderful as the matter of fact Annie, with the older pair
sharing a heart-warming on-screen chemistry, and Walker excels at
portraying Grace's micromanaging of others' lives.
Härö himself has admitted that this was a love affair with "the last love
story of life," and it really does not disappoint in depicting this. The
team of Vikman and Karlsson do an excellent job of creating a seeing eye
into an untold version of love in cinema, and Härö complements the
creative process exquisitely. Not only that, but the three manage to
convey complex plot layers in a simple and effective manner. The feature
is able to deal very well with such huge themes of life's last love and a
mutually resentful Father-Daughter relationship; it really flourishes at
invoking the complicated manner of our inter-human relations - and that is
an utter testament to its triumphant creative trio.
The idea of a first love always seems to feature in romcoms or in coming
of age pictures; but in My Sailor, My Love, we get to see a really moving and intriguing opposite end of the
spectrum story - something which is emotionally challenging, but
completely worth the tears. Its thought provoking nature challenges
perceptions of the "aged and feeble," of the people we have written off as
stubborn or lost causes.
Most importantly of all, it encourages us to contemplate inwards about our
own behaviour, to reflect on if we could all be just that little bit more
patient; more kind; more respectful for other ways of thinking.
My Sailor, My Love reminds the audience that despite us not
all being in the same boat, we're all in the same storm. More often than
not, we're all just trying to navigate this life, and that includes those
that have lived it longest. Those older than us are still human, and still
want to live and be alive for as long as they can. With a little more
space and respect, who knows what happiness they might be able to foster
in their twilight years.
My Sailor, My Love is on Netflix UK/ROI now.
