L'ETE DERNIERE/ LAST SUMMER

France, 2023, 104 minutes, Colour.

Lea Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau.

Directed by Catherine Breillat.

The title sounds innocent enough, rather languid in memory. However, this is a film adapted from a novel, written and directed by veteran French director, Catherine Breillat. Over the decades, she has ventured cinematic probes on all kinds of intense personal issues, relationships, sexuality. This is her first film in a decade, taking up an important theme, a relationship between an older woman and a younger man, and this time the younger man is underage.

This issue has been prominent in films in 2023-2024. There was May-December, based on an actual case in the United States. There was the light romantic comedy, A Family Affair, with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. There was also the romantic comedy with some serious overtones, especially public targeting of the older woman, The Idea of You, with Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Gallantzine. And, at the same time, there was also a film, Miller’s Girl, with Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega, taking up relationships between male academics and younger female students.

The film opens strongly with the theme of legal defence for victims of sexual attacks. The central character, Anne (Lea Drucker), strongly professional, intelligent, working with a young survivor for her court appearance, successful in prosecution. She has married an older husband, Pierre, adopted two young girls, her husband having problems with his teenage son, Theo (Samuel Kircher) from his previous marriage.

The drama and the issues begin when Theo moves out from his mother and becomes part of Anne and Pierre's household, surly, on his phone, as always, cantankerous with his father, but delighting in playing with the two little girls who love him. And Theo has a girlfriend who turns up.

Gradually, somewhat surprisingly given Anne’s professional standards, there is an attraction, Theo making advances from his immature perspective, wanting some support and love, Anne succumbing.

Catherine Breillat has always had a very direct, open and frank approach to dramatising this kind of situation. And this is the case here. And, she employs a very forceful cinematic style of photography, the continued use of close-ups, of extreme close-ups of the faces of her protagonists, long takes, letting the audience watch, respond, gauge their reactions, favourable, unfavourable. The affair continues, sometimes lyrical, sometimes passionate. It might seem that we are being invited to favour the relationship.

But, that is the skill of the film. There is the ethical and moral challenge to Anne and her beliefs, legal practice. And the word that some commentators have used about her behaviour is “transgression”. Knowing the ethics, she has allowed herself to be overcome by lustful feelings, compensations, exploitation of the inexperience of the willing teenager.

Which means, that at the end of the film, you six has had to face the reality of her actions, face the consequences, appreciate the impact of the experience on Theo. And, there is a drama of Theo and his reaction, his accusations against Anne, the complexities of his emotions in loving and hating her.

Last Summer is challenging for its protagonists but also offers an emotional and moral challenge to the audience.

1. The title, the season, memories, languid?
2. The work of the director, themes of relationships, sexuality, conflicts?
3. The style of the camera work and its impact for understanding characters, situations, dilemmas? The very long takes, the extreme close-ups of faces and heads? Involving the audience in the personalities, their emotions, choices, decisions?
4. The focus on And, her work, the law, abused children, the first client and the discussions, priming her for the court case, the results, her mother, Anne stopping interviews, personality, her manner, style, clothes? Coming home, the relationship with Pierre, his second marriage, his age and job, her love for him, the adoption of the two children, her explanation about the early abortion and inability to have children, her concern about Theo? The life, happy in her work?
5. Pierre, his age, divorce, remarrying, the adopting of the two children, the happy domestic sequences, his concern about Theo, Theo living with his mother, adolescent, in trouble, inviting him to come to live with them?
6. The background of the two little girls, their backgrounds, adopted, happy, adversity, the martial arts and Theo, playing with him, the trampoline, his being at home with them, their devotion to him?
7. Theo, his age, the background, police, trouble, living with his mother, coming to stay in the family, the tension with his father, smoking, the phone, defying his father, his father’s outbursts? Suspicion of An?
8. Audiences sensing what was going to happen? The discussion about the tattoos, And her resistance, Theo’s explanations, trying to persuade and, putting the three dots on her arm, the intimacy of the touch? The moment of Theo with his girlfriend, Amanda? The sense of anticipation, wondering, the scenes of An and Theo together, talking, the scooter, the nature of the conversations? The attraction? Passion, lust? The kiss, and at her resistance, the passionate experience, the long time, the focus on faces, the aftermath?
9. The comparison with An and her intimacy with Pierre, the long sequence, again the focus on faces? The aftermath?
10. And, her relationship with a sister, the beauty salon, with a little girls, her son, coming to the parties? Playing on the trampoline?
11. The affair, the further episodes, the effect on each of them? And, the party, Theo and his approach, her sister seeing them? And in the decision to break off, the effect on Theo?
12. Pierre, the decision to go away with Theo, his return, the meal, tension, peer telling And what Theo told her him? And is decision to deny?
13. The change in and, the denial, her lawyer mode, attacking Theo and his credibility, challenging Pierre and his trust? Her decision to move out?
14. Pierre, setting up the confrontation, And her hard stances, Theo and the confused adolescent, his experiences, determination, being taken to the other school, the farewell to the girls?
15. The lawyer, Theo and his complaint, the lawyers attitude towards Anne, her professionalism, the deal, the secrecy?
16. The seeming piece, her sister and her support? Theo’s arrival, the next encounter, the issue of consent, transcription, the older woman, the law and morality concerning sexual encounters with an underage partner? And her risking her life and career, her family?
17. The ending, open, the sister supporting her, the relationship with Theo and his future, and the glimpse of Pierre and his seeming to accept what had happened?