‘My Salinger Year’ is a coming of age drama based on the autobiographical account of Joanna Rakoff. Joanna (Margaret Qualley) is an aspiring poet who moves to New York City and gets a job as an assistant to cold-mannered and old fashioned Margaret (Sigourney Weaver) at one of the oldest literary agencies in the city. Unbeknownst to her, the agency also manages the publications of the famous, reclusive author J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye). Joanna is given the duty of handling fan mails sent to Salinger from all over the globe. Although she has not read any of his books herself, she is deeply moved by the heartfelt letters sent to an author known for his antipathy towards his fans and who doesn’t care to answer. She has been instructed to fill out a generic response to the fan mail, however, Joanna cannot control the urge to reply to some of the letters herself. A poignant and moving tale about finding one’s authorial voice. The film opened the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020 and was nominated for a number of Canadian cinema awards from the Quebec cinema.
“..a lovely captivating film” (Los Angeles Times); “But really it’s a movie, essentially familiar in structure and tone, that owes everything to a pair of knockout performances. It’s a casting triumph” (The Sunday Times)
Roger Ebert Reivew in English: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/my-salinger-year-movie-review-2021