In the scorching heat of a Spanish summer, Rose (Fiona Shaw) and her daughter and carer Sofia (Emma Mackey) travel to the seaside town of Almería. Rose is suffering from chronic pain and is unable to walk. She has paid €25,000 to consult a healer called Gómez (Vincent Perez). With rare free time, Sofia explores the local area and meets free-spirited traveller Ingrid (Vicky Krieps).
Rebecca Lenkiewicz, who also directs, adapted this from a book by Deborah Levy and I was left wondering if as much was left unexplained in the source material. The screenplay is full of hints and half told reminiscences about both Rose’s and Ingrid’s past. Just when parallels start to be drawn between the two women, the plot takes a turn.
There is what seems like a pointless diversion as Sofia visits her father in Athens, and an odd subplot involving a dog. However, the performances – especially from Shaw – are excellent and the ending is one of the best I have seen this year.
The end results are a film that is often frustratingly, and deliberately, opaque. But I also think it is one that will stick in the memory more than some superficially more gripping movies.
Rating: 6 out of 10