Ali & Ava

2022 1h 35m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 66

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Sparks fly after Ali and Ava meet through their shared affection for Sofia, the child of Ali’s tenants whom Ava teaches. Ali finds comfort in Ava’s warmth and kindness while Ava finds Ali’s complexity and humour irresistible. As the pair begin to form a deep connection they have to find a way to keep their newfound passion from being overshadowed by the stresses and struggles of their separate lives and histories.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Adeel Akhtar
Ali
Claire Rushbrook
Ava
Natalie Gavin
Dawn
Macy Shackleton
Venice
Ellora Torchia
Runa
Shaun Thomas
Callum
Mona Goodwin
Michelle
Krupa Pattani
Usma

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Clio Barnard
Writers: Clio Barnard
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Clio Barnard, shot by Ole Bratt Birkeland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harry Escott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Maya Maffioli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook and Natalie Gavin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt11559472 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 66 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Clio Barnard directs. Ole Bratt Birkeland behind the camera. Harry Escott scores. Maya Maffioli cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 4 years ago.
2Directed by Clio Barnard, shot by Ole Bratt Birkeland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Harry Escott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Maya Maffioli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook and Natalie Gavin carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt11559472 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 66 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ole Bratt Birkeland
Original score: Harry Escott
Editing: Maya Maffioli
Production design: Stéphane Collonge
Costume design: Sophie O'Neill
Makeup / hair: Fiona Lobo-Cranston
VFX supervisor: Jacopo Landi
Sound: Martin Jensen
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Ali & Ava (2022)

Also by

Clio Barnard

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-04
★ 6/10
"Ava" (Claire Rushbrook) works as a teaching assistant who has brought up her children following a rather brutal marriage. One afternoon in the tipping rain, she is offered a lift by "Ali" (Adeel Akhtar) who winds her up about her tastes in music (folk and country) and generally makes her smile. The film now takes a slightly predictable path, as she must deal with resistance from her headstrong son "Callum" (Shaun Thomas) whilst he with his estranged wife "Runa" (Ellora Torchia) who has recently had a miscarriage and found love elsewhere. When it is just the two in the title together, there is chemistry and humour and the film moves along engagingly. Otherwise, though, the story is just way too contrived, and once the writing is on the wall for the narrative, the sentiment takes just a little too prominent a role and the film simply runs out of steam.

Production companies