Director: Lisa Langseth
Writer: Lisa Langseth (Screenplay)
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Eva Green, Charles Dance, Charlotte Rampling, Mark Stanley, Adrian Lester
Plot: Sisters in conflict travelling through Europe toward a mystery destination.
Tagline – It’s never too late.
Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Strong Drama
Story: Euphoria starts when two sisters, Ines (Vikander) and Emilie (Green) reunite after years away from each other, Emilie wants Ines to go on a journey with her, one that takes them across Europe, which is where her secret for reason to travel is happening.
The sisters arrive at a specialist facility, run by Marina (Rampling), which has a surprise for Ines, as she learns that Emilie has been planning her own assisted suicide, wanting her sister by her side through the process.
Thoughts on Euphoria
Characters – Emilie is the sister that wants Ines to join her on a journey, once they arrive, we learn that she is dying and has chosen to end her life at this retreat, hoping to end her life on good terms with her sister. Ines is an artist that has been known around the world, she joins her sister and is left in shock with the news, not wanting her to follow through, needing to have a crash course on her mentality. Mr Daren is another patient at the retreat, he shows Ines what the time means to somebody, a final moment before needing to end the suffering, even if it shows his wealth being the reason, he can do this. Marina runs the retreat, she has always been calm and understands the sudden change in emotions from guest during this difficult time.
Performances – Alice Vikander and Eva Green are wonderful in the leading roles, they show such strength together despite the differences the characters are going through. Charles Dance does bring a different side to the film, showing how this process can be dealt with in a different way, with Charlotte Rampling bringing the calm required through the film.
Story – The story here follows two sisters that go on a journey, only for one to surprise the other with the destination, a retreat for assisted suicide and the two must use their remaining time to, to catch up and remember the moments in their life. This story could easily get into the talking points of whether this is a correct decision, both ethical and moral, though it doesn’t waste time on that, rather than focusing on the two sisters needing to come to terms with each other’s decision. It shows that family will always be around for you no matter what.
Adventure/Mystery – The adventure seems to follow just how the two head to an unknown location, though it does seem to be more about personal moment, with the mystery coming out early.
Settings – The film does use the retreat the main location, this does show us how the location was important for the film to unfold. It shows us that the rich could afford this luxury.
Scene of the Movie – The first meeting shock.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We don’t dive into the moral decision enough.
Final Thoughts – This is an emotional drama that does get to tackle the true facts about how difficult life can be with an illness that will make you suffer and how two sisters deal with this time.
Overall: Emotional Drama.
