Supernova

What worked for me really well about this film was the fact that it kept focus throughout on telling a compelling and believable story. There was nothing flashy or over the top, and the central performances from Firth and Tucci were both gentle and very genuine. You can't help but find yourself asking what you would do in their situation.

There are some beautiful shots of the UK and the music pulls you into the story and has that wistful quality that makes you think about the flow of time.

"You're not supposed to mourn someone before they die." Tusker (Stanley Tucci)

With early-onset dementia (never mentioned, just "the bloody thing," Tusker, a respected novelist, pretty much feels life closing in. His lover, Sam (Colin Firth, even more low-key than ever), a well-known pianist, is facing the inevitable with as much good-will toward the fates as is possible. Something grander about dementia is in this quiet, contemplative drama eclipsing even the success of Julianne Moore in "Still Alice" and Julie Christie in "Away From Her."

The vastness of the universe helps these two amateur astronomers cope by showing the smallness of lives and fates and the assimilation we experience after we leave this mortal coil. Like all of us, Sam wonders if even that cosmic salve can save him from his oncoming grief of loss: "Am I strong enough? Can I do it?"

In a motorhome touring England's grand Lake District, we observe from the back seat as two buddies in the front on maybe their last adventure exchanging good-natured barbs that fulfill my requirement for buddy banter from good road pictures to my own travels with close friends. When Tusker asks Sam how things are going, Sam replies, "It's fine for me." Only a long-time love could respond, "Liar." The minimalism belies a depth of the love and understanding. Nice.

Writer-director Harry Macqueen deftly arranges the climax of the road trip with a surprise birthday party Tasker arranges for Sam at Sam's relatives' country home. The abundance of love for the couple mitigates the slow-coming sorrow of inevitable loss to remind us that love is the antidote to sorrow and the source for joy at whatever time the universe calls us back:

"Thanks," says Sam. "For what?" replies Tusker. "This," responds Sam. That's enough said about quiet love as they travel like a supernova full of light and strength on the way out.

Two stellar performances from Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci are the main draw for this study of the onset of dementia. The screenplay is delicate and nuanced, with a resolution that is both satisfying and poignant. A perfect counterpoint to the flood of superhero CGI monstrosities.

Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci excel in Harry Macqueen's melancholic but powerful tale of love and loss, 'Supernova.' Both carry out the dramatic scenes in a restrained way, without the need to exaggerate or seek the easy tear. And the dialogues between the two leads are straightforward despite addressing deep and complex themes such as life and death, past and future. The other outstanding element is the photography direction of Dick Pope, who presents images of great visual beauty of the English countryside with postcard-like framing that highlights the calming qualities of nature.

This film may not be for everyone as it plays like a small independent film or something that could have been written for the stage. I personally found it beautifully filmed, acted, and thought provoking. This is the story of a gay couple in their early 60s coming to terms with one's terminal illness. Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth are so good and believable in their roles that you forget you are watching two well known actors. It's so refreshing to see a relationship between two older gay men on screen, especially with the authenticity of this one. The ending is powerful stuff and a reminder of what real love is in all its incredible complexity.