Tell That to the Winter Sea

In the flashbacks throughout Tell That to the Winter Sea, nothing has been done to make the women look younger except to give Jo dark hair instead of the blonde she has in the present. The impression is that instead of seeing the past, we are glimpsing the memory of times the two shared. The group is a balanced blend of congenial personalities. Josette Simon, as Kat, brings lively energy to the situation as she regales them with stories of her life as a strong, independent woman. The ladies dress in white finery and dance, dine, drink, and make vows around a fire. There’s a sense of pagan goddess ceremonies in their rituals. The women enjoy an easy, safe sisterhood for their time together. The house is elegant, stylish, and so beautifully appointed that it becomes a character. The atmosphere is as if people in blue jeans were wandering around the sets of Bridgerton.

“…pitch-perfect.”

The music, cinematography, pacing, and performances are all pitch-perfect. The film flows out languid and lush. There’s no hurry nor flaming emotional crises. There’s just quiet English desperation as Jo and Scarlet are faced with the necessity of letting go of the past and looking ahead to an uncertain future. The film’s vibrant cinematography looks like fine art come to life. Bethany and Bellamacina have been long-time collaborators. The relationship between Jo and Scarlet has such an uncanny authenticity that it’s fair to wonder if it’s based on the filmmaker’s real relationship and lives.

One of the most brilliant decisions in Tell That to the Winter Sea involves the story arc. The traditional pattern of a script is that events cause a change for the characters. Here, the changes have already come, and the characters must catch up and adapt to the facts as reality sinks in. This is a soft-focus glimpse into the complications of relationships and the changes brought as time pulls us into new stages of life.