Longing movie storyline. An English language adaptation of “Ga’agua”, an affecting multi-award winning dramedy from writer director Savi Gabizon. Daniel, a wealthy bachelor in his 60s, discovers his Canadian ex-girlfriend gave birth to a son he never knew 20 years ago and that the boy has died. As he explores his dead son’s life and gets to know him vicariously through those closest to him, Daniel is forced to evaluate the life choices that have led him to this crossroad.
Longing is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Savi Gabizon. It stars Richard Gere, Suzanne Clément, and Diane Kruger. It is a remake of Gabizon’s 2017 Israeli film. Longing was released in Canada by Mongrel Media on June 7, 2024. It was also released in the United States on the same day in limited theaters by Lionsgate Films.
Plausibility complaints always feel cheap, but “Longing” strains credulity well past the breaking point. This is the Israeli writer-director Savi Gabizon’s second try at this premise — he is remaking his 2017 feature of the same title — but it is difficult to imagine that it ever made sense. The movie opens with Daniel (Richard Gere) meeting a former partner, Rachel (Suzanne Clément). He has little time for her, until she drops a bombshell. When they separated, she was pregnant, and their son, Allen, unknown to Daniel, has just died at 19 in a car accident. Daniel travels to Hamilton, Ontario, where they lived, and things get even stranger. Daniel arrives for a graveside memorial service, but no one is present except a priest. Rachel’s husband, Robert (Kevin Hanchard), later informs Daniel that Rachel has been in the hospital for two days. But did Allen have no other friends or relatives? “Longing” soon turns into a series of mostly one-on-one interactions in which people tell Daniel about Allen. Allen’s friend (Wayne Burns) asks Daniel for money that he and Allen owed a drug dealer. Daniel finds that Allen had an obsession with a teacher (Diane Kruger) that escalated to the point of expulsion and possible police involvement. Most disturbingly, Daniel learns that Allen had been staying long-term not with Rachel and Robert but with another family and may have been preying on the family’s underage daughter (Jessica Clement). Unfathomably, Daniel does not immediately question Rachel and Robert about this news. Is the city of Hamilton playing an elaborate prank on the self-absorbed Daniel? No, everything is on the level. Gere coasts on movie star charisma, a quality that apparently enables Daniel to remain cool when any rational person would be continually enraged. Directed by: Savi Gabizon Views: 37
Longing (2024)
Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Kruger, Suzanne Clément, Marnie McPhail, Stuart Hughes, Jessica Clement, Jessikah Roberts, Lexi Crowe, Kevin Hanchard, Daniel DeSanto, Izaak Smith
Screenplay by: Savi Gabizon
Cinematography by: Paul Sarossy
Film Editing by: Tali Helter-Shenkar
Costume Design by: Ruth Secord
Set Decoration by: Andy Loew
Art Direction by: Corinna Schmitt-Porsia
Music by: Owen Pallett
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual content, partial nudity and language.
Distributed by: Mongrel Media (Canada)
Release Date: June 7, 2024
