Directed by Dave McKean, who is better known as a visual artist and comic book illustrator, Luna tells the story of two couples, once close but recently estranged, who reunite for a weekend to celebrate the 45th birthday of Dean (Michael Maloney), a successful artist and longtime friend of Grant (Ben Daniels) ever since they met at art school. Grant hasn't drawn since the death of his infant child, and his wife Christine (Dervla Kirwan) still has visions of the child who might have been, which McKean presents in dreamlike fantasy scenes and animated sequences. Dean is now with a younger woman (Stephanie Leonidas), which makes him self-conscious around his old friends. The film slips into emotionally heavy territory, exploring grief and guilt, success and disappointment, personal creativity and professional compromise, and the tensions of old friends with unresolved issues, and it plays like a chamber drama (set in an isolated beachside manor) with fantasy interludes. Unfortunately, while this is an earnest, personal film that explores the theme of art and creativity as healing forces, Luna lacks the dramatic nuance that would bring such complex conflicts to life. Optional. (S. Axmaker)
Luna
BBC, 106 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 Volume 33, Issue 1
Luna
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: