REVIEW - 'After Love' (2020)

When you give your whole life to a love that was lost, the pain is unimaginable. It makes you ask questions you never asked and wondered before. Director Aleem Khan finally answers those questions for us with “After Love,” a thoughtful and genuine story about what a woman in grief will do after losing her great love.

“After Love” is about Mary, a woman who lost her husband, Ahmed unexpectedly; he was the love of her life. Mary and Ahmed fought and worked hard for their love from the beginning; but the film shows us that not only Mary was left alive alone, she was also the only one working hard for their love in the end. She discovered her husband’s lover Genevieve and their son Solomon, living together just across the island where her husband’s ship docked from time to time. The film shows us the beauty of Dover and Calais, and how the truths of the two wives weaves well between the two islands, both isolated and alone.

Coming to Grips with Grief; with a Twist

The film shows how hard it was for Mary to grasp what she lost in this long-term relationship. Her pain became unbearable to imagine; but you’ll be able to feel it throughout her longing as she looks at the sea, her prayers that was paused from time-to-time as she doubts faithfulness, the repeated listening to Ahmed’s voice message, and her secret stares of envy towards Genevieve and Solomon.

But the story turns even more interesting as she gets into Genevieve and Solomon’s life. She sees that their life wasn’t as grand as a family. In Ahmed’s absence, Genevieve continues to lie to herself as a satisfied second wife, while Solomon is seeking for understanding from both of his parents. It was at this moment that Mary realizes she is not completely alone in grieving for her husband’s presence.

Aleem Khan took guts to tell something thought to be incomprehensible—but he shows it to us in visual and sound. And to think that this is his feature debut and a story—and one very close to the heart—Aleem’s potential on directing and writing looks promising

Joanna Scanlan and Nathalie Richard in a scene from “After Love.” (Photo: BBC Films).

A Film that Begs Your Attention Throughout

You really have to pay attention as you watch Joanna Scanlan, who plays Mary. She does something not easy to interpret, not even to say it in just plain words. You can see her sincerity and patience to portray this character. She might not be your usual A-lister Hollywood actress, but her performance is truly impressive and deserves the recognition on this year’s BAFTAS.

“After Love” can be dragging at first, but it has a heart that not everyone sees very often, and that makes the film worthwhile. Stories like this will make you think about blaming Ahmed for making this mess. You’d accept the outrage and devastated feelings between the two women, and maybe they would confront and fight each other. But Mary shows us another way. She offers an improbable act to honor what’s left of her and give something that she fought so hard for with her husband back then. She loved and welcomed Genevieve and Solomon in her life. And Mary loved and accepted their grief towards Ahmed’s death. Because after losing her greatest love, she embraced a new love.