Terence Davies followed his masterpiece debut Distant Voices, Still Lives with The Long Day Closes, a meditation on his adolescence. It follows a very similar style with a series of surreal but verite vignettes of 1950s life mixed with familiar songs. It's more polished than Distant Voices, often having some incredibly impressive camera moves, but with removing that grime comes its downfall. The film lacks vital drama. Even with Distant Voices' scattered scenes, there's conflict in every one of them. The suffering in The Long Day Closes seems internal or invisible and it's difficult for the film to communicate its intense feelings through the characters and atmosphere. While some delightful contrasts are made between home, school and cinema, the solace of the movies don't have their impact without a reason to need them. Perhaps the film should've steered far away from Distant Voices' style as it feels like a watered down version, revealing too much and saying too little. However, its intricate production and sensitive aesthetic make it a worthwhile if overly subdued viewing. I hope Davies' other films are more satisfying.
7/10
7/10