This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Kindred spirits from different worlds become entangled together one volatile summer in this passionate, psychological thriller. Local girl Mona (Natalie Press) is naive, reckless and filled with yearning for something more in life. Tamsin (Emily Blunt) is spoiled and bored and trying to escape the confines of her prep-school existence when she draws Mona into her fantasy world. But what started as a magical friendship soon becomes laced with deception and danger.
For thoughts on My Summer Of Love, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
My Summer Of Love makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Imprint Films with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that is derived from a 4K scan. This label is based out of Australia, but the disc will play in all Blu-Ray players including those in the United States. This film holds special interest for Emily Blunt fans riding the high of Oppenheimer, so we are glad to see it finally hit HD with such a fantastic presentation. Nearly all blemishes or other bits of print damage have been cleaned up to allow this film to look better than ever.
The presentation maintains its naturally filmic 16mm appearance throughout which allows fine detail to fill the screen consistently. The grain can be thick but resolves well without turning into digital noise or swarming the screen. The cinematography is stunning and remains stable without jutter or flicker hampering things. The warm summer colors are lovingly saturated with the hues finding nuances within their shades. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle features easily noticeable in closeup. Highlights never fall victim to blooming, and black levels hold up well with no major instances of crush or banding. This is a top notch release for the film from Imprint.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and LPCM 2.0 stereo track that translates this material without issue. The environmental effects and the score have a strong presence in the track which never lacks for depth and nuance. The music sets the mood for the story which comes through with fine fidelity. Dialogue remains clear at all points as it works well with the background noises. There is no serious damage or age-related peccadillos that drag down the sonic experience. There is nothing to complain about with this one. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Pawel Pawilikowski provides a fine commentary track which can be a bit slow and low-key but does find him dropping some thoughtful insights about the production process, his motivations behind certain scenes, the thematic importance of the locations, conversations he had with the performers and more.
- Deleted Scenes: A nearly four-minute collection of unused material is provided here in an unfinished form including some dramatic confrontations and more material with the church.
- B-Roll Footage: A seven-and-a-half minute collection of footage from the production of the crucifixion scene.
- Cast and Crew Interviews: A collection of interviews in which the director and cast discuss their experiences collaborating with one another, the casting process, details about the characters and more.
- Paddy Considine (3:28)
- Natalie Press (4:54)
- Emily Blunt (5:34)
- Pawel Pawilikowski (7:07)
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
My Summer Of Love is a great character-driven drama which is handled sensitively by director Pawel Pawilikowski. The class dynamics explored along with the impact of religion on a seeking mind is very effective. Emily Blunt is the standout from the performers due to who she would become in a global sense, but all three of the main players bring quite a bit of nuance to their characters. Imprint Films has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a nice array of archival special features. If you are a fan of the performers, this is a no-brainer. Recommended
My Summer Of Love is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Note #2: This release is an Australian import which can be played in Blu-Ray players worldwide.
Disclaimer: Imprint Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.