Tags: blog, film, drama, recommended, 2026
Author: KickingK
Date: Wednesday March 11th, 2026
Bookended
This film starts with one of the most beautiful opening shots I've ever seen. A stunning view of the ocean lapping at rocks in the frozen winter, breathing in, breathing out. It's so extraordinary that it took a while for my brain to fully understand what was happening, all whilst marvelling at the majesty of it.
It's way of reminding us that everything has to pass. That the summer we're about to witness is brief and finite.
An adaptation of Tove Jansson's book, this is the story of three generations of a family retreating to their small holiday island, to spend time with each other and grieve the loss of the young girls mother.
Glenn Close's depiction of the grandmother is as majestic as that opening shot. Utterly commanding your attention, emphatically drawing you in to her point of view. Unfortunately, the interactions between the other characters are really flatly directed. There's none of the deftness seen in Left-Handed Girl, I didn't believe in any of their relationships. The moments between the girl and her father feel particularly stagey.
Sadly, this means that I struggled to connect with the experiences that were being shared between them. And failed to be moved by the poetry of their wisdom. I feel incredibly cold hearted saying it, given how admired the source material is, but I just wasn't moved by it at all.
What I was left with was a very basic story, all be it with some beautiful photography.
However, the ending manages to surpass the beginning. An absolutely breathtaking solo scene for Glenn Close, a culmination that makes the film as a whole worth viewing.
