Days of the Bagnold Summer

Days of the Bagnold Summer (Simon Bird, 2019) I suppose that one of the skills of good film making is to surround yourself with good people. Simon Bird has done that here, but of course it was up to him to use all of these elements to his advantage. The story concerns itself with a teenage boy and his mother spending a Summer together in suburban England. He should have been away in Florida with his dad, but it didn’t go to plan. It’s another story of a child growing up trying to fit into the world, he though listens to death metal wears black and doesn’t want to engage per se. So his mother spends time trying to connect with and re-establish the relationship they had when he was younger. 

The producers talked about how in the US they make films like this and Ghost World springs to mind as a prime example of a good Summer film. I suppose another element in all of this is acceptance. This can be accepting those around you, seeing people for what they are and ultimately accepting yourself. Often that’s a difficult skill, being comfortable with yourself.

There is here as well a sparkling cast with some lovely performances. Monica Dolan and Earl Cave do a fantastic job of mother and son. They’re supported ably by Rob Brydon, Alice Lowe and Tamsin Greig, among others. Simon Bird got some very good performances out of his actors.

I’ve had a really good few weeks listening to the soundtrack of this film, by Belle & Sebastian. It was quite interesting to see how the music fitted in to the film and not the other way round really. Their music has been inspired by the suburbs, as has so much great British music. It’s great to see it come to life through another medium here.