"Yes,"
Simon Bird's directorial film debut is an absolute delight. It is a gentle, warm slice-of-life British suburban drama that mostly centres on the relationship between a very ordinary middle-aged divorced librarian mother and her stereotypical moody heavy-metal-loving teenage son as they negotiate a whole summer together when his trip to visit his father in Florida falls through. It negotiates the blandness of suburban life and the inner lives of the lead characters extremely well through well-controlled pace and well-placed emotional beats, reflecting their shared but juxtaposed everyday lives rather than heightening them for effect. Monica Dolan and Earl cave are spot-on with their characterisations and interactions, the lovely Belle & Sebastian songs add an almost dream-like Summer quality, and there are a lot of funny and touching moments that will ring true for a lot of viewers. Not only an assured and promising debut for Simon Bird, Days Of The Bagnold Summer is a pleasure to watch.
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