My Sailor, My Love Movie Review

“My Sailor, My Love” was directed by Klaus Härö, who hails from Porvoo, Finland. I have to tell you a little something about this director. About an achievement he accomplished when he, in 2003, won the Ingmar Bergman Award and was chosen by Ingmar Bergman himself. ​

Härö wrote and directed shorts and documentaries while attending school in Helsinki. Some films include, “Letters to Father Jacob,” “The Fencer,” and “Life After Death” which was made in 2020. He works in Finland and Sweden.

“My Sailor, My Love” was filmed on location in Achill Island in the fall of 2021. Achill is the largest of the Irish Isles and lies off the west coast. Due to where it was shot and Robert Nordström’s cinematography (Nordström has 51 photography credits to his name on IMDB), writers Jimmy Karlsson and Kirsi Vikman’s script and Härö himself, he couldn’t be stopped from having a hit with this film. Jimmy Karlsson and Kirsi Vikman worked with him on a movie called “Mother of Mine,” as well, which was well-liked by the audience.

“My Sailor, My Love” is about two elderly people getting to know one another. Howard (James Cosmo) was once a sailor. His wife Elaine, now dead and gone, lives alone in his filthy house, doing nothing. Caring for nothing. Depressed. Angry. He doesn’t want anything to do with anything or anyone. He’s also quite unhealthy. His daughter Grace (Catherine Walker), a nurse, hires Annie (Brid Brennan) to clean his home a few days a week so he’s not living in squalor.

Howard is anything but pleasant to Annie at first, but one very kind gesture turns his life around. Howard was an Irish Sea Captain. But in an angry mood and feeling no need to keep it, he angrily throws away his Military coat. Annie pulls it from the trash, ensuring that a moment of frustration, which may turn to regret, doesn’t happen. Destroying something essential to his family that he can pass down can’t happen if it’s in the trash bin.

As she gets to know him more, Annie puts light into his life, in more ways than one and he fills a gap in her heart. They begin to fall in love, but the ugliness that comes from not getting his daughter’s seal of approval gets in the way.

While Howard’s life is beginning to improve in the relationship department, we see that Grace’s situation with her husband Martin (Aidan O’Hare) is dying. When we first meet Grace, she is sitting in a room with other people talking about their troubles, be it boyfriend, parents, or life in general. Grace has altered and improved her father’s existence, but in so doing, disregarded Martin so much that he’s ready to move on. She helps everyone and is left to suffer.

Grace doesn’t wait long before she makes that clear to everyone. She needs someone to replace what she has given, but there’s no one there for her.

The movie is beautifully written and shot. This story is romance, drama, generosity, hostility and love. What does one do when you feel responsible for someone who wasn’t there for you, but you must be there for them, giving up everything in order to do it?

How long does a person have to pay for their ignorance when young? Can there indeed be forgiveness and trust afterward?

The performances were perfect, as were the chosen cast. These actors completely fit the part. The one real disappointment was I wish they could have had time to delve further into Howard and Grace’s lives. Grace is challenging to like. Is Howard the sole reason why? One line given by the incredibly compassionate and loving Annie made you believe this area would be covered, but it wasn’t touched upon further. It’s a shame because it could have been a real driving force in understanding some behaviors in the film. One scene, James Cosmo’s Howard, begging for his loving Annie will blow you away. 

I highly recommend “My Sailor, My Love.” It’s very moving so have a tissue on the ready.

In our area, you can see the film at Harkins Shea 14 / Phoenix
Mary D. Fisher Theatre / Phoenix