A gay couple living in San Francisco takes in two strangers traveling from Italy to start a new life in America, discovering each other and forming the most unlikely of relationships along the way.
Artfully calculated and authentically felt, the unexpectedly effective "Summertime" combines the conventional structure of classic movie romance with a sensual same-sex frankness that couldn't be more up-to-date.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jul 2016
fresh:
While the physical contrasts between Ms. de France and Ms. Higelin are striking, the differences of temperament and background that separate their characters rarely feel simplified.
– A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
21 Jul 2016
fresh:
What makes Summertime really refreshing is that it doesn't treat its central romance as anything but wholly normal, despite the attitude of other characters, or indeed, the tenor of the time in which it is set.
– Glenn Kenny,
RogerEbert.com,
22 Jul 2016
rotten:
Two dull people have a dull love affair in "Summertime," a French drama that drags on like an August afternoon.