Days of the Bagnold Summer

I was intrigued by the film‘s premise but in the end it really went nowhere for me. The lone sympathetic character was the mom & I became quickly annoyed with her son in the film who even though he claims that ˋmusic is my life ´ demonstrates little to indicate any motivation in this direction. A born slacker even at 15 (although he looks a good 3 years older) one may deduce that his absent lackadaisical dad may have something to do with this but his perpetual sleep walking characterization just drags the story down & despite her own dilemmas, leaves one rooting for the mother at the expense of her son which is likely not the film‘s intention. An artificial happy ending is not the answer either but developing an interest in the character‘s frustrations should be which is something that this inert enterprise fails to accomplish, IMO.

Beautifully acted, decent cinematography and a sensitive soundtrack from Belle and Sebastian; but ultimately utterly pointless. A plot that seems to have withered on the vine during this yawnfest of a summer in which a despicably obnoxious teenager badmouths his desperately unloved mother, their dog dies four fifths of the way through, and he starts being a little bit nicer. If there was a poetic subtelty to the graphic novel, then Simon Bird has completely failed to capture it here, and it seems that, with luck, this may be the final nail in the coffin of his artistic ambitions. However, top marks to the stirling efforts of the cast and Belle & Sebastian,...not their fault.

Sweet, funny, sad, touching. Great performances. Loved, loved this movie!

I really quite enjoyed this film for how understated it is and the performance by Monica Dolan as the mother is really, really good. Its surprisingly thoughtful too, or I felt it was. There are some amusing scenes and a good cast including Rob Brydon and Tamsin Greig. It's not exactly a fast paced film or a particularly dramatic film but its a nice film with a slight sense of teenage nostalgia about it and moreso a good dose of sentimentality but not overly cheesy - a real British teen film which is a good piece of social commentary on a single mum trying to look out for her teenage son which I'd happily recommend.

This is an ultra pleasant movie. It's so easy to watch and it flows very well. The way its minimalistic approach and contained story mesh with its characters' personalities is very satisfying. A parent/child movie is universally appealing and even more so when it's easy to relate to both characters like it is in Days of the Bagnold Summer. Both Sue and Daniel are such enjoyable and empathetic characters it was pretty tough not to love this wholesome movie.

I love a good independent film about nothing in particular. This one has all of the typical elements: the divorced couple, the dark, brooding loner teenager, the awkward, isolated mom. The Belle & Sebastian soundtrack. Unfortunately it still doesn't work very well. I think it's missing all of the nuance that gives the characters charm and the relatable situations that endear us to the characters. The acting is done well enough, it's just the characters aren't written well enough for us to empathize with them. After an hour of the brooding teen, it just makes you want to turn it off and say a silent prayer for not being stuck with a teen like that. I'm sure those types are out there but this one is written particularly difficulty. I write this all the time in reviews but it's still the biggest part of a film that kills it for audiences: you can write difficult and complex characters without making them wholly unlikeable. Even the most salty teens should have *something* endearing about them and something that allows us to empathize with them. Not all awkward mom characters have to be lost causes and morbidly and clinically depressed. Wes Anderson is an expert at this…without the nuance and quirks, sitting through his movies would be next to impossible. And it's not that hard…nobody is as simple as the worst stereotype a writer can dream up and they shouldn't be in film. Remember: you have to be able to relate to a character (or at least understand him or her) before you can find any interest in their situation. As good as the acting is, these characters are horribly, horribly cliched, simple and depressing. No upside, no asterisk. They're just very hard to tolerate and it makes the plot and the rest of the specifics almost impossible to get engrossed in. I guess I thought this would have some comedic elements. There are none. The only relief you'll get after you're done with this is the fact that you're not living their lives. And honestly just the fact that it's over.

Not bad but didn’t bring much to the table 2.5

A lovely addition to the coming of age/family drama department, 'Days of the Bagnold Summer' is based on a graphic novel and it was lovely for a hubby and wife date afternoon. The film is about the relationship of a mother and a son and they duo of Monica Dolan and Earl Cave have a wonderful chemistry. It's a picture for people who are awkward. British subtle comedy (and sometimes not so subtle) is not for everyone. Rob Brydon and Alice Lowe are terrific in supporting rolls. Cave is a talent to watch. Hubby: 8.8/Wife: 7.8 Average: 8.3/10

The directorial debut from former The Inbetweeners star Simon Bird is a funny and charming coming of age story that follows the dysfunctional relationship between a moody and nihilistic teenager and his depressed divorcee mother as they are forced to spend an entire summer together. The film manages to capture perfectly the awkwardness of British adolescence and Earl Cave sells the pretentious and mopey teenager that is all too familiar to me. Monica Dolan was also great as Daniel's mum Sue and the use of Belle & Sebastian contrasted by heavy metal in the soundtrack was a great choice to mirror the inherent central conflict of the film. It's a fairly standard and simplified story and the film lulls quite badly in the middle section, but it shows promise for the future career for Simon Bird. Maybe he was made to be behind the camera and not in front of it.

I loved everything about this! Recommended! I was giggling and misty eyed at the same time!!