Let Me Go

Based upon the true life memoire of Helga Schneider, Let Me Go explores the effect of abandonment and its rippling impact on family relationships; in this instance between four generations of women in the same family. A fantastic cast led by Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply) playing Helga deliver on a thoughtful emotional and superbly adapted screenplay from Polly Steele (who also directs this independently financed piece – prize winning at Bentonville for the ensemble cast and part of the official selection for the Edinburgh Film Festival). Set in the London of 2000, we meet Helga as a woman working as a dressmaker in London who receives an unsettling letter and puts it away as her granddaughter calls into the shop. With a bit of cajoling by the granddaughter, Emily (Lucy Boynton – Sing Street), we learn Helga's cousin, Eva, has written from Vienna to say that Helga's mother, Traudi is close to death in a nursing home. That sad news is not only a revelation for Emily and Helga's own daughter, Beth (as a somewhat lost soul and free spirit by Jodhi May) as neither were aware of a Traudi's being alive, but it is clear that Helga doesn't want to talk about the estrangement. It is only with some interweaving of flashbacks and Helga's own reluctant partial remarks that we learn that 60 years earlier Helga (then only four years old), is left in wartime Germany by Traudi to the care of an aunt. Traudi embodies many contradictions as both vulnerable, needy and confused old woman in a care home, but then at times revealing that she is sharp, devious and quite wicked. Without doubt played brilliantly by Swedish actress, Karin Bertling (The Bridge and Wallander). Emily's naïve excitement at discovering she has a long lost great- grandmother and her genuine affection for Helga sees her wheedling onto the trip to Vienna where we then get to follow not only the tides of Helga and Traudi's lives, but to see the unmistakable effects that mark Beth and Emily with the inevitable unravelling of family secrets and guilt. Underpinned by a moving and sympathetic soundtrack composed by Phil Selway (Radiohead) beautifully using a string quartet to mirror the main protagonists and the beautiful and poignant settings in and around Vienna, this film makes one think about the very essence of life, relationships and family ties. Bravo to the UPP for giving this two sold out shows and I hope there may be a growing take up of this small masterpiece of storytelling.

CHARLIE MCGINTY

Let Me Go is a thoroughly engaging film which is both entertaining and at times shocking. It brings into sharp focus the enduring and absolute nature of human evil and its affect on future generations. The film is beautifully shot and the performances by Juliet Stevenson and Karin Bertling are stunning.

It has been a long time since a film has been able to make me re-think human attributes and wonder how my upbringing, actions and life has been formed by historical events. I give this film 10 stars because I left with fresh insight. The characters were well developed, authentic and suitably cast. There were many poignant scenes juxtaposed against the peace and beauty of the woods, London and Vienna.

This is a truly remarkable movie based on a true story with a screenplay that is beautifully written and manages to conjure multiple emotions for the viewers. The performances of the entire cast is amazing but the interactions between the leading ladies leaves one often holding one's breath in anticipation. With a backdrop of the most incredible photography, a film score that is rich and beautiful in content and amazing all round production this is a film that draws the viewer in from the first scenes and never lets go. A thought provoking film absolutely appropriate for today's world and quite simply a must see movie.

A terrific, mostly female cast bring complex characters to life in this moving drama based on a genuinely unsettling true story. The locations are beautiful and the film is gorgeously shot. A bittersweet and compelling story of four generations of women.