Young adulthood is a time of discovery. It's when many people create the foundation of who they are by way of experimentation and exploration. The Summer of Sangaile has a very great message about conquering your fears and living up to potential. The film delves into these issues head-on as it tries to soar to great heights, but sadly it's hindered by a lack of coherency and isn't able to recover.
The film follows a young girl named Sangaile (Julija Steponaityte) who tries to overcome her anxieties of flying during the course of a summer. She finds solace with the help of a rambunctious free spirit named Auste (Aiste Dirziute) who helps her explore areas of her life, such as liberation and sexuality, while unlocking a secret that's been hard to deal with alone. The chemistry between these actresses was electric and I was drawn to Sangaile's insecurities as well as Auste's character that was refreshing due to her more carefree and expressive personality. They balanced each other really well and kept the film from being a complete dud.
Director Alante Kavaite does a masterful job creating characters that feel realistic so the audience can connect with them on an emotional level. The cinematography created a fairy tale-esque vibe during some of the coming-of-age moments, but the sequence in which the story was laid out made for a more laborious experience. Many of the scenes went nowhere and some seemed misplaced, although a proper edit may have fixed some of these continuity issues, and possibly propelled this film to higher rating.
The groundwork is there for Kavaite to really flourish as a director, but The Summer of Sangaile doesn't quite click and as a viewer I was left wanting more. I can only recommend this film for the acting and some beautiful cinematography as the story gets lost in the shuffle.
