My Sailor, My Love

What happens when an aging sea captain ought not stay alone anymore? What can an adult daughter do? Grace (Catherine Walker) faces this predicament and hires Annie (Bríd Brennan), a gentle soul to care for mammoth Howard (James Cosmo).

Howard speaks not one word to her until Annie has set a fine meal in front of him. Then, after asking what his daughter pays her, he says, “I’ll give you five (hundred) if you never darken my doorstep again.”

Annie gasps, gathers her rain slicker, and leaves. This might be when their gentle love story begins—or does it begin when Howard finds his captain’s uniform drycleaned? Or when he comes to her place with flowers in hand?

There’s no more adversarial drama between them, and instead viewers watch a tender exchange of cemetery visits and life stories shared. Their late love is soft and quiet.

However, drama springs up elsewhere. Grace, the captain’s daughter, can’t accept Annie is a kind force in her aging father’s life.

Director Klaus Härö is an award-winning Finnish director who received the Ingmar Bergman Award early in his career. My Sailor, My Love was his first English-language film. His upcoming film, Never Alone, concerns a Jewish businessman fighting to save Jews from the Gestapo.

James Cosmo is a Scottish actor whose career began in 1965 and has been active in TV and film. His credits include Campbell in Braveheart. Bríd Brennan is a Tony-winning Irish stage and film actress.

I’d quibble with the review on Roger-Ebert.com that uses the phrase “overly trite.” I didn’t see anything “overly trite” in this gem.

But the plot angle in My Sailor, My Love isn’t sharp or high. Rather the story is a quiet, character-driven one. I wouldn’t have missed its tender scenes, glimpses into aging and late loves. The content isn’t adult, but the themes matter to those of us older now. (Amazon Prime Video)