If Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning turn in The Father and the moderate success of last year’s A Man Called Otto prove anything, it’s that people are always down to see a curmudgeonly old man getting rehabilitated—and that there’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you know how to roll it. Despite walking well-tread but welcome ground, My Sailor, My Love never fully takes advantage of the comfort that comes with repeating familiar story beats. Wrestling between uplifting romance and harrowing family drama, the biggest drawback to Finnish director Klaus Härö’s English-language debut is that it seems undecided on what kind of narrative it wants to pursue.
Set on Achill Island, right off of the west coast of Ireland, My Sailor, My Love focuses on elderly widower Howard (James Cosmo), his overburdened daughter Grace (Annie Walker), and Annie (Brid Brennan), the older caretaker Grace hires to bring structure into Howard’s disordered life. Already harboring a fraught relationship to each other, Howard and Grace’s ties are strained even further when he and Annie become romantically involved, bringing out old resentments from both parties.
It’s difficult to pinpoint Howard as a character. He only ever seems to be badly tempered around his poor daughter, as shown in an early scene where he makes some neighbors laugh right before giving Grace the cold shoulder when she comes by to check on him. We never get a strong reason for Howard’s hatred towards Grace, either. When the catalyst for the rift in their relationship is finally revealed late into the film, it does little to humanize him, which weakens the film’s framing of their relationship as broken beyond repair. The only other person Howard’s cynicism extends to is Annie, the first time she’s hired. Angry that his daughter has enlisted help without his permission, he rejects the meals Annie prepares for him and sends her storming off when he offers her a large sum of money in return for her never coming by his house again. When he visits her the next day to apologize for his actions, it’s unclear what brought about his change of heart, and why she ultimately forgives him.
As such, it’s up to Cosmo and Brennan to breathe life into this underwritten romance—which, fortunately, they do. Cosmo especially stuns, his eyes expressing regret in instances where the script wouldn’t otherwise allow any, and swerving from Logan Roy-degrees of detestability to Carl Fredricksen-levels of charm. Walker is equally compelling in the film’s most challenging role, gradually appearing more hampered and sullen over the course of a narrative that seems to have endless contempt for her. It’s through the cast’s efforts that the audience comes to empathize with these characters—Kirsi Vikman and Jimmy Karlsson’s screenplay doesn’t demand that we do.
Shot with reverence by Robert Nordström, Achill Island’s gorgeous geography is another one of My Sailor, My Love’s high points: The rollicking blue waves and vast greenery add texture and atmosphere to an already emotionally potent narrative. The interior shots are much less compelling though, with the warm tones in Howard’s home failing to fully convey the character’s need for assistance. The same neatness that brings down these early scenes infects other components of My Sailor, My Love. Its patronizingly chaste romance sees physical displays of affection between its protagonists never go further than a peck on the cheek. My Sailor, My Love’s script simply feels too tidy, refusing to engage with the ideological tensions between Howard and Annie, or fully develop the conflict between Howard and Grace. The result is a tearjerker that’s formidable, but not entirely cohesive.
Director: Klaus Härö
Writer: Kirsi Vikman, Jimmy Karlsson
Starring: James Cosmo, Catherine Walker, Bríd Brennan
Release Date: September 22, 2023
Ursula Muñoz S. is a critic, journalist and MFA candidate at Boston University who has previously written for news and entertainment outlets in Canada and the United States. Her work has appeared at Xtra, Cineaste, Bright Wall/Dark Room and more. For further reading, feel free to follow her on Substack and X, where she muses about Taylor Swift and Pedro Almodóvar (among other things).