Cinema for Brunch ALL OF US STRANGERS Review

Andrew Scott delivers a vulnerable lead performance in director Andrew Haigh’s ghost story about grief and the will to love (and live) again.

Synopsis

A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbor as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.

Review
To put it rather crudely, it’s a bitch to go through this thing called life – alone. The human condition is something that must always be experienced alone but living, trying to live, learning to live is something that should be shared amongst like-minded individuals, rather that be lovers, friends or both. That is just one of the heavy themes that are dissected and examined in director Andrew Haigh’s latest film “All of Us Strangers.” Loosely adapted from Taichi Yamada’s horror novel “Strangers,” the film begins with Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely screenwriter that is approached one night by his neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal) after a fire alarm drill in their apartment building – it’s worth noting that Adam and Harry are the only two tenants in this towering building. After Harry drunkenly flirts with him, Adam shyly turns down his advances. The next day, he visits his childhood home and soon sees the ghosts of his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) – who tragically died when he was twelve. From there, the film takes an interesting turn where Adam reconnects with his deceased parents and explores a romantic relationship with his neighbor Harry. But like all tearjerkers, the journey reveals itself to be more challenging and painful than expected.

“How do you cope?” – a question Harry asks Adam during their initial awkward introduction. In the conversation, Harry is referring to the deafening quietness in their vacant apartment building but throughout the film, we learn Adam has a hard time coping with life in general. Adam is a character who shares a trait with his parents – he is dead on the inside. Anytime he’s around strangers, he makes a shy smile and keeps to himself, not knowing how to interact with the outside world. This is the duality of “deadness” Adam deals with, living a life his parents can no longer live but not knowing how to live from the outside-in. This is what makes Andrew Scott’s performance of Adam one to marvel at. He carries a perfect balance of an attractive leading man and a vulnerable, gentle soul that has a hard time of letting people in. Paul Mescal (when he’s on screen and sharing the moment with Scott) is equally as brilliant as the soft, enigmatic Harry. Harry is more outgoing where Adam is shy, Harry lives in the moment where Adam is reserved and watchful. They’re a terrific, opposite pair but it doesn’t mean they don’t share trauma. In a soul-baring scene, Adam reveals the grief and emotional burden he’s carried ever since the night of his parents’ fatal accident, making the inside of his soul hollow and Harry reveals that he has felt the same since he came out as gay to his family. It’s a vulnerable moment among other vulnerable moments that make these two actors a compatible pair onscreen.

On the ghostly side of things, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell also carry terrific performances as Adam’s departed parents. Foy steals the scene every time she appears on screen, her wary, unsure maternal look piercing into both Adam and the audience’s soul. A scene of note is an uncomfortable, someone heartbreaking scene where Adam “comes out” to his mom after her badgering of what “girlfriend” or “wife” her son has taken up. Foy’s response is one of confusion, condescension and disappointment – but that’s not to say she doesn’t still love him, it’s just…the response you would expect from a conservative mother. Haigh shrewdly doesn’t sugarcoat this or shy away from it – putting both Adam and the audience in this uncomfortable moment of a mom really learning who her son is. Bell, playing Adam’s father, shares a different “coming out” scene with Adam. Adam’s dad (in a hilarious exchange) shares that he always knew his son was homosexual but (in an emotional turn) states that he was afraid to comfort his son after he came home from bullying because he knew deep down inside that if he was the same age, he would probably bully him as well. Damn. Haigh’s dialogue enchants and pierces like none other. The pairing of Foy and Bell expertly echoes that push-pull nature of a nurturing mother and stolid father.

Andrew Haigh’s construction of this adaptation is no doubt shrewd as “Strangers” is not your typical ghost story – it adapts its source material in spirit rather than directly. It’s not so much the ghost element of Adam’s parents, it’s the past itself being a lingering ghost in Adam’s life. Something he pushes to back of his consciousness to the point where he has become almost lifeless inside. There’s also the haunted house-like feel of his apartment complex, a lonely place and where him and a neighbor are the only souls in this entire building. The construction of Adam’s world is part of what makes “Strangers” such an emotional and sensual watch. Jamie D. Ramsay’s beautiful cinematography – bringing out the lush, drained colors of London in scenes with Adam and Harry, and dreamlike, surreal shots of Adam with his parents – create an airy atmosphere with soulful lighting. As near-perfect as his direction or the adaptation of his script may be, Haigh’s film is not a perfect one. Haigh likes his take his time with the story – and that’s fine as some of the best films (his 2015 masterpiece “45 Years” comes to mind) can take time to sit in – but the film can be quite repetitive in its second act. Adam’s unraveling (trying to keep a grip on reality while keeping a foot in the past) goes in a loop from going to see his parents, spending quality time with Harry, having passionate sex with Harry, sharing sad pillow talk – rinse and repeat. The film spins its wheels a little too much with this merry-go-around until we find ourselves in the heartbreaking final act. The repetitiveness of the second act is forgiven by the film’s gut punch of a final twist – a twist Haigh slyly gives subtle clues to throughout but even on a second watch, the reveal isn’t less heartbreaking. Ending on the song “The Power of Love” (by Frankie Goes to Hollywood), the film leaves its viewer with a lot to unpack, knowing that we’re all strangers in this life but life itself is a thing that is worth sharing and experiencing together rather than alone.

Closing Thoughts
“All of Us Strangers” is a well-done, romantic ghost story. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal bring in terrific performances as the tortured couple just fighting to live. As it runs the risk of falling apart in its second half, Haigh delivers a mostly memorable story of loss, grief and (yes, pun intended) the power of love. The film enchants more through its acting ensemble than its script. It’s a powerful film that should be watched and discussed and – like life – should be experienced alongside those you love.

Trailer