The Seagull is based on the Anton Chekov play of the same name written in 1895. Now if you’re a modern kid who didn’t dig literature or history at school, don’t quit reading now. I mean, do what you want guys but you’re here now so you might as well finish what you’ve started.
I hadn’t read the play when I saw the film and didn’t know the story at all. No knowledge, no dramas! Annette Bening is the leading lady in this in every sense - she plays Irina who is a vain and selfish actress who is awful to her son Konstantin (Billy Howle), a tortured young man trying to make a future as a writer. Various connections of Irina and Kostantin feature including Saoirse Ronan as Konstatin’s love interest Nina, Corey Stoll as Irina’s much younger love interest Boris and Elizabeth Moss as Masha, the daughter of the housekeepers. Masha’s melancholy provides some light relief throughout, ironically.
I liked The Seagull but didn’t love it. It’s a good story, as you’d expect from a piece of work that’s stood the test of time since 1895 (!), and Annette Bening and Elizabeth Moss both give terrific performances that provide light relief. If you’re familiar with the play or dug history and/or literature at school you’re probably best placed to enjoy this one. I tend to agree with this review in The Guardian which gives it 3 stars from 5.
Trailer here. In cinemas 4 October.