The Souvenir

2019
R
2h

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

15K

YOUR RATING

Tom Burke and Honor Swinton Byrne in The Souvenir (2019)

A young film student becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man. Starring Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, and Tilda Swinton.

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Drama Romance

A young film student in the early '80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.A young film student in the early '80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.A young film student in the early '80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

15K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 7 wins & 37 nominations

Trivia
Joanna Hogg wrote the script based on her real-life experiences while attending film school in London in the early '80s. Tilda Swinton and Hogg have been friends since they were ten years old, and Swinton witnessed Hogg's relationship at the time. All actors read the script except for Honor Swinton Byrne. Director Joanna Hogg gave her instead her diaries from the early '80s, notes, photographs, and old scripts and films she wrote and made at that time. She was told to improvise every scene, while the rest of the cast had scripts but were still told to react to her as well as they could. Hogg also gave Tom Burke old letters, recordings, and drawings from the man his character is based on.

Quotes
Anthony: We don't know what the inner machinations of their mind are, or their heart. We don't know. But that's what we want to know when we go and see a film. We don't wanna just see life played out as is. We wanna see life as it is experienced, within this soft machine, within this...
Julie: But the life of Tony and his mother, they're the lives of real people. I'm not- I'm not making that up.
Anthony: Why are they more real than me?
Julie: They're not more real than you.
Anthony: Am I more real than you?
Julie: No. I think we're all equal in that. I think we're all as real as each other. There's no competition. It doesn't matter that they're not real people. I mean, I'm not trying to make a documentary. I'm just- you know, I'm making a feature film.
Anthony: Now, are you sure?
Julie: Yes, I am. I'm making a feature film.

Crazy credits
The credits end with "The Souvenir Part 2 coming soon"

Connections
Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Movies of 2019 (So Far) (2019)

Soundtracks
Ghost Town (Extended Version)
Performed by The Specials
Written by Jerry Dammers
Licenced courtesy of Chrysalis Records Ltd.
Publishing by BMG Rights Management UK Ltd., a BMG Company

User reviews158

Review

Featured review

I've just painted a wall you could take a look at

I am sure that the film makers tried to portray the problems of an awful relationship. Unfortunately they didn't try hard enough.

Some thoughts: Ponderous Unbelievable characters Unbelievable plot Unbelievable relationship realisation of true events All the actors should've impro'd not just Julie. Poor acting No tension Disjointed scenes Seemed like a film student's first attempt to make a film The dogs were great.

I see that there will be a Part 2 - I won't bother.