In Olivia Laing’s ’The Lonely City’, they eloquently stated, ”I wanted very much not to be where I was… the feelings I had were so raw and overwhelming that I often wished I could find a way of losing myself altogether.” Charli XCX stars as restless spirit Bethany, who when on holiday with her partner Rob (Will Madden) in Warsaw, runs off and rekindles an old flame with local flower shop owner Nel (Lena Góra). Employing a similar freewheeling technique to the French New Wave, director Pete Ohs’ romantic eruption of Sapphic emotions, lost connections and vanishing acts was filmed following the aftermath of brat summer and written on the fly with the actors also credited on the screenplay. Narration by Jacek Zubiel and a love triangle of sorts brings to mind Francois Truffaut’s Jules et Jim.
When the volcanic ash from an eruption in Iceland leaves flights grounded, Bethany and Rob get stuck in Warsaw. He was planning on proposing but puts that on hold, and as they wander round art galleries and eat at fancy restaurants Bethany becomes distracted. Aware of incoming responsibilities Bethany disappears on private walks, stalking Nel, and eventually evaporating completely. Her escape for freedom with Nel is to party hard and director Ohs makes it feel like an exhilarating whirlwind for Bethany and an isolated hell for Rob.
Happenstance may initially guide these characters, but it’s the meaning they place on it and the choices they make after that, that conveys their true feelings. The cast turn in naturalistic performances with Charli XCX a magnetic presence. Góra’s confident allure matches XCX’s energy with her character stuck in a place of confusion and indecision. Nel loses herself too, dropping plans and even forgetting a date with a significant ex-girlfriend Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska from Ida). With Rob getting pushed to the side, Madden inhabits a strange space representing stability but he isn’t given enough screen time to breathe a full personality into his character. Bethany seems like she’s having so much fun it’s difficult not to get swept up in her story and laugh along at her mischievous shenanigans.
Alongside all the breezy summer vibes and spicy Before Sunrise anticipation, Ohs ably translates what it feels like for Rob to be on the receiving end of this kind of shady behaviour. It’s deeply intuitive filmmaking that will resonate with anyone who has ever been cruelly ghosted. The final third of the film is full of tenderness and understanding for all the insecurity and hurt that brings with it. Each of these three characters feels alienated whether it is self-imposed or thrust upon them, and the film wrestles with the evergreen conundrum of choosing between a situationship or the graft of a real relationship with playful wit and poignant charm. Ironically, flight delays and stopping to smell the roses helps each character to move on to the next point in their journey. Erupcja is a delightful detour that soaks up the sights of Warsaw with a curious eye.
