A Date With Joanna Hogg's ‘The Souvenir'

I only saw about 30 minutes of Joanna Hogg‘s The Souvenir at the Sundance Film Festival — I wasn’t taken by the narrative — but it felt like a rather unfair way to assess the film. Regardless, a rendez-vous awaits for tonight as I will finally catch the best reviewed film of the year so far — 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 93% on Metacritic.

Some of the emails I have gotten from readers who have seen it have not painted the film in too kind a light. The word “dull” was mentioned a few times. Alas, I know this is not supposed to be a film that attempts, in any way shape or form, to coddle to its audience — rather, it’s supposed to be “purposely distancing.” It’s what many like to call a “critic-proof” film: A movie that does not bridge the already formidable gap between critics and normal moviegoers, it only enhances it.