My Summer of Love (DVD, 2005)

Acclaimed director Pawel Pawlikowski's MY SUMMER OF LOVE is a dreamy, poetic ode to adolescent infatuation and the dangerous feelings it ignites. Mona (Natalie Press) lives upstairs from a pub in a small Yorkshire town with her brother Phil (Paddy Considine), an ex-convict turned religious freak. When she befriends the beautiful Tamsin (Emily Blunt), her formerly bland days are suddenly filled with purpose. Though they are from different social classes, Mona and Tamsin still make an immediate connection. The teenagers wander around the lush countryside and lounge in Tamsin's enormous mansion. Soon, they find that they share a deep attraction with one another, sparking a romance that is as unexpected as it is electrifying. Of course, Phil disapproves of Mona's actions, yet that isn't the only force that is conspiring to keep them apart. Pawlikowski's (LAST RESORT) adaptation of Helen Cross's novel is a gem of a film, an intimate drama that captures the burst of first love with remarkable clarity. Featuring assured performances from newcomers Press and Blunt, and gorgeous photography by Ryszard Lenczewski, MY SUMMER OF LOVE confirms Pawlikowski's status as one of world cinema's most engaging auteurs.