As you delve into Andrew Haigh's uncanny world of his latest film "All of Us Strangers", the penetrating golden light illuminating the vacant apartment building commands your attention. The light feels almost sentient, as if selectively spotlighting this building. Even weirder is the building itself, floating in the ether of space with time either constricting or sprawling out endlessly around it. Housing merely two residents, it enables the lore of an improbable love story to emerge and provides a conduit for dialogue with the departed.
Like rays of sunlight refracting through the building's windows, "All of Us Strangers" carries forward Haigh's interest in love and intimacy, as evidenced from his directorial forays "Weekend" and "45 Years". While 'Weekend' traced the evolution of a one-night encounter into a more lasting relationship, '45 Years' showcased the shattering of a long-standing love. Both films bore testimony to Haigh's knack for understanding human behavior, his careful handling of actors, and his ability to create room for emotional exploration.
The essence of "All of Us Strangers" is brought vividly to life by the troika of Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell who leave their indelible imprints on screen. In this atmospheric film, Scott portrays Adam, a screenwriter engrossed in the enigma of the golden light. His solitary life becomes intertwined with Harry (Mescal), a charming albeit intoxicated fellow resident craving companionship.
Taking a bus ride to revisit his childhood home, Adam encounters an unlikely pair - his deceased parents (Foy and Bell) trapped in time at the age they passed in a car accident when Adam was 12. Detailing how he has navigated life, Adam's reunions with his specter parents inspire a mixed bag of emotions that overflow into interactions with Harry, his mother and father, each scene bursting with themes of loss, love and redemption.
The director, known for his careful handling of human emotions, manages the subject matter with a subtle touch. The film, inspired by Japanese novelist Taichi Yamada's 1987 novel Strangers, portrays the protagonist's endeavor to come to terms with his past, face his present and his attempts to dispose of his metaphorical camouflage. The shock of losing both parents at a tender age reverberates through his life, shaping it in unimaginable ways. The surreal reunions are not without their shocks and surprises- when Adam breaks the news of his orientation to his mother, it meets with initial resistance, tinged with worries about loneliness and sadness.
The performances by the cast members infuse life into a premise that could easily have become overly sentimental. The actors bring to the fore not just the spoken dialogue, but also the underlying emotions that lend the supernatural "All of Us Strangers" a touch of reality It gives the audience a glimpse of how a reunion with lost loved ones might actually feel like- the wish to share the unsaid, the urgency to speak the truth and the yearning to be remembered.
The film delicately unfolds the burgeoning relationship between Harry and Adam, characterized by a disquieting balance of desire and discomfort. Despite the erratic narrative in the climax that seems somewhat forced, the meaningful interactions among characters successfully draw audiences into the celluloid universe.
While "All of Us Strangers" might seem an extended family therapy session to some, the profound emotions it triggered in me obliterated my ability to retain critical distance. Through the film, I lived out my fantasy of reconnecting with my father, assuring him that all is well and feeling the familiarity of his laughter once again. It swept me off into a tide of overwhelming emotions, causing me to forfeit further analysis. Simply put, "All of Us Strangers" struck me at my core.
