Trailer Talk: ‘Summer In February’ For Dominic Cooper and Emily Browning

Looks like we have our first low key film of the summer. Compared to the big powerhouse films, our first look at Summer In February is drastically different from what we usually see during that time of year. Having a first look at its trailer, Summer In February stars Dominic Cooper and Emily Browning in a pre-WWI love triangle.

Based on the novel by Jonathan Smith, who is also the screenwriter of Summer In February, the film follows a marriage that is seemingly doomed after a love triangle ensues. Directed by Christopher Menaul, the arc of the triangle is developed between painter Alfred Munnings (Dominic Cooper), who is a famous British artist and took an important stand against modernism. The artist marries Florence Carter-Wood (Emily Browning), but Florence’s heart belongs to the artist’s best friend Gilbert Evans (Dan Stevens from Downtown Abbey).

When interviewed about the film, actress Hattie Morahan said of Summer in February:
“It’s based on real events, real characters and is a love triangle, it’s quite sad, passionate, romantic and is about a particular group of artists, down in Lamorna in Cornwall. Dame Laura Knight is an extraordinary, well-known British painter who is married to another painter and it’s this rather wonderful Bohemian wild, seaside life, full of art and parties and friendship.”

It’s odd to see a period drama among the big blockbusters of the summer, but there is something that appeals to audiences about this genre. Morahan offered up an explanation, “I think there’s something escapist about it because it’s in a different era and different when it comes to romantic things, there were far more strictures on people’s lives and obstacles and different pressures on people which make for good drama.”

Check out the trailer for Summer In February: