A LIFE IN AUGUST: Intimate Melodrama Doesn’t Quite Reach The Heights

Harry and Lisa’s marriage is gradually fading into nothingness in the quiet countryside of Scotland. Heavily pregnant Lisa (Lisa Miller) is trying to save their relationship in time for the upcoming arrival, while Harry (Haston McLaren) is absorbed in his own traumas, more content to spend time with his airplanes that at home. Director and writer (as well as star) McLaren chooses to focus on the quiet downfall of a relationship that has nowhere to go.

Scottish Countryside in Focus

The idyllic and stunning scenery of the Scottish countryside is on full display throughout A Life in August, as McLaren exploits every inch of the screen to highlight the stark beauty of the surroundings. During the opening few minutes, a misty sunrise seeps the fields in a pale golden light, the quiet stirring of humanity is barely noticeable in these moments of pure peace. McLaren takes his time in immersing the viewer in the the sheer beauty of the morning, sharp black silhouettes of trees contrasting sharply with a colourful sunrise as the countryside begins to come slowly to life.

Interesting moments of cinematography pepper the film: the dark rainy streets of the city, black cobbles slick with rain, a single figure moving slowly through, their stripped umbrella drawing instant attention. At one point Harry escapes to the coast, and lies down defeated on a lonely pier in defeat as the waves swirl beneath him, as he collapses, barely moving as he tries to deal with the unspoken and unmentioned trauma that threatens to overwhelm him.

A Strong Performance in an Uneven Film

Lisa Miller‘s performance as Lisa is arguably the heart of the film. Six months pregnant while filming was taking place, Miller manages to blend an unflinching determination to fix her relationship with a slowly increasing vulnerability as her attempts go unrecognised by her husband. Her efforts to maintain a semblance of a relationship are not so much as dismissed as they are completed not even registered.

After their first unsuccessful meeting with a marriage counsellor, Lisa’s frustration at Harry’s complete lack of interest in both her and their unborn child comes to a head, with an intense argument in the confines of their car as the rain falls around them. While Lisa is for the first time able to express the pain and isolation that she feels in their relationship, the cuts between the interior and exterior of the car undercuts this display of emotion as the sound moves between their argument and the outside noises with little rhyme or reason.

Chekhov’s Plane

There are some odd narrative and editing choices throughout A Life in August that make it a difficult film to follow and even enjoy to the extent the performances deserve. Chekhov’s Gun, or in this case, Plane, isn’t a hard and fast rule of filmmaking and can often be subverted in different ways to make a film more interesting.

Harry’s interest in planes – which is presented as both a job and a hobby but never entirely clarified – is established as both a key aspect in the synopsis of the film as well as the opening scenes, but never examined beyond that. While aesthetically this allows McLaren to display more of the beauty of the wild countryside of Scotland, the audience isn’t presented with a true reason as to why he uses this as an escape until the final third of the film, by which time any interests as to why exactly this has become a coping mechanism begins to fade.

Unexplained Trauma Isn’t a Shorthand for Character Development

The childhood tragedy that unpins Harry’s disinterest in his relationship and child is indicated at the beginning of the film, as he searches through the cupboards of his deceased father’s house and find an old film reel which he quickly hides back away. McLaren‘s decision to use that juddering, home video, 1970s style footage later as a dream/memory sequence is an effective piece of filmmaking that utilized the uneasy and almost uncanny nature of silent footage to truly encapsulate the not-quite-there reality of dreams.

By this point in the film however, it is hard to truly maintain any significant interest in Harry or any of the other characters as the limited dialogue and disconcerting editing choices deny the audience a chance to understand or sympathise with them.

A Life in August: A Failed Takeoff?

A Life in August has some strong points, and McLaren‘s role as director, writer, star and composer is impressive – as is the dedication to making a film that uses a minimal cast to good effect. However the narrative and editing choices make for an unfortunately uneven watch.

What are your favourite films in which someone has multiple roles in production and development? Let us know in the comments! 

For more information about A Life in August, please visit the film’s website here.