SWEETHEART (2021)
Dir. Marley Morrison
Coming of age. The period of rebellion. Hostility to the world around us. The rush of emotions and their complete lack. Cinema knows many stories about growing up in which we see the main character struggling with changes taking place in his body and mind. It's no different in Marley Morrison's feature debut "Sweetheart", which tells the story of 17-year-old April spending her family vacation in the seaside town of Dorset, England. The park, full of caravans, will be the backdrop for events in which AJ, as that’s how she wants to be called, will rediscover herself and her family during a holiday romance. It is worth adding that the object of her feelings and sighs will be beautiful, equally young and flirtatious girl Isla, who while working in Dorset as a lifeguard, will throw a love lifebuoy towards April. Will AJ be able to catch it and swim to the surface safely and unscathed?
The film opens with a scene in which we see AJ and her mother Tina and a younger and sweet sister on their way to their summer adventure. The first seconds already suggest that the main character would rather spend this time differently, preferably alone. The cool look of orange glasses, the lack of any excitement and the youthful rebellion on April's face instantly makes this young and arrogant girl close to us as if we had known her for years. Hearing the opening words of the (excellent) soundtrack 'My mum says that I look like a nervous wreck / Because I bite my nails right down to the flesh' the viewer may already suspect that it will be another necessary film about the mother-daughter relationship and youthful challenges, which, as history will show, will make those few intense days (and nights) in Dorset unique and needed by all protagonists. Tina (a very good role by Jo Hartley known from Netflix's ‘After Life’) as a loving and willing mother will do everything in her powers to cheer up her daughter. She probably does not like the fact that AJ struggles with the cruel world in which cows are killed (AJ is a vegetarian) and everything else is wrong. Tina desires for AJ to spend this time in joy and with a smile on her face. Throwing casually What, mom?, AJ (played by the excellent and charismatic Nell Barlow) manifests a certain dose of bitterness and tiredness for the world around her with her indifferent but charming body language. Perhaps she is too COOL to spend another vacation with her mother and two sisters. The older one, Lucy, and her cute boyfriend will only make April feel worse.
By creating the narrative system of the story, AJ makes us know what she feels, what she felt and what upsets her. Who she is, who she was and who she is becoming. This procedure, no matter how negative the main character is towards everything and everyone, will bring us closer to her and will allow us to be filled with an extremely strong sympathy. We will be cheering for her from the very first moments. We want to make friends with her because I think each of us was once like April. An embarrassed, pissed off and misunderstood young person, whom no one could comprehend. We should not miss the fact that she has to struggle, to some extent, with the synthesis of emotions and feelings towards the same sex, which she does not seem particularly embarrassed about.
The family accepts AJ's sexual orientation and even cheers her on when Isla (played by Ella-Rae Smith, known from Netflix's series ‘The Stranger’) suddenly appears in her vacation frame. The holiday atmosphere, the carelessness of the moments and the chance that the girl has the same sympathy at least to a small extent will suddenly make AJ smile and will light up a spark of hope in her heart. And although it may sound sloppy and has some shades of kitsch, this is what first love or first infatuation is. Full of optimism and butterflies in the stomach. That first text message, first one-on-one, this first gaze. Everything seems to be the first in April's life, although she, through skillfully told anecdotes, gives the impression of being mature and experienced for her young age. She is a smart and cool girl. We want her to succeed. We believe in every gesture she makes, her every sigh. We like her arguing with Mom and sister. And it's great to watch thanks to the roles created by talented and young actresses. But not only they shine on the screen.
A gallery of interesting and friendly characters enriching the background of the film make it one of those productions in which you would love to participate. You like these characters and you will be very fond of them. Steve, as the boyfriend of his older sister April (played by Samuel Anderson), is an extremely warm character. His relationship with his family and the freedom of relations between him and the women around him, make him one of the nicest heroes enriching this sweet story. The naturalness of acting and the ease of relations, even those quite difficult and tense between Tina and April, are such an extremely strong advantage of the film. But something else, quite special, is also worth mentioning. There is no negative attitude towards the main character's sexual orientation in this film. Her preferences are an important part of the film and its core, however, there are no people who are hostile to her sexuality in this story. Even the younger generation people April meets in Dorset are so familiar with the subject of different variants of love and affection that there is a great urge to take their views and admirable attitude off the screen. To today's world full of hatred and incomprehension. Perhaps Tina, in some of her comments, gives the impression that it would be easier for April to choose a different path than the one that is full of disagreement with the world around her, but this is due to her motherly care and love, which Tina has a lot of. And the viewer can feel it.
It is not always easy to understand another person, and it is even more difficult when they are close to us. The film shows that it is worth and necessary to talk, even when these are difficult talks to make. Because when the thread of understanding is established, and the sun comes out after the storm, its rays will make it possible to overcome any problem. Especially in a strong and caring family. Movie’s heroes enriched with the strength of their maturity, irrelevant to their age, became better people. And such stories are always worth watching.












