Bergman Island - Review (London Film Festival 2021)

Scenes From a Marriage. 3 / 5

Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. An American filmmaking couple retreat to the island for the summer to each write screenplays for their upcoming films in an act of pilgrimage to the place that inspired Bergman. As the summer and their screenplays advance, the lines between reality and fiction start to blur against the backdrop of the Island's wild landscape.

Bergman Island begins my 2021 London Film Festival and quite fittingly is a film about filmmaking that celebrates the uniting power of film.

This tranquil piece eases you in with a calming pace and soothing score as we follow Tim Roth and Vicky Krieps following in the footsteps of Ingmar Bergman as they escape to Fårö in Sweden to begin work on their next projects.

I must admit, I am not so familiar with Bergman's work but this sweet tribute is a meta look at the industry and also a celebration of the unifying power of cinema.

Transporting you to its island getaway, although it didn't blow me away, Mia Hansen-Løve does a great job of showing a true slice of life and the differing effects that storytelling can have on people.

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