Movie Review: ‘Summer 1993’

by | May 29, 2018 | Featured, Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments

Greetings again from the darkness. In Sean Baker’s 2017 surprise indie hit THE FLORIDA PROJECT, we viewed a challenging family environment through the ever-optimistic eyes of a young girl intent on making the best of every day. On the opposite end of the spectrum is this autobiographical tale from writer/director Carla Simon in her first feature film. Co-written with Valentina Viso, this story is about one young girl’s struggle with grief and a cold-water splash into a new family.

Six year old Frida is left orphaned when her mother dies. She eavesdrops through half-closed doors as adults make arrangements for who will take care of her. Uncle Esteve (David Verdaguer) and Aunt Marga (Bruna Cusi) agree to raise her, requiring the young girl to relocate from Barcelona to a remote Catalonia village bordering a forest. It’s an idyllic setting for most young kids, however, paradise doesn’t exist for a young girl who has lost both parents.

Initially it seems to be simply ‘kids being kids’. As more oddities occur while Frida plays with her 3 year old cousin Anna, we begin to believe that Frida’s rebellious acts may actually be that of a disturbed young child incapable of dealing with nearly unbearable sorrow. Clearly Aunt Marga runs a more disciplined household than Frida’s (apparently) eccentric mother, though it’s quite obvious to any parent that Frida is vying for attention – literally competing with the younger Anna for the love of parents. It’s heartbreaking to watch.

We view most everything from the viewpoint and perspective of the kids. Even the camera angles are often eye-level for a 6 year old. This is a terrific approach by filmmaker Simon since Child Psychology is at the core of the story. As adults, we look to teach and protect, while sometimes overlooking the undeveloped emotional maturity in youngsters.

There is brilliance in the story-telling process here as adult viewers (it’s certainly not a movie for kids) will catch the hints and partial details that Frida can’t possibly process. The disease that killed her mother, though never stated, becomes clear. That cause also leads to unexpected reactions to Frida by others. The lack of sentimentality or over-dramatization is delivered through lazy summer days that lull us into complacency before awakening us to what could be. Two amazing child actresses, Laia Artigas (Frida) and Paula Robles (Anna) keep us captivated as director Simon unfolds her life onscreen.

David Ferguson