User reviews

Summerland is an easy to watch enjoyable movie. Nothing too difficult, just a simple story with a good outcome. The kind of movie where the characters get your attention and compassion. Gemma Arterton did a good job playing her character and as for the kids, Lucas Bond and Dixie Egerickx certainly were not annoying to watch. They all delivered here which is not always obvious with child actors. The story is well written, not a fast pace but certainly interesting to watch and the ending was a bit surprising but in a good way. Definitely worth a watch.

An endearing and easy going tale of a cantankerous lass who gradually comes to terms with the cards she's been dealt when a wartime evacuee lands at her shore. Perfect Sunday afternoon family fare.

My Review- Summerland

My Rating 8/10

This is the fourth film I've seen Gemma Arterton in recently and I think her finest performance . She is a very versatile Actress /Producer . Her other recent films The Escape (2017) Black Narcissus,(2020) and Vita and Virginia (2018) are all very different roles and tell me Gemma is another of the great younger British Actresses that will follow in the path of Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.

Summerland is a hard film to find it had a very short Cinema release and I couldn't find it on my Streaming channels so I was glad to find it on DVD. It's beautifully filmed on location throughout East Sussex in the towns of Seaford & Brighton as well as in the county of Kent and at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent . We first are introduced to the main character Alice as an older cranky reclusive woman ( Penelope Wilton) who just wants to get on typing her novel while being bothered with interruptions from village locals . Then we return in time to World War 11 and meet young Alice (Gemma Arterton) still a prickly quick tempered reclusive writer, resigned to a solitary life on the seaside cliffs of Southern England while World War II rages across the channel. Alice has good reason to be cynical and disappointed with life as she has loved and lost . She loved a woman Vera played beautifully by Gugu Mbatha-Raw but as many men and women then had to hide or suppress their sexuality their life together seemed impossible for Vera who wanted children and they parted. Alice opens her front door one day to find she's to adopt a young London evacuee named Frank, played by young Lucas Bond in another fine child acting role.he's perfection as the young war evacuee. He gets to portray some very dramatic moments in "Summerland " and I'm so impressed with the quality of child actors and their training in films today. Alice is horrified at the prospect of sharing her life even for a week with a strange child and she's resistant at first but does her bit for the War effort. It's not long, however, before the two realize they have more in common in their pasts than Alice had assumed. This is an intensely emotional story of love's endurance in trying times. It's beautiful to look at and it has pathos a little whimsy and magic and most importantly a fine script by Jessica Swale an Olivier Award winning playwright , screenwriter and Director. This film is one instance where the author has also done a fine job directing her film adaptation. Tom Courtney at 83 years old also gives a great supporting role performance as Mr Sullivan the village elder. If you can get to see if this fine British film I thoroughly recommend it .

Most of the story here is during the 1940s England, WW2 was raging and British cities were being bombed. To help preserve the children many were sent to live with families in rural areas less prone to the warfare. But the story also includes flashbacks to the 1920s and finally ends in the 1970s.

The single lady, an author, is surprised when she is brought a young boy, perhaps 12 or so, to live with her. She was irate and unwelcoming, she was sure there was a mistake. But slowly the boy wins her heart and only near the end of the movie does she fully realize why she was chosen, as the only one the mother back in London trusted would take care of him.

It is a good movie, well-filmed and well-acted. My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. The title is a reference to a fictitious place that is sort of a pagan version of where you go when you die.

Greetings again from the darkness. We get our first glimpse of Alice Lamb as an older woman in 1975 pounding away on her Royal typewriter before abruptly and rudely shooing neighborhood kids away from her door. We then flashback thirty-something years to World War II, and find a younger version of Alice still clacking away on the same Royal and still chasing off the local youngsters. Segments with the older Alice bookend the film, but most of our time is spent with the younger Alice in the first feature film from writer-director Jessica Swale, a renowned playwright.

Gemma Arterton (QUANTUM OF SOLACE, 2008) plays younger Alice, a writer and researcher based in the countryside of Kent. She's not just a reclusive writer, but we learn she's holding a grudge against the world ever since she was denied true love while at University. The townspeople view her as antisocial, while the local kids refer to as a witch. When the local school Headmaster (Tom Courtenay) refers to her "stories", she quickly corrects him to "Academic Thesis." It's no wonder she's earned the label, "Beast on the Beach."

During the German Blitz, many London families sent their kids to live with families in the much safer countryside. One day an official brings young Frank (Lucas Bond) to Alice's home for temporary guardianship, and she responds "I don't want him" ... yes, in front of the boy. Frank's father is fighting during the war, while his mother is working with the ministry. Of course, we know that Alice's iceberg of a heart will eventually thaw, and it begins when Frank expresses an interest in the legends and folklore at the center of Alice's research. Of particular interest to Frank is Summerland, the pagan term for afterlife, and the corresponding images.

As an evacuee, Frank is a bit of an outsider at school, but he makes friends with Edie (Dixie Egerickx, THE LITTLE STRANGER, 2018), a spirited young lady who, like most kids, doesn't much trust Alice. It's interesting to watch as Frank and Alice reluctantly grow closer, but this is war time, and joy is sometimes difficult to come by. However, this odd couple seem good for a life lessons to the other.

Penelope Wilton plays the older Alice and Gugu Mbatha-Raw lights up the screen in only a few scenes, and it's Ms. Arterton's best work since TAMARA DREWE (2010). Young Alice experiences visions and memories of a past life not meant to be. The twist is quite obvious, yet no less effective. Ms. Swale's film is sentimental and melodramatic, and probably employs a few too many clichés. Yet, although predictable, it does offer hope; and given the times we are in, a hopeful message is quite welcome - as is the reminder that "stories have to come from somewhere."

This movie was a heart-warming tale of how love can find its way back. The main characters were so very well portrayed. I so needed this break from the cruelties of reality. The young man who played Frank was exceptional. It was a very clean and wholesome film, and anyone who finds issue with the content has to be a close-minded individual.

I rarely write reviews, but was alarmed to see this film have such a low rating. This film has amazing acting; everyone truly is their character. Gemma is Alice! It is a sweet story among an unsweet time, and beautiful scenery will take your breathe away. I truly loved it!

A gentle family film with its heart in the right place. A lovely cast.

After giving up on finding decent films in 2020, I came across the trailer for Summerland on Youtube and it pricked my attention as I find both Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw both very engaging actors.

I'm so glad that i ended up buying Summerland as it's a film filled with emotion, tenderness, strength and vulnerability. As yes the film has a plot of Lesbianism, but it's so well written that it is never the main focus of the film, (as with a lot very woke films) because the story is about love, tenderness and eternal hope.

Gemma Arterton really switches it up her role as Alice and one why you can see why she is a leading lady, her ability to convey so much emotions in her eyes and expressions are that of someone that really knows their craft.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, even though isn't in the film much, (like with most of her roles) but when in a scene she really does shine and radiates.

If you want to get away from all the craziness of 2020 and watch a film that engages you, fills you with emotions and gets right back to humanity, I can't recommend Summerland highly enough.

Summerland is a new war drama directed and written by Jessica Swale. This is the first major film she has directed and written, as she has only directed short films before.

The film is set during the Second World War. To work on her writing, Alice (Gemma Arterton) retreats to the seaside cliffs in Dover in southern England. In her solitude, she tries to work on important books about the scientific proof that myths and magic don't exist. When she opens the door one day, she is asked to take care of the runaway boy Frank (Lucas Bond). Alice tries to take care of Frank, but prefers that he go to another hiding place as soon as possible, so that she can continue working on her books. Despite the fact that she tries to be aloof towards Frank, a bond between the two develops thanks to his innocence and curiosity. In this way she is confronted with her past and she learns that she may have to experience her life in a different way

This film has a beautiful and emotional story about how people try to hide their emotions and feelings in difficult times. Without this really helping them. Despite the fact that at a time the film seems obvious, it still keeps a beautiful and inspiring story. Jessica Swale has beautifully juxtaposed the scenes of the main character where the film jumps from the now to the past.

Director Jessica Swale and photography director Laurie Rose, have also portrayed many scenes and places of the film in a nice and fitting way. The sea cliff of Dover comes across as a summer location where you can forget your problems for a moment.

The acting is also done well by the cast. Gemma Arterton comes across as the Oscar-winning role that Jack Nicholson played in the 1997 film As Good As It Gets in this role. Together with Lucas Bond, she has a good chemistry that changes her character throughout the film. In the Flashback scenes, Gemma Arterton also has a good chemistry with the character of Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays an old friend of hers in the movie. Dixie Egerickx also comes out well in this film as a friend of Lucas Bond's character. She shows with this role that she can be a good young actress if she has a good script to work with. In the same weekend she was also seen in the movie The Secret Garden where she came across as too negative because of a less script.

This is a beautifully shot film with some of southern England's prettiest scenery using some skilled cinematography. The acting is pretty good too, and it holds the entire thing together. But the anachronisms and historical inaccuracies (evacuation starts 1st Sep 1939, war declared 3rd Sep 1939, blitz starts 7th Sep 1940, and that's just the beginning) are ignorant and laughable, detract immensely from the story for me, and left me wishing I didn't have such a clear knowledge of WW2 chronology and history.

This story is beautiful in every way. From the scenery, to the cinematography, to the selfless act of taking in children from London, and to the forbidden love that transcends time. I love every bit of this film!

Gemma attracted my eyeball all the time in this movie. From anger, joy, loving, frustration, to sadness, she just nail every emotions. She have a neighbor girl looks but just excellent the way she acted. Awesome !

I'm all for inclusion and diversity in our society. And this point of view goes into our movies. I think humanity is better for it. But when filmmakers try to make this point into their films for periods of time when it didn't exist, for me it makes the film even less realistic, than the fiction it already is. It detracts from the story being told.

A black woman treated like an equal in London's high society during the 1920s/1930s England is a little unrealistic. Sure, the UK was a little more accepting of other races than the US was during these periods, but not to that extent.

Other than that gripe, the movie was beautifully shot, and story, beautifully told. And while some aspects of the movie where a tad predictable, the storyline twist near the end was superbly done (extra point for that). The only time I realise this twist is when it was about to be revealed. But other than that throughout the film, I didn't see it coming.

The acting by all the actors were magnificent. Kudos to the actors and the director.

VERDICT? A recommended viewing.

The cynical heroine of this story is played extremely well, and every thought shows on her face. The rest of the cast are stellar too and it's great to see Tom Courtney back in vogue, this isn't the first recent film with him. The story is simple, somewhat predictive and some licence has been taken with facts - no blackout, people wandering at ease on beaches - but it's a beautiful story, and even on a day when the last thing I wanted was to watch a film, I was hooked. Highly recommended to anyone with a heart.

My wife and I saw this in early August at one of our independent theaters, coming out of covid-19 lockdown. We joined a couple of dozen other viewers, socially distanced and masked up. I can't help wondering how the theaters are going to be able to turn a profit with this new normal.

This lovely film is a great starring vehicle for Gemma Arterton, who's become one of my favorites. Still in her mid-30's she's moved on from playing young attractive add-ons in fantasy films (Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia, or the crazy splashy fun of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) and has built a growing and varied record in films playing lead roles in smaller-scale personal dramas like Tamara Drewe, Gemma Bovary, Vita and Virginia, Their Finest, a great Saint Joan at the London National Theatre, and more. Can't wait to see her in the upcoming King's Man.

In Summerland she plays Alice Lamb, a prickly and reclusive writer who (during WWII) is researching the mirage-like atmospheric phenomenon called the "Fata Morgana". To her surprise and much against her will she is saddled with looking after young schoolboy Frank (Lucas Bond) who, like many other wartime children, has been sent out of London to the provinces to stay safely out of the Blitz. Frank is a basically good-natured kid who's not put off by this apparently crusty "old lady", and the main arch of the plot follows their developing relationship into one of mutual love. Flashbacks to Alice's pre-war association with friend (and more than friend) Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) are shown that fill in much of what we need to know about Alice. In the meantime, Frank strikes up a close friendship with a classmate Edie (Dixie Egerickx) as they follow their natural kids' imperatives to explore everywhere around their little town and seaside.

Those are just the basics, but the last third of the film goes beyond what I just said into more unexpected territory. Two or three major twists are coming, at least one of which is sort of predictable but at least one of which is certainly a surprise. But viewed from the end of the film looking backward, it makes sense. There's no cheating and nothing arbitrary. It's a much more complex story that it at first appears, it's well structured, and (especially) it's nicely paced. The scenery (the white cliffs and windswept meadows of Dover) has a role to play too, but it doesn't intrude on the story. No spoilers -- just go and see it to experience what I mean!

The two kids (Frank, Edie) are great: they're more than just placeholders filling in the gaps between the adult interactions in the story. Tom Courtenay makes a supporting appearance as an endearing, kindly schoolmaster. But this is Gemma Arterton's movie, make no mistake. She's grown into a masterful actress who (like all her recent parts) disappears so totally into her role that you're not even aware that she's acting. She has Oscar-level skill. But without getting involved in big-budget big-publicity roles I'm not sure she will ever get one. Nevertheless, what she's giving us is art at a high level all the same. The Brits seem so expert at crafting these types of movies -- warm, low-key, compelling personal stories with great casts and a sense of history. We could do a lot worse than get more of them.

From the word go this movie is highly captivating. it engulfs and is a full-onFull emotional rollercoaster going from anxious across to happiness. Seriously well made movie.

I was trying so hard not to be like this, and it was just like that, especially in the end, the honey was awkward, but Alice and Frank were very comfortable with each other, and I really liked it.

This film had no atmosphere of the 1940s, yes everyone was dressed up in the right way but there was no war feeling or character involved. Driving a car around the country when petrol was precious and needed for the war effort?? Children actually being listened to with regard to what they wanted, no the adults were in charge in those days, children didn't have a voice.

The film did not represent what it was supposed to and I would say written by someone who hasn't got a clue what life was like back then. The girl screaming in the shop because she couldn't have the chocolate she wanted, well that would not have been tolerated and as for the adults surrounding her showing her sympathy, nah dreamland more than summerland. It was so removed from reality that it should have been labelled a fantasy film.

Ordinarily a formulaic melodrama like Summerland would be chock- full of sentimental claptrap, and it is. However, you'll enjoy the sentiment and the real human values so much that you'll forget the formula and remember li as a warm treatise on love, womanhood, and sacrifice. It's that good despite its predictability, and maybe because of it, given the tears I secretly shed.

Alice (Gemma Arterton), a writer living alone during the blitz phase of WWII in the Dover, East Sussex, Kent coast of England, has a young London evacuee Frank (Lucas Bond) thrust upon her under the spirit of "We all have to do our part." Although it's hard not to know exactly where this is going to go (Frank's not going anywhere), Arterton is so convincing as an introverted writer who actually needs his distraction that we accept her transformation without rolling eyes. It's just good old heart-endearing storytelling.

First-time director Jessica Swale does an expert job of bringing in Alice and Frank's baggage by flashback, especially Alice's former love Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Alice still loves Vera despite her abandoning Alice to have a baby. While this past seriously impinges on the present, Swale never lets us forget the natural goodness of where they live and the war that must be won.

The love that binds, right down to Frank's friend Edie (Dixie Egerickx), is everywhere despite the dark cloud of war not far from the coast. Cinematographer Laurie Rose captures the stark, lonely beauty of the coast without letting it become the centerpiece. Rose's ability to make the landscape both forbidding and romantic reflects the ambivalences in Alice's rich, complex character.

Although Alice makes mistakes such as treating Frank badly as an annoyance while she's writing "academic treatises" no one will read or refusing to tell Frank about a parent's death, her capacity to love steals out from her to make her a charming, sympathetic character, not a witch as the locals figure her to be. "Summerland," an allusion to a mythical world attractive to Frank and any other pre-teen, is a lovely romance that comes at a time for us when life demands sacrifice, patience, and unconditional love. As Alice reminds Frank, "Life is not kind; anguish is inevitable."