Movie review – The Last Letter from your Lover

Thank you to the Tandem Collective and Studio Canal for the opportunity to join in with the watch-a-long for the opening weekend of The Last Letter from your Lover, based on the book by Jojo Moyes.

What is the movie about?

Adapted from Jojo Moyes’ best-selling novel, THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER is a passionate, dual-narrative love story set in the French Riviera and London during the 1960s and present day. It tells the tale of elegant Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) and how her life becomes inextricably interwoven with that of Ellie Haworth (Felicity Jones) in life-changing events which connect them across almost half a century. Jennifer lives a luxurious life with her wealthy and powerful husband Laurence (Joe Alwyn).

When an unfortunate event wipes her memory, she struggles to find her identity until she stumbles upon wistful love letters hidden in her home. The passionate notes unravel a star-crossed love affair she had with foreign correspondent Anthony O’Hare (Callum Turner) and ultimately lead her to discover her true self.

Jennifer’s story becomes intertwined with that of Ellie, a whip-smart journalist in contemporary London, who discovers and becomes enthralled by these love letters from a bygone era. As she begins to piece them together with the help of archivist Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan), she sets off on a journey that will entangle the two women’s lives forever.

My thoughts:

So my 501st blog post is a review for the film adaptation of the book, The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes. I had my first solo cinema trip to our local Cineworld on Friday afternoon, with drinks and popcorn from my box of goodies.

The film moves seamlessly between the 1960’s and the modern day. I loved the outfits and settings for the 1960’s – Shailene Woodley looked so elegant as Jennifer in the little sports car in the Riveria. I also fell in love with the library in the Stirling family home.

The modern day story was also portrayed well, allowing us to look at both how similar and how different life was for women in the two time periods. I loved the comment about how people don’t write letters now but send texts with emojis. How will historians and journalists be able to find out about our lives in sixty years time?

I only usually visit the cinema for the big blockbuster movies (Bond, Marvel, Star Wars) but I have now been converted – the cinematography of this movie was perfect for the big screen.

I’ve only just started reading the book, but I’m happy to say I loved the movie and I’m happy to recommend it. This emotional film is full of romance, humour, sadness and hope. It is currently showing in over 500 cinemas in the UK.

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn, Callum Turner, Nabhaan Rizwan

Director: Augustine Frizzell