A sweeping romance set at a bohemian artist colony called the Lamorna Group on the picturesque coast of pre-war England, SUMMER IN FEBRUARY is based on the true story of painter Sir Alfred Munnings (Dominic Cooper, Captain America) and his blue-blood best friend Gilbert (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey). Munnings rises to become one of the premier artists of his time, winning the affection of beauty Florence Carter-Wood (Emily Browning, Pompeii). But when Gilbert falls for Florence as well, a love triangle emerges with tragic consequences.
Set in 1913.
Starring Dominic Cooper, Dan Stevens, Emily Browning.
Note: This one nearly made the Period Dramas: Ones to Skip list, because the story feels disjointed and hard to follow at the start, and it grows bleak and then bleaker. The lead role of character Munnings, known as A. J., is unlikeable and the whole thing feels a bit melodramatic a la made for television Sunday fare and provides little real information about the Lamorna Group. However, it squeaked by here because of the cast (hello Dan Stevens, aka Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey) and because it was shot in Cornwall, in locations including Penzance, Lamorna and Prussia Cove. Producer Jeremy Cowdrey explained “We could have filmed it anywhere in the world but we were determined to do it here, where it all happened. It’s a true story and, because it’s about a Bohemian artists’ colony, the exciting thing is to recreate it, splash Cornwall and bring the county alive.” Some moments held up well romantically, and Browning’s artist smock dress was stunning.