Departure (2016)
An English mother and her teenage son spend a week preparing the sale of their remote holiday house in the South of France. Fifteen-year-old Elliot struggles with his dawning sexuality and an increasing alienation from his mother, Beatrice. She in turn is confronted by the realisation that her marriage to his father, Philip, has grown loveless and the life she knows is coming to an end. When an enigmatic local teenager, Clément, quietly enters their lives, both mother and son are compelled to confront their desires and, finally, each other.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Blistering performances.
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Andrew Stegall's film 'Departure' tells the story of a son and his mother under pressure when they have to sell their holiday home in the wake of the break-up of her marriage; and simultaneously, of the son's nascent interest in a local youth. At times, we're dangerously close to Joanna Hogg territory (and I don't mean that kindly), but the characters are mercifully drawn with more warmth and we're allowed enough of a glimpse of the back-story so that the film makes sense. It's still not quite right, however, with alterations between sections that are well-crafted, dull Hogg-like periods where nothing happens save for the characters sulking in their misery, and occasional moments oddly presented as ephanaic in a way that jibes with the mood of the rest of the film. It's not awful, but I found it hard to get engaged.
Excellent film. Beautiful backdrop of rural Languedoc in autumn, natural peaceful and unspoiled whilst the lives of the characters portrayed are anything but. I do not agree at all with those reviewers here who give the movie a panning. I thought it was very sensitively handled and there was a lot of authenticity and insight into young Elliott's first gay fumblings. Yes, some bits of dialogue and screenplay were a bit clunky and wooden, especially when the father arrived towards the end of the film. But I really enjoyed the interaction and exploration between the two young men: lonely young gay English lad bored with his mother on holiday bumps into sexy athletic moody young Frenchman , OK you could say it is 'cliched', but so much of our lives are unoriginal, but no less exciting when it happens to us for the first time at that age. I saw a lot of myself in Elliott.One of the most enjoyable gay movies I have seen in a long time. And the fact there was very little sex in it was not a problem at all. It improved the narrative. Less is more in this case. Well done Andrew Steggall.
Well, what can I say about a film with such an elegant and wonderful portrayal of coming of age and more than one coming out. It emphasis and tackles the crippling issues of contemporary society, a truly unique story about depression, marriage, love, sexuality, and youth. Its refreshing to see a film about young homosexuals and it not being polluted by sex or stereotypes, but don't get me wrong, there are elements of sexual passion, but it first and foremost is a story about love. The cinematography parallels the story-line while being unique on its own. The music by Jools Scott, an amazing musician whom I've had the pleasure of talking too, creates an amazing soundtrack that is minimal by having wonderful moments of reflective silence. My only critique (for the movie in its entirety) would be that the final song before the credits didn't quite emulate the emotion of the scene. A piece that Jools had shared with me (that I will not name for copyright reasons) would of better suited that ending. The ending in its self was abrupt, slightly disappointing, however, very much appropriate. It was only disappointing because it left me wanting much more, but I soon realise after watching the film that if there was more it might of ruined the magic of the film, this ending allows for viewer interpretation and highlights how life moves on. This film is true art, and should be available worldwide, even studied in schools as it is a real account of LGBT love showing how it is like every other love. It is a must see and I can assure you that I will watch it many many more times. It has my highest approval.
Andrew Steggall's lovingly directed first feature is a breath of fresh air in the British cinema scene. What at first sight looks to be a quite familiar LGBT coming of age story is turned by Steggall and his lead actress, Juliet Stevenson, into a far deeper and more engaging story. Elliott's (Alex Lawther) discovery of his own sexuality is beautifully framed against the collapse of his parents' marriage and their discovery that their lives had been based on falsehoods that, in some sense had crept up on them unawares. This is a film that will reach out far beyond the LGBT market and should do well across the European art scene. Very finely and delicately shot in the Languedoc region of France it establishes Steggall as a truly new voice in British cinema - not just composed and assured in the medium but with a distinct aesthetic of his own. It will be fascinating to see where he goes in his next feature - surely a larger and even more ambitious project.