Parents' Guide to Tell That to the Winter Sea

Stilted exchanges, wistful glances, and plenty of cliché clutter up this gentle drama about two women with an unresolved past. Tell That to the Winter Sea reveals glimpses of a more poignant film, and at times a more entertaining one, but struggles to bring its thoughts together into a coherent whole. There's an interesting premise at the heart, of two women who fell in love as teenagers, drifted apart in early adulthood, and now face one preparing to marry a man and begin a life somewhat different to the one she originally had planned. There are some artful scenes of the women dancing together in a field, mirrored by the pair practicing routines on the beach as teenagers, which connect their worlds together through shared passion and history. But when they're left to their own devices in the house, things feel measured and awkward, as they read aloud from books, get lost in classical music, and float together in a pool. Thankfully the other friends arrive to inject some energy, Tamsin Egerton in particular a saving grace every time she steps on-screen. But even these supporting characters lean into cliché and stereotype. The script touches on issues such as eating disorders, depression, and possible sexual assault, as well as constant talk of gender differences. But none are really explored and, on a few occasions, they're brushed aside jarringly quickly. There are swells of emotion and humor, but nothing ever gains much momentum, leaving the film drifting a little untethered at sea.