At the beginning you meet Adam ( Andrew Scott ) he's living in a penthouse flat in a high, but largely empty new tower block. He's a script writer. The fire alarm goes off, its always going off. He goes down to the ground floor to see if its real or yet another false alarm. He notices there is a light from another flat and the shadow of a figure staring down. Later that evening Harry ( Paul Mescal ) the occupier of that flat, turns up at his door drunk, wants to come in, charmingly and casually propositions Adam. Adam, a bit taken aback, says no, which he later regrets saying.
From these mundane unpromising incidents eventually blossoms, not only a romance, but a film that explores in purging emotional depth themes of childhood loss, death, grief and loneliness. Whilst on the surface this might appear, with its central gay romance, to be another queer relationship drama from writer and director Andrew Haigh, similar to his equally wonderful film Weekend from 2011. But All of Us Strangers themes are largely universal one's and will cut to the core of everyone's human experience. At one point Adam says that he's reconciled himself to living a lonely life and later on that he's done nothing of any significance with it either. Who hasn't thought either of those things at some time in their life?
Its hard to write about the movie's story line without giving too much away. But let's just say there are more than a couple of surprise twists in it. I watched it first on my own and a day later with my husband. During the first viewing I was more emotionally distracted by trying to work out what was really going on here. During the second viewing, because you now know the lay of the narrative, you pick up on all the foreshadowing, premonitions and musical clues that are scattered across the movie. Speaking personally I found it packed even more of an emotional punch, because the second time you understood the reasons for certain aspects of it. They resonated more in a way that was gut wrenching. And whilst it has its universal themes, if you are gay, then this film has tons of things you will find deeply resonate with your specific experience. Also, as someone who had a heart attack this year, it has a lot to say about having a good life and a good death, with as few lingering regrets as possible.
Haigh makes great use of eighties music and sometimes puts the words of songs into the mouths of his characters, the song lyrics allowing them to speak what they really want to say. He also has assembled a fantastic ensemble cast. Aside from Scott and Mescal, he also has Jamie Bell and Claire Foy in career best form. I've not seen Paul Mescal's acting before, and he is quite a revelation. I want to see more. A solid northern accent and eyes that speak of what is going on inside with such yearning and fleeting delicacy. And here he's paired with Andrew Scott so renown for being an actor of huge ability, playing this chronically damaged man with such affecting tenderness and gritty realness. He must have been so inspiring to act opposite.
Inspired by a novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, Andrew Haigh has woven lots of his own personal experience into the script which brings it this telling ring of authenticity to the painful truths being revealed. This is my favourite movie of the year, its just far too good on so many levels it could not fail to be anything else.
CARROT REVIEW - 8/8
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