A screenwriter lacking inspiration, Adam leads a solitary, not to say reclusive, existence. His isolation is such that he is, for the moment, the only occupant of a new apartment complex. At least he thought so, because one evening, another tenant, Harry, knocked on his door. Harry being as charismatic as he is attractive, the affair that Adam begins with him in the following days is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is the fact that after venturing one night into his old childhood home, Adam is welcomed by his parents who died 30 years earlier. Now, in the unusual and poignant All of Us Strangersthe supernatural has never been so realistic, not to mention familiar.
Loosely inspired by a novel by Taichi Yamada, All of Us Strangers appears after a great festival circuit that began in Telluride. Written and directed by the hyper-talented Andrew Haigh (45 Years/ 45 years old), the film is fundamentally original, both in its story and in the way it is told.
As we wrote from the outset, the fantastic elements are treated using a realistic, factual approach. In that Adam does indeed visit his parents, repeatedly, touches them, hugs them… Daydreams, fantasies, hallucinations? Deciding the question doesn’t matter.
In fact, the use of “ghosts” or “mental projections”, depending on the preferred reading, is only a means to an end. Which ? The exploration of unresolved past traumas that hinder development or, in other words, prevent one from fully living in the present.
An unsaid
In Adam’s case, this wound lies in something unsaid. So when his parents died tragically in a car accident, he was only 12 years old, but he already knew he was gay.
Did his parents suspect it? If so, what did they think? Once the announcement was made, how would they have reacted? GOOD ? Wrong ?
For Adam, all these questions and sub-questions are like a black hole in which he lives without living, adrift. Hence his chosen solitude: how can he let himself go to love when he does not know whether the two people who are supposed to cherish him the most would have continued to love him or not?
It is in order to be clear about this that Adam will have these frank discussions with his parents. The closer the appeasement seems, the more her relationship with Harry gains in intensity and depth.
In this case, this whole romantic aspect recalls, in a beautiful way, Andrew Haigh’s first success, Weekendin which two young men who thought they were having a one-night stand are grappling, in the morning, with feelings that take them by surprise.
Great distribution
As for the other part, that which concerns Adam’s parents, the filmmaker integrates them using a fascinating process. Indeed, before each visit, Adam makes the train journey.
This is both a literal and poetic illustration of the English expression “ train of thought ”, which could be translated as “thread of thoughts”, although in this case, we will prefer “flow of thoughts”, as the result is fluid and evocative.
The staging proves throughout to be rich in visual discoveries that are never ostentatious, always at the service of the story: reflections on reflective surfaces, positioning of the protagonist in the frame, a detail in the composition… In this regard, the film invites you to more than one viewing.
The cast is otherwise great. As loving parents who know they are imperfect and who are all the more endearing, Claire Foy (the series The Crown) and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) are as true as they are wonderful. As a lover next door, Paul Mescal (Aftersun/Under the sun) is of overflowing sensuality — and sensitivity.
The film, however, is that of Andrew Scott (freezing Moriarty in the series Sherlock). At first opaque, distant, the actor reveals nuance after nuance until reaching a skin-deep quality, like an emotional exposure, absolutely overwhelming. A superb work in every respect.