Paul Mescal brings the same introspective charm that gently lit ‘Normal People’ and ‘Aftersun’ to the role of Lionel, a golden-voiced singing student of humble rural origins who is gifted with synaesthesia wherein stimulation of one sense triggers experience of another.
Josh O’Connor’s ethno-musicologist David is more angular, urbane and theatrical, flamboyant of gesture with a slightly smug smirk. He also possesses a photographic - or rather phonographic - memory for folk songs.
When the two men embark on a field trip, their journey of musical discovery leads to mutual discovery, and the two fall in love. The lead performances are remarkable, particularly Mescal’s - just to watch him listening is galvanizing.
This beautiful-looking, measured period piece is allowed to resonate quietly and linger in the mind and ears of the viewer.
